Name: Cauliflower Walnut Taco Meat
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 medium head of cauliflower, chopped into florets; 1 cup raw walnut halves; 3 medium garlic cloves, minced; 1 tbsp chili powder; 1 tbsp cumin; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp fine sea salt; Freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 3 tbsp tomato paste; 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

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This cauliflower walnut taco meat is our go-to meat substitute for all our vegan Mexican dishes when we’re tired of beans and lentils! It’s easy to make, low carb, and full of healthy fat and antioxidants.

overhead shot of the cauliflower walnut meat in a cast iron skillet

Apparently, it’s vegan Mexican week on the blog! I’m not complaining, though, and hopefully you aren’t, either! May I present to you this vegan cauliflower walnut taco meat that is gluten-free and keto-friendly?! I’m not a dieter, but I do think it’s kind of cool when a recipe just happens to fit into a diet category!

I came up with the idea for this vegan taco meat when I was tired of making bean and lentil-based taco fillings. You know how much of a legume freak I am, but even lentil lovers need a change sometimes. Cauliflower and walnuts came to the rescue, along with lots of garlic and Mexican spices: chili powder, cumin, oregano, and smoked paprika.

recipe features

Keto-friendly: This taco meat is made with two keto diet mainstays: riced cauliflower and walnuts!
Versatile: Use it in tacos, burritos, fajitas, quesadillas, or burrito bowls!
Easy: Less than 10 ingredients and 15 minutes of prep are required!
Great source of omega 3 fat: Walnuts are a fantastic plant-based source of brain-boosting omega 3 fatty acids. We can’t manufacture these fats on our own, so it is essential that we consume them as part of our diets. Vegans need to pay particular attention to this essential fat by incorporating plenty of walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, and flaxseed and algae oil into their diets.

ingredients you need:

Cauliflower
Walnuts
Garlic
Spices: Chili powder, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
Olive oil
Tomato paste

step by step instructions

Pulse all of the ingredients together in a food processor until the mixture resembles grains of rice, pausing to scrape down the sides as needed.
Meanwhile, warm the oil in a skillet and add the cauliflower mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender.
Serve!

overhead shot of the pulsed cauliflower walnut taco meat in a food processor

recipe notes

This cauliflower walnut taco meat is definitely heavier on the cauliflower and lighter on the nuts. If you want a higher fat recipe, you can play around with the ratios, adding less cauliflower and more walnuts.
For a nut-free recipe, replace the walnuts with sunflower seeds or cooked lentils.
For a cauliflower-free recipe, replace the cauliflower with 3 cups of cooked lentils. (Of course, it will no longer be keto-friendly.)

straight on shot of a lodge cast iron skillet full of the cauliflower walnut taco meat

more healthy mexican recipes

I hope that you love this cauliflower walnut taco meat! (It’s a foray into tomorrow’s recipe, Big Vegan Burritos, which you’ll want to stay tuned for!) If you make this, be sure to let me know how you liked it with a comment and review below. And if you share a photo to Instagram, tag @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen. I love re-gramming your creations in my stories.

Enjoy!