Let's make some delicious Mexican-style tofu chorizo! This easy vegan recipe transforms plain tofu into incredibly moreish, spicy vegan chorizo crumbles. Perfect for tacos, burritos and more!
Table of Contents
Traditional chorizo is made from ground pork, but you can easily make it vegan! A lot of flavor in chorizo comes from spices. So this recipe uses quite a few of them to easily create a vegan tofu chorizo in just about 15 minutes!
There’s two main types of chorizo:
Mexican chorizo, which has a spicy and aromatic taste. It has a looser texture which is perfect for filling tacos. This recipe is for a Mexican-style vegan chorizo recipe that uses tofu crumbles as the base.
There is also Spanish chorizo, which is a firm, cured type of sausage. It has a smoky paprika and garlicky flavor. We also have a Spanish-inspired vegan chorizo sausage made from seitan if you fancy trying that too!
Ingredient tips
Tofu - We recommend extra firm for this recipe. If you haven't got extra firm tofu, then press the block of tofu first to remove excess liquid. You can do this in a tofu press, or by wrapping the tofu in paper towels and placing a heavy weight on top for at least 30 minutes.
Spices - There's quite a few spices to give this tofu chorizo its aromatic flavor and spicy kick. We use cumin (both ground and whole for extra texture), oregano, smoked paprika, garlic powder, ancho chili powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and coriander.
You'll also need:
- Maple syrup
- Apple cider vinegar
- Tomato paste, also known as tomato puree in the UK.
- Soy sauce
- And olive oil.
Step by step photos
For your convenience, here's a step-by-step visual guide for how to make this tofu chorizo recipe. You can find the full, adjustable and printable recipe in the recipe card at the end of the post!
Step 1 - In a large bowl, combine all the spices (whole and ground cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, coriander, cayenne and black pepper), with maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, tomato paste/puree, and soy sauce.
Step 2 - Drain the tofu, then crumble or finely dice it into small pieces. We like a mix of larger crumbles and smaller crumbles, but you can crumble it to your taste.
Step 3 - Add the tofu to the spice mixture and stir until evenly combined.
Step 4 - In a large skillet or frying pan, fry the tofu for 8 - 10 minutes in olive oil, flipping it over once halfway through.
Top Tip!
The tofu browns best when cooked in a single layer and not stirred during cooking. When the underside has reached a good level of caramelization, you can use a spatula to flip it over and brown the other side. This builds a beautiful depth of flavor.
Variations and substitutions
Ancho chili powder is made from ground ancho chiles, which are dried poblano chile peppers. They have a smoky and sweet flavor with a relatively mild heat level (1,000-1,500 SHU on the Scoville Scale.) If you can't get ancho chili powder, you could use a mild chili powder in its place, or even better, one of these substitutes.
If you like it milder or hotter, adjust the cayenne pepper to suit you.
For gluten-free tofu chorizo, use a gluten-free tamari sauce instead of soy sauce, which typically contains wheat.
Serving suggestions
This tofu chorizo naturally goes well in Mexican cuisine. Here are some ideas for how to use it:
Make breakfast burritos by filling flour tortillas with tofu chorizo, fried potatoes, red bell peppers, and vegan scrambled egg.
Use it to make vegan burrito bowls alongside rice, black beans, tomato salsa, corn, and shredded lettuce.
For vegan chorizo tacos, fill warm corn tortillas with this plant-based chorizo, add some diced onion, then top with fresh cilantro/coriander leaves, vegan sour cream, and lime wedges.
Storage
We like to eat this fresh for the best texture.
If you have leftovers, you can store the tofu chorizo in an airtight container or bowl with a lid for up to 3 days. It can be eaten cold or reheated.
More tofu recipes
We hope you enjoy our tofu chorizo recipe! If you are tofu fans, we invite you to try our other popular vegan tofu recipes:
Tofu Bacon - It’s smoky, salty, chewy, and oh so delicious.
Breaded Tofu - A delightfully crispy way to enjoy tofu!
And our fan fave Sticky Lemon Tofu.
📖 Recipe
Easy Tofu Chorizo
Ingredients
- 1 block (280 g / 10 oz) extra firm tofu finely cubed or crumbled
- 2 teaspoons whole cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ancho chili powder or mild chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste (tomato puree UK)
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine all the spices with the soy sauce, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar and maple syrup.2 teaspoons whole cumin, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon ancho chili powder, ½ teaspoon cayenne powder, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon ground coriander, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 2 teaspoons (10 ml) apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- Drain the tofu, then crumble or finely dice it into small pieces.1 block (280 g / 10 oz) extra firm tofu
- Add the tofu to the spice mixture and stir until evenly combined.
- In a large skillet or frying pan, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat.2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
- Add the tofu mixture and cook for 5 minutes. For better caramelization don't stir it, although check that it doesn't burn and adjust to medium heat if necessary.
- Flip over the tofu crumbles using a spatula and continue to cook for another 3 - 5 minutes until browned and slightly crisp.
Notes
Nutrition
This information is calculated per serving and is an estimate only.
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