Vegan Ground Beef Crumbles

This vegan ground beef is full of big, savory flavor! It’s perfect using to stuff peppers, in tacos, and more.

Here’s a fun trick for making a plant-based substitute for ground beef: try this Vegan Ground Beef! These days, there are lots of great plant-based crumbles and meat substitutes on the market. Because they’re essentially a processed food, we try not to eat them too often: and this recipe is a great homemade option! It’s perfect for making crumbles to stuff into a zucchini or pepper, for a taco filling or on a salad. You’ll be surprised at how much the savory flavor and texture mimics the real thing!

Ingredients for vegan ground beef

This vegan ground beef doesn’t taste like meat, exactly: but it’s so juicy and savory-spiced, it’s a great alternative to the real thing! We use store-bought plant-based crumbles (like Impossible or Beyond brand) for burgers, but we try not to eat them more than once a week. This recipe is a great homemade version that tastes incredible and uses all natural, whole-food ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Whole walnuts
• Baby bella (cremini) mushrooms (or substitute white button mushrooms)
• Soy sauce or tamari (use coconut aminos for soy free)
• Ketchup (use tomato paste for sugar free)
• Cumin, dried oregano, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder
• Kosher salt
• Olive oil

Tips for the process

Here’s the basic idea for making vegan ground beef: you’ll simply chop everything up, sauté it, and mix in some olive oil for richness. You’ll be sold, one bite in. Here are the basic steps to follow (or jump to the recipe below):

• Chop walnuts and mushrooms very finely to the texture resembling ground beef. It’s easiest to use a food processor for this step, but you can also use a chef’s knife to chop everything very finely.
• Mix in the seasonings to amp the meaty flavor. The soy sauce and ketchup in particular help to infuse salty, tangy undertones.
• Sauté the mixture until it is lightly browned, about 10 minutes. The mushrooms add juiciness and the walnuts add some texture.
• Stir in a little olive oil to simulate the richness of ground beef.

Ways to serve vegan ground beef

This vegan ground beef is perfect for stuffing vegetables, pasta, tacos, or in casseroles. However, don’t use it in a burger: it’s not meant to pack together like a veggie burger (we’ve got other recipes for that!). Here’s what it works well in:

• Stuffed vegetables like Zucchini Boats, Stuffed Peppers or Stuffed Green Peppers
• Pasta like Baked Ziti or a substitute for Bolognese
• Tacos like vegan tacos (or use the very similar Vegan Taco Meat)
• Nachos like Sheet Pan Nachos or Vegan Nachos
• Baked potatoes like Loaded Baked Potato or Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

What if you want a burger or meatballs?

Again, this vegan ground beef is not intended for a burger or meatballs! Also don’t add it to chili, since adding it to liquids makes it much too soggy. If you’re looking for a plant-based burger option, here’s what we recommend:

• Try our Black Bean Burgers (vegetarian), Vegan Black Bean Burgers or Chickpea Burgers
• Opt for Easy Vegan Meatballs
• Use purchased vegan crumbles like Impossible or Beyond: they’re engineered to work for forming into patties

Storage info for vegan ground beef

This vegan ground beef tastes great the day of making and stores well! Here’s what to know about storage:

• Refrigerate 1 week. It lasts very well in the refrigerator: simply reheat it in a skillet for a minute or two before serving.
• Freeze for up to 3 months. To freeze vegan ground beef, place it on a baking sheet in a single layer for 1 hour. Then remove the crumbles from the tray and place them in a freezer safe container. Store for up to 3 months.

More vegan recipes

Love eating plant-based? Here are a few more vegan recipes you’ll enjoy:

• Try Easy Vegan Meatballs or Vegan Stir Fry
• Go for Easy Vegan Tacos or Vegan Taco Salad
• Make a Vegan Caesar Salad
• Opt for a Quick Vegan Curry

01

Easy Vegan Meatballs

02

Easy Vegan Tacos

03

Quick Vegan Curry

04

Vegan Stir Fry

This vegan ground beef crumbles recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

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