Recipe Card: Tempeh Chorizo Tacos (PRINTABLE)
Smoky Tempeh Chorizo Tacos with homemade tortillas, bold spices, and easy tips for perfect texture every time.
Servings: 12 Tacos
Calories: 368kcal
Ingredients
Homemade Seasoned Tortillas
- 2 cups masa harina
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1½ cup warm water
Tempeh Chorizo
- 1 package tempeh ,8 ounces
- 1 package baby bella mushrooms ,8 ounces
- 2 dried red chili peppers
- 1 New Mexico dried chile pepper , medium or large sized
- ¼ cup white onion ,chopped
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 3 tablespoons reserved chile pepper water
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce , or tamari
Taco toppings: Chopped Tomatoes, Jalapeno, Red Onion, Cilantro, Guacamole, Salsa
Instructions
Homemade Seasoned Tortillas
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the masa harina, kosher salt, ground cumin, chili powder, and ground coriander. Pour in the water and stir until a dough forms.
- Knead the dough with your hands for 1 to 2 minutes until it becomes smooth, holds together easily, and is no longer sticky.
- If the dough feels dry or crumbly, add water 1 tablespoon at a time. If it feels sticky or gummy, add a little more masa harina until the texture is smooth and workable.
- Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 15 to 30 minutes. This allows the masa harina to fully absorb the water, resulting in softer, more pliable tortillas.
- Divide the dough into golf ball-sized portions. Each ball makes approximately one 6-inch tortilla. You should end up with 10 to 12 tortillas.
- Place the ball of dough on the parchment-covered tortilla press in the middle of the press. Add another piece of parchment paper over the top of the dough. Bring the top of the press down over the dough, then press with the handle to flatten the dough to about 1/8-inch thick. If the tortilla doesn't look quite even after pressing or you'd like it a little thinner, rotate the tortilla on the press and re-press.
- Carefully peel the tortilla away from the parchment paper.
- Continue pressing the remaining tortillas, keeping both the dough and the pressed tortillas covered with clean towels to prevent them from drying out.
- Warm a large, flat cast iron griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Alternatively, use your cast iron press to cook them! Place the press on the stovetop and heat the cast iron. When ready, a few drops of water flicked onto the surface of your cookware should sizzle immediately, and you should be able to hold your hand an inch above the surface for just a second or two.
- Cook until the edges look dry and small brown spots appear. Flip and cook until lightly browned. If the tortilla puffs, that's a good sign it's fully cooked. If using your cast iron press, the press will continue to get hot, so the process might go faster! Watch your tortillas carefully.
- As you take cooked tortillas off the griddle, stack them up and wrap them in a clean kitchen towel. The tortillas will continue to steam and soften inside the towel as you finish cooking the rest.
- Fresh tortillas are best when they're just off the griddle and still warm, but leftover tortillas are good too! Let any leftovers cool completely, still wrapped in the towel, then put them in an airtight container or zip-top bag and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Tempeh Chorizo Taco Filling
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Quickly toast chilies in the hot skillet for 30–60 seconds. Place chilies in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let them soak in the water for 15 minutes.
- While the chilies soak, crumble your tempeh and slice your baby bella mushrooms. Place in a bowl and add soy sauce (or tamari) and water.
- Drain chilis, reserving 3 tablespoons of water. Add the chilies to a blender with onion, spices, and reserved water and lime juice.
- Add chili paste to a bowl of crumbled tempeh and mushroom mix and let it marinate for 20-30 minutes.
- Return the same skillet to medium heat and cook the marinated tempeh mixture for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture begins to brown.Pro Tip: If the skillet becomes too dry while cooking, add a teaspoon of water at a time. You can also swirl a little water around the blender to capture any remaining sauce before adding it to the skillet.
Assemble Your Vegan Tacos
- Fill each warm tortilla with the cooked tempeh chorizo.
- Top with chopped tomatoes, jalapeño, red onion, cilantro, guacamole, salsa, or your favorite taco toppings.
- Serve immediately while the tortillas are warm and enjoy!
Notes
- Soaking the dried chilies creates a smoother sauce and helps develop the rich chorizo flavor.
- Cook the tempeh until lightly browned for the best texture and deeper flavor.
- If the filling starts sticking, add a teaspoon of water instead of additional oil.
- Dry to the touch on both sides.
- Light brown toasted spots have formed.
- Soft and flexible without cracking.
- Most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Mushrooms are tender.
- Tempeh is lightly browned with crisp edges and a crumbly, meat-like texture.
- Refrigerator: Store leftover tempeh chorizo in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Store tortillas separately.
- Freezer: Freeze the cooked filling for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating.
- Reheat: Warm the filling in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water if needed. Heat tortillas in a dry skillet for 20 to 30 seconds per side.
Nutrition
Serving: 12Tacos | Calories: 368kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 14g | Sodium: 525mg | Fiber: 12g