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Home » Recipes » 30 Minute Meals

May 2, 2022(updated Jun 20, 2022)

Vegetarian Ground Beef Tacos for Cinco de Mayo

5 from 1 vote

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by Becca Du

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vegetarian ground beef tacos

Next week is Cinco de Mayo, and I wanted to put up a recipe that helps you celebrate the holiday in quarantine. These are my vegetarian ground beef tacos. You’re probably thinking: how can ground beef be vegetarian? Well, that’s because I used Beyond Meat’s plant-based ground beef. This was actually unintentional. I originally ordered ground beef in my weekly grocery order, but I got plant-based beef instead. I decided to just roll with it which is how I ended up making this entirely vegetarian-friendly taco.

vegetarian ground beef tacos

What is Beyond Meat?

Beyond Meat is a brand that specializes in plant-based proteins. Established in 2009, they make a variety of meat substitutes like plant-based chicken, pork, and beef. I personally have very limited exposure to their products, but every time I had some I have loved it. This ground beef in particular has amazing flavor, and the texture is very close (surprisingly) to ground beef. My approach to cooking this ground beef is similar to how I would cook regular ground beef. Very simple, earthy seasonings and brown over medium heat.

ingredients

Ingredients, Substitutions & Adjustments

  • Plant-based ground beef – Like I mentioned above, you don’t have to use plant-based ground beef for this recipe, you can substitute in regular ground beef.
  • Five spice powder – Five spice powder is a mixture of 5 spices that is commonly used in Chinese cuisine. Included in the spice blend is star anise, white pepper, cloves, fennel, and cinnamon. I love the flavor that this five spice adds to meats.
  • Ancho chili powder – Ancho chili powder is a spice that is used in Mexican cuisine and adds a slightly spicy and sweet flavor to the meat. If you don’t have ancho chili powder, I would recommend using paprika.
  • Salt – Brings out the flavor of the other ingredients. I added salt to the beef and the pico de gallo.
  • Roma tomatoes – Roma tomatoes are my favorite tomatoes to use in pico de gallo. They have the perfect sweetness and texture. You can use any kind of tomato for this recipe.
  • Yellow onion – I like to use a sweet yellow onion, but you can also substitute with a white onion.
  • Cilantro – There is no substitute for cilantro. Cilantro is essential to pico de gallo.
  • Lime juice – Adds brightness and acidity to the salsa.
  • Jalapeños – Jalapeños is optional. It give the salsa a kick, but you can either omit jalapeños or take out the seeds. The seeds are the source of the spiciness.
  • Flour or Corn Tortillas – You can use either flour or corn tortillas for this recipe. I used corn tortillas because I like the flavor better and they are gluten free.
taco spread

Making my vegetarian ground beef tacos

This is literally the easiest and quickest recipe. First make your salsa. Mince the tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and jalapeños into small pieces. Add the onions to a bowl and squeeze lime juice over the top. The reason for this is the lime tempers the intense flavor of the onion and makes your salsa taste more balanced. Next add in the tomatoes, cilantro, and jalapeños. Add a pinch of salt and mix. Set aside.

Next marinate your plant-based ground beef. Add five spice powder, salt, and ancho chili powder into a small bowl and mix. Sprinkle over the top of your ground beef and incorporate with your hands. Make sure the ground beef is evenly coated in the seasoning. Brown the ground beef in a large pan for ~5 minutes. Add to a bowl and set aside. Lastly, heat your tortillas over the fire of a gas stove for ~10 seconds on each side. The tortillas should have small black spots on them.

Now it’s time to assemble your tacos! Take one of the tortillas. Spoon ground beef and salsa over the top. Finish it off with thinly sliced avocado and cotija cheese. Repeat until you run out of tortillas and/or filling.

finished tacos

Tips on how to make the perfect ground beef tacos

  1. Make your pico de gallo first – Making your salsa first allows the flavors in the salsa to marinate and combine. It makes for a tastier salsa.
  2. Squeeze lime juice over the onions first in the salsa – I was in Mexico, and I asked this cook what the key to a great salsa is, and he said it was to squeeze lime juice over the onions. Onions inherently have an intense flavor, so squeezing the lime juice over it tempers that flavor, creating a more balanced salsa.
  3. Heat tortillas directly over the fire – This might sound crazy but trust me this is the proper way to heat up tortillas. I have to caveat this by saying this is only possible on a gas stove. Heating the tortilla directly over the fire creates a more sturdy tortilla that can hold the filling without breaking. It also adds texture to the tortilla.
vegetarian ground beef tacos

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vegetarian ground beef tacos

Vegetarian Ground Beef Tacos

Becca Du
These vegetarian beef tacos are made with Beyond Meat ground beef topped with salsa, avocado, and cotija cheese.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 4 people
Calories 655 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 lb Beyond Meat ground beef
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp five spice powder
  • 1 tsp ancho chili powder
  • 2 roma tomatoes
  • 1/4 yellow onion
  • 2 tbsp cilantro minced
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 jalapeno
  • 12 tortillas
  • 1 avocado optional
  • cotija cheese to taste optional

Instructions
 

  • Make your salsa. Mince the tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and jalapeno into small pieces. Add the onions to a bowl and squeeze lime over the top. The lime tempers the intense flavor of the onion and makes your salsa taste better. Next add in the tomatoes, cilantro, and jalapeno. Add a pinch of salt and mix. Set aside.
  • Next marinate your plant-based ground beef. Add five spice powder, salt, and ancho chili powder into a small bowl and mix. Sprinkle over the top of your ground beef and incorporate with your hands. Make sure the ground beef is evenly coated in the seasoning.
  • Brown the ground beef in a large pan for ~5 minutes. Add to a bowl and set aside.
  • Lastly, heat your tortillas over the fire of a gas stove for ~10 seconds on each side. The tortillas should have small black spots on them.
  • Assemble your tacos! Take one of the tortillas. Spoon ground beef and salsa over the top. Finish it off with thinly sliced avocado and cotija cheese. Repeat until you run out of tortillas and/or filling.

Notes

You can substitute regular ground beef for the plant-based ground beef.

Nutrition

Calories: 655kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 28gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 998mgPotassium: 795mgFiber: 6gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 531IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 131mgIron: 6mg
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About Me


Hello I'm Becca! I believe any day can be made better with a bowl of noodle soup. Here you will find recipes from my Chinese/Vietnamese heritage and stories from my experience living here in beautiful LA. Grab a drink and stay awhile! Read More

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