Vegan Ground Beef
This vegan ground beef recipe creates a savory plant-based crumble that you can add in place of hamburger to your favorite recipes, like vegan lasagna soup, taco meat, and more. Ready in minutes, these savory plant-based veggie crumbles are perfect for your vegan meals!
A lot of my favorite vegan dinners incorporate veggie crumbles. Some of my favorites include vegan Mexican lasagna, vegan baked ziti, and vegan tacos.
You can substitutes this vegetarian meat crumbles recipe in place of meat in just about any recipe that calls for it.
I realize not everyone has access to buy veggie crumbles in the stores, so I decided to create a recipe to make your own vegan ground beef substitute at home. Once you know how to make it, you can use it in all your favorite dishes, too!
Key Ingredients
- Lemon — We’ll use both the zest and the juice of the lemon.
- Oats — I used rolled oats for this recipe, but you can substitute instant oats.
- Chia — We’ll add some ground chia seeds to create a thicker texture. You can use whole chia seeds; I just prefer ground because it creates a smoother finished texture.
- Syrup — I used maple syrup, but you can substitute agave nectar.
- Milk — We’ll use almond milk for the best overnight oats! Substitute your favorite plant-based milk.
- Yogurt — I love adding some plant-based yogurt (plain, unsweetened) for an even more tangy flavor.
- Protein Powder — I add some vanilla protein powder for increased flavor and nutrients. If your protein powder is not sweetened, you may want to add an extra teaspoon or two of sweetener.
- Cornstarch — We’ll use cornstarch to thicken the lemon curd topping.
- Turmeric — A pinch of turmeric makes that lemon curd sunny yellow.
- Vegetable broth — I recommend combing water with Better than Bouillion Vegetarian Base because it uses less packaging and creates a high-quality broth every time.
- Tomato paste — You can use tomato paste or substitute ketchup.
- Soy sauce — You can use soy sauce, tamari (gluten-free soy sauce), or coconut amino acids.
- Worcestershire — We’ll be using some vegan Worcestershire sauce to add a meaty flavor to this plant-based crumbles.
- Spices — You’ll need garlic (you can use chopped raw garlic or garlic powder), dehydrated onions (or onion powder), and smoked paprika.
- TVP Granules — You can find textured vegetable protein in the health food section of grocery stores, health food stores, and online.
- Olive oil — We’ll add a little bit of oil to the skillet to help brown the veggie crumbles.
Why This Recipe is a Winner
- EASY — These plant-based crumbles are ready in minutes!
- FLEXIBLE — Add veggie crumbles to any recipe that calls for hamburger, such as sloppy joes, chili, etc.
- FREEZER-FRIENDLY — It doesn’t take extra time to make a double batch and freeze half for later!
Frequently-Asked Questions
What is textured vegetable protein?
Textured Vegetable Protein, TVP, is created from soy that has had the oil removed. This defatted soy is produced in different formats such as chunks or granules. It’s high in fiber and protein, making it a perfect plant-based meat substitute for your vegan meals.
Can you freeze vegan ground beef?
You can freeze veggie beef crumbles for up to 2 months, making it a perfect part of your meal-prepping lifestyle.
Serving Suggestions
Use these vegan beef crumbles in your favorite plant-based dishes, such as these:
Storage Tips
Transfer to an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 7 days. It can be frozen for up to 2 months in a freezer-safe container or bags.
Vegan Beef Favorites
If you love these vegan beef crumbles, you might be surprised by the number of tasty vegan beef recipes you can try and enjoy! Here are some of our favorites:
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Plant-Based Ground Beef
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon tamari
- 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dehydrated onions
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Ground Veggie Mix
- 1 cup textured vegetable protein
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
For the Sauce:
- Microwave: Pour vegetable broth into a heat-proof bowl. Heat in the microwave 1 to 2 minutes until very hot. Use pot holders to remove it from the microwave.Saucepan: Pour vegetable broth into a small saucepan. Place over medium heat and cook until very hot (simmering). Remove from heat.
- Add tamari, vegan Worcestershire, and tomato sauce. Stir until combined.
- Stir in spices.
For the Ground Veggie Mix:
- Add the TVP.
- Stir to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes.
- Add oil to a skillet over medium heat. Cook until it's shimmering, around 2 minutes.
- Add the ground veggie mix and spread it across the pan. Let it sit and cook for about 5 minutes, then use a spatula to stir occasionally until cooked through.
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Notes
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Tysm for this recipe. Am making nachos for supper….the recipe doesn’t mention water , but at the end after adding spices & tvp to vegetable broth , it says add water…. ( As needed ? Am hoping so. )
Hi Enid! Thanks for your comment. That water in the description was a typo. It’s been fixed now. I hope you enjoy your nachos!
I usually just rehydrate in stock and call it a day but this is much more flavourful. Thanks for the recipe!
So nice to see TVP starting to appear in more recipes again. It seems to have been one of those tried, tested, and true but totally overlooked vegan proteins for some time now. Nice to see it featured more – especially since the world is that much more expensive now and good ole TVP still just costs pennies.
Hey KM. I agree. It’s time that TVP makes a comeback! I like having this on my taco salad, even without taco seasoning, because it’s so flavorful! I hope you love it as much as we do!