These vegan carne asada tacos are a crowd pleaser! They’re the perfect recipe for taco Tuesday, Cinco de Mayo, or any other night of the week! The whole family will love these easy vegan carne asada tacos!
Why I Made Vegan Carne Asada Tacos
I love tacos (I mean who doesn’t love tacos) but vegan tacos that aren’t just veggies are surprisingly hard to come by. Most recipes are like “throw peppers and add guac and pico to that!”. That’s boring and a little gross. I wanted to create an actual good-tasting and filling taco recipe!
I recently started experimenting with soy curls after not having tried them for 5 years of being vegan and they are an absolute game-changer. After a couple of test runs, I successfully made Vegan Beef and Broccoli and then I was able to make Vegan Carne Asada too!
I unashamedly had 8 vegan carne asada tacos the first time I tried them and have had many more since “taste testing” them. Bonus that these tacos are high in protein (8g of protein per taco) and low in calories (169 calories per taco)
How To Make Vegan Carne Asada Tacos
Soy curls can seem really intimidating to work with, I didn’t work with them for 5 years because I didn’t know where to start. Once you get used to cooking with them though, they’re really easy to cook with!
As with any recipe using fresh ingredients is always best but it’s not always practical depending on where you live. If you can make fresh homemade Pico de Gallo and guacamole this recipe will taste better but if you don’t have access to the ingredients year-round store-bought works as well!
Ingredients for Vegan Carne Asada Tacos
Vegan Carne Asada (soy curls)
Vegan Lime Crema
Guacamole
Pico De Gallo
Corn Tortillas
Cilantro
Limes
Jalapenos
Kitchen Equipment I used for recipe:
Butler Soy Curls Pack of 2 – These are the exact soy curls we use for this recipe and they work so well! If you’re like us and can’t find soy curls locally this is the perfect place to get them.
Cast Iron Skillet Set (10 & 12 in) – So I got this set for my birthday from my mom and it seriously is sooo good! I used the larger (12 in) skillet for this recipe and it worked so well! Great quality skillets for an affordable price!
Instructions for Vegan Carne Asada Tacos
Carne Asada
Empty soy curls bag into a big mixing bowl, pour vegan beef broth over top and let the soy curls soak for 10 min. While the curls soak mix all of the “Marinade” ingredients in a freezer bag.
Drain the soy curls in a strainer and gently squeeze out any excess liquid. Add the soy curls to the marinade mixture ensuring they are all evenly coated with the mixture. Marinade for at least 30 minutes but you can leave up to 2 hours.
Reserve ¼ cup of the marinade before draining the soy curls in a strainer. Shake off any excess liquid.
In a large cast-iron skillet or nonstick pan heat 2 tablespoon of oil on medium-high. Once heated add the soy curls. Cook, stirring frequently until all pieces are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Mix in the remaining ¼ cup of marinade and remove from heat.
Tacos
Assemble the tacos by laying a corn tortilla flat, scooping 5 or 6 soy curls on, topping with 1 scoop of pico de gallo, 1 scoop of guacamole, lime crema, and cilantro.
Commonly Asked Questions Vegan Carne Asada Tacos
Can you make these tacos ahead of time?
You can make the carne asada “meat” ahead of time but it’s not advised to make these vegan carne asada tacos ahead of time. The corn tortillas would go stale and the guac would rot prepared ahead of time. This recipe is best enjoyed fresh. The carne asada “meat” can be stored in airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days and reheated in a frying pan when it’s ready to use.
How to store vegan carne asada tacos?
If you have leftovers it’s best to package all the ingredients separately in airtight Tupperware containers and refrigerate. The guacamole would need to be enjoyed within 24 hours as it can go bad quickly if left out in the open for too long. Corn tortillas are
What is vegan carne asada meat made out of?
Our vegan carne asada meat is made out of soy curls (we bought a 12-pound box of Butler’s soy curls). The soy curl does an incredible job of replicating the texture of meat, but it’s important (similar to tofu) to marinate the curls before using them as they have no flavor coming out of the box. This vegan alternative to classic carne asada is perfect and packs a nutritious punch being high in protein and fiber!
Full Measurements & Instructions Below!
Vegan Carne Asada Tacos
Vegan Carne Asada Tacos
John Rush
These vegan carne asada tacos are a crowd pleaser! They’re the perfect recipe for taco Tuesday, Cinco de Mayo, or any other night of the week! The whole family will love these easy vegan carne asada tacos!
Equipment
Mixing Pot
Strainer
Frying Pan
Knife
Cutting Board
Bowl
Ingredients
1x
2x
3x
Carne Asada
1 pack Soy Curls 8 oz
4 cups Vegan Beef Broth
Marinade
1 cup Orange Juice
1 Lime juiced
¼ cup Cilantro chopped
⅓ cup Oil neutral
¼ cup Soy Sauce or tamari
1 teaspoon Cumin
1 Jalapeno sliced
2 tablespoon Garlic minced
2 tablespoon Brine From Jarred Jalapeno optional
4 drops Liquid Smoke optional
Tacos
12 Corn Tortillas
1 cup Pico de Gallo
1 cup Guacamole q
½ cup Lime Crema
2 Limes quartered
3 tablespoon Cilantro chopped for topping
Instructions
Carne Asada
Empty soy curls bag into a big mixing bowl, pour vegan beef broth over top and let the soy curls soak for 10 min. While the curls soak mix all of the “Marinade” ingredients in a freezer bag.
Drain the soy curls in a strainer and gently squeeze out any excess liquid. Add the soy curls to the marinade mixture ensuring they are all evenly coated with the mixture. Marinade for at least 30 minutes but you can leave up to 2 hours.
Reserve ¼ cup of the marinade before draining the soy curls in a strainer. Shake off any excess liquid.
In a large cast-iron skillet or nonstick pan heat 2 tablespoon of oil on medium-high. Once heated add the soy curls. Cook, stirring frequently until all pieces are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Mix in the remaining ¼ cup of marinade and remove from heat.
Tacos
Assemble the tacos by laying a corn tortilla flat, scooping 5 or 6 soy curls on, topping with 1 scoop of pico de gallo, 1 scoop of guacamole, lime crema and cilantro.
Pups Notes
Alternatively, you can place all the finished ingredients in bowls and let everyone assemble them at the table themselves.
Nutrition
Serving: 1taco
Calories: 169kcal
Carbohydrates: 20g
Protein: 8g
Fat: 7g
Saturated Fat: 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g
Monounsaturated Fat: 2g
Trans Fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 1mg
Sodium: 156mg
Potassium: 159mg
Fiber: 5g
Sugar: 3g
Vitamin A: 140IU
Vitamin C: 5mg
Calcium: 39mg
Iron: 2mg