Whether it’s Taco Tuesday or Taco Saturday, eating tempeh and black bean tacos makes it a fabulous day. Crumbled tempeh is seasoned with your favorite taco seasoning and a generous amount of lime juice before being layered with cumin black beans and all the fixin’s. These vegetarian tacos will fill both your taco shell and your belly. Easily convert this recipe to vegan by using dairy-free cheese and sour cream!
Finding a Way to Love Tempeh
Let’s assume you have at least heard of tempeh. It’s tofu’s earthy-crunchy cousin and a major protein source for those who practice a vegan diet. Not the prettiest food, but as I’ve started to experiment with it I’ve started to actually crave the dense texture. Tempeh is made from soy beans so the bite is similar to eating edamame.
This vegan protein requires a little finessing to make it taste good. Tempeh and black bean tacos are an easy way to give this nutritious protein a try.
It’s All About the Lime
The vast majority of recipes call for marinading tempeh so that it doesn’t taste bitter. That definitely works, but you’ll see that most marinades are either soy sauce based or BBQ based. Those flavors are very heavy and don’t really fit my New Year’s Reset “light and bright” recipe plan.
Tempeh and black bean tacos don’t require any marinade which means they qualify as a fast weeknight meal. For this recipe, tempeh gets crumbled and sautéed in coconut oil until warm. Sprinkle in your taco seasoning and a very generous amount of fresh lime juice. Done!
Nacho Average Nachos
The tempeh in tempeh and black bean tacos is the same preparation I use in Zesty Tempeh Nachos. In fact, the idea was basically to create a taco version of this addictive nacho recipe.
Tempeh and Black Bean Tacos - A 15 Minute Meal
This is a 15-minute meal, and that includes the time it takes to open a can of black beans and to get the tempeh out of its package. Other than sautéing the tempeh, these tacos are super easy to build. Heat up the black beans with a little cumin and a squeeze of lime juice just until hot. Warm the shells at the same time.
For me, I prefer crunchy taco shells to corn or flour tortillas. For that reason, the only way to go is Old El Paso’s Stand ‘n Stuff shell. Any other brand gives you a super skinny shell that is literally impossible to fill without breaking.
For this recipe, you’ll have enough to make 4 big tacos which is enough for two people, especially if you’re serving a side dish with them.
Tempeh Finesse
The most important thing for this tempeh and black bean taco recipe is to prep your tempeh properly. Tempeh has a naturally bitter flavor that is unpleasant, so the choice of seasonings is very important.
This is a great place to use coconut oil which has a very subtle coconut flavor. I prefer this when making tempeh over olive oil. A little goes a long way.
I use either Siete spicy taco seasoning or the Whole Foods 365 brand spicy seasoning. Chili powder will do in a pinch if you don’t have taco seasoning on hand.
Tempeh and Black Bean Taco Toppings
Once you have your tempeh and black bean base, it’s a choose your own adventure process. The key is to have all the toppings ready in an assembly line before you start.
I build my tempeh and black bean tacos by layering the cheese between the proteins (the tempeh and the bean). Since they’re both hot, it helps the cheese to get melty.
Avocado is a must for a taco. I got a perfectly ripe avocado, removed it from the shell and mashed it lightly with a fork right on the cutting board. Squeeze lime over that, a tiny pinch of salt and some chopped cilantro.
Once your tacos are ready to fill, use the side of your fork to section the avocado mash into 4 and just scoop them right on top.
Next is a layer of freshly chopped tomato with a squeeze of juice and a pinch of salt. You can easily use pico de gallo here to get some onion in the mix, or use your favorite salsa.
The last topping is usually sour cream, but I was out so I substituted plain Greek yogurt which is equally delicious as a dipper.
Grab a cold beverage and dig in! I love a cold beer with tacos, but I’m currently obsessed with June Shine hard kombucha which takes like a fruity soda but still gives you a buzz.
Ingredients
- 1 pkg plain tempeh
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1-2 tbsp taco seasoning
- 2-3 limes, divided
- 1/2 can black beans (save half for another use)
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 perfectly ripe avocado
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 small tomato
- salt
- 1/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
- 4 large taco shells (Old El Paso Stand 'n Stuff)
- 4 tbsp plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°
- Get all of your ingredients out. Remove the tempeh from the package. Open a can of black beans. Chop the tomato finely and place in a small bowl with one squeeze of lime juice and a pinch of salt. Fork-mash one avocado on a cutting board. Give it one squeeze of lime, a pinch of salt and cover with chopped cilantro. Open the bag of cheese and open a container of yogurt.
- Place 4 taco shells directly on the oven rack. Place half the can of black beans in a small saucepan on med-low heat. Add 1/2 tsp of cumin and a small squeeze of lime juice. Stir and allow to heat while you prepare the tempeh.
- Heat a medium pan over medium heat. Once hot, add 1 tbsp coconut oil and allow to melt and heat up (30 seconds). Using your hands, crumble one package of tempeh into the pan. Toss around with the oil to heat up. Sprinkle 1-2 tbsp taco seasoning over the tempeh and toss to coat evenly. Once the seasoning is well combined, squeeze the juice of at least one whole lime over the tempeh. You may want to use an additional lime if your limes are small or not very juicy. The key is to coat all of the tempeh in lime juice so that it looks moist. Cook for 1 minute just to ensure the tempeh is hot and turn off the heat.
- Time to build! Start by filling each taco shell with 1/4 of the tempeh, then 1/4 of the cheese and 1/4 of the beans. Using the side of a fork to scrape 1/4 of the avocado mash into each taco. Top with chopped tomato.
- Plate 2 tacos with 2 tbsp of Greek yogurt for dipping and serve immediately.
Nutrition
I hope if this is your first time trying tempeh that you love these tacos as much as I did.
Part of the beauty of a plant-based diet is that you get to eat a lot more. I ended up eating all 4 tacos myself.
Did you enjoy this tempeh and black bean taco recipe? Ready to try tempeh another way? Check out this Coconut-Miso Marinated Tempeh Bowl that pairs tempeh with fresh mango, avocado and plantains.
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