Vegan Chorizo Crumbles are crunchy and spicy. Made with crumbled tofu and spices, it’s baked until crispy. Use as a stuffing for tacos, sprinkle on top of salads, or enjoy with a breakfast hash!
The other day I made this incredible Sweet Potato and Brussel Sprout Hash. As my family and I were enjoying this recipe, I was thinking about increasing the protein to make it an even more filling and well-rounded breakfast. That’s when I came up with the idea for this vegan chorizo recipe!
These crumbles are so flavorful, and the texture is crisp and crunchy. If you didn’t know it was made with tofu, you would be none the wiser. It’s similar to my sofritas recipe but with a crispier finish and not quite as spicy.
After making this the first time, I was flooded with ideas about using it. Stuff them in tacos, burritos, or enchiladas—top on your salads, chili, or buddha bowls. The options are limitless! Now, it’s become a regular as I plan my vegan prep meals for the week! So far, I’ve enjoyed these crumbles with spaghetti and marinara sauce on top of broccoli salad, sprinkled on my easy three-bean chili, and with my sweet potato hash.
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Why It Works
- Crispy and Crunchy
- Gluten-Free
- Super Spicy
- Resembles an authentic chorizo
- Full of spices you have in your pantry already
- No complicated ingredients (easy recipe)
- Whole food plant-based
- Oil-Free
Ingredients and Notes
Extra Firm Tofu: Press the tofu for 20-25 minutes before you crumble it into pieces. This helps to expell the excess water and dry out the tofu so that it can become crispy.
Spices: The combination of spices gives the crumbles the chorizo flavor. You need cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper.
Red Wine Vinegar: Adds a touch of acidic flavor to balance the spices.
How to Make Vegan Chorizo Crumbles
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 F. Press your tofu. Drain water from the tofu packaging. Fold two paper towels and place on a plate. Put tofu on top of paper towels, and then fold two additional paper towels to place on top of the tofu. The tofu block will be sandwiched between the layers of paper towels. Next place a heavy skillet on top of the tofu block. Then add a few heavy cans from your pantry to add extra weight. Allow the tofu to press for 20-25 minutes. If you have a tofu press, you can use that instead of following these steps.
Step 2: Finely crumble tofu with your hands, pinching the tofu with your thumb and fingers. You can also pulse the tofu a few times in a food processor to crumble.
Step 3: Add all of the spices and the red wine vinegar to the bowl of crumbled tofu. Stir the mixture until all of the crumbles are well coated.
Step 4: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the crumbles over the baking sheet in one layer.
Step 5: Bake for 30 minutes at 350 F. Every 10 minutes toss the crumbles for an even bake. Remove from oven and use in your favorite recipe!
Frequently Asked Questions
Traditional chorizo is a spicy seasoned pork sausage. Chorizo crumbles are made when the sausage is released from it’s casing and pan fried. It is often used in Spanish and Mexican recipes.
Vegan Chorizo is made from crumbled extra firm tofu that is tossed in spices and seasoning to mimic the original.
An authentic chorizo has cumin, coriander, cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, salt, pepper, ancho chili powder, paprika, red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar. With this recipe I kept true to the original spices while also making it more user friendly based on what is commonly found in your spice drawer!
Expert Tips
- Be sure to press the tofu before crumbling. This will extract the excess water and create a crispy and crunchy crumble.
- Toss the crumbles in the oven a few times to help get an even bake so that all crumbles come out crispy.
- Finely crumble the tofu with your hands. The finer the better. Those fine crumbles come out extra crispy!
Serving Suggestions
- Mexican and Spanish Dishes such as tacos, enchiladas, and burritos
- Sprinkle on top of your favorite salad for added protein, and extra spice and flavor! These crumbles also remind me of bacon bits.
- Stir into your favorite chili recipe for added texture, flavor, and protein.
- On top of buddha bowls, burrito bowls, and vegan nachos!
How to Store and Keep
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When ready to reheat bake in the oven for 5-10 minutes to retain the crispy texture, or reheat in the microwave but the crumbles will be a bit softer.
More Tofu Recipes!
Recipe
Vegan Chorizo Crumbles
Ingredients
- 1 block extra firm tofu pressed
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Press your tofu. Drain water from the tofu packaging. Fold two paper towels and place on a plate. Put tofu on top of paper towels, and then fold two additional paper towels to place on top of the tofu. The tofu block will be sandwiched between the layers of paper towels.Next place a heavy pan on top of the tofu block. Then add a few heavy cans from your pantry to add extra weight. Allow tofu to press for 20 minutes. If you have a tofu press, you can use that instead of following these steps.
- Finely crumble tofu with your hands, pinching the tofu with your thumb and fingers.
- Add all of the spices and the red wine vinegar to the bowl ofcrumbled tofu. Stir until all crumbles are well coated.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the crumblesover the baking sheet in one layer.
- Bake for 30 minutes at 350 F. Every 10 minutes toss thecrumbles for an even bake. Remove from oven and use in your favorite recipe!
Video
Notes
- Be sure to press the tofu before crumbling. This will extract the excess water and create a crispy and crunchy crumble.
- Toss the crumbles in the oven a few times to help get an oven bake so that all crumbles come out crispy.
- Finely crumble the tofu with your hands. The finer the better. Those fine crumbles come out extra crispy!
- Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When ready to reheat warm in the microwave, or for a crispier finish warm in the oven for about 5 minutes at 350 F or until warmed through.
Toni
This is really good! Everyone at my house loved it!
Jessica Formicola
Oh wow, does this look delicious! I am definitely sharing this recipe with my vegan friends!
Mindy Fewless
What a great idea! All the right flavors for chorizo!
Malea Ann
Have your tried freezing the crumbles? I’d live to batch cook and make a bunch of chorizo crumbles and a bunch with Asian flavorings to freeze so I can grab when needed. Thanks!
Alison Corey
I have not frozen them myself, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work! Let me know how it goes!
Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness
Okay, the only thing I don’t have at home is the tofu. Put it on my shopping list because this looks SO good!! 🙂
Carrie Robinson
Oh yum! I can think of all kinds of recipes I could use these in. 🙂