Spice up your meals with this easy vegan chorizo recipe! Made with simple, healthy ingredients, it's also gluten free and tastes incredible.
This plant-based version of chorizo is perfect for tacos, burritos, or scrambled eggs. It's packed with flavor and done in 20 minutes.
This post was originally published on July 20, 2020.
I love having meal parts I can use in a variety of ways. Much like my homemade vegan taco meat, this vegan chorizo is so versatile! Bring down the spice to make it fully family friendly.
Ingredients
There's a lot of vegetarian chorizo options out there, whether it be store bought or homemade, and they all have different bases.
My vegan chorizo uses walnuts that have been soaked as a base, much like my walnut taco meat, and is loaded up with Mexican spices. You can then sauté it to get that crispy on the edge texture.
Here are all the ingredients for this vegan chorizo recipe that contribute to both the flavor and texture:
- Walnuts
- Sun dried tomatoes
- Chickpeas
- Garlic
- Mexican spices
How to Make Vegan Chorizo
This chorizo substitute is simple to make in no time! Here's what to do:
- Pulse ingredients in a food processor until crumbled.
- Sauté in a pan if you want to warm it up.
- Serve and enjoy!
Toppings
Our favorite thing to make with this plant based chorizo is tacos! Pick your favorite tortillas and load them up with all sorts of toppings like these:
- Vegan Sour Cream
- Simple Guacamole or Fully Loaded Guacamole
- Salsa
- Mexican Coleslaw
- Vegan Queso Blanco
- Black Beans
- Citrus Cream or Salsa
- Lettuce
- Onions
- Tomatoes
- Cilantro
More Uses for Vegan Chorizo
You can really use this in anything! Obviously we love it in tacos, but it's also great in:
What to Serve With Chorizo Recipes
Pair whatever vegan chorizo creation you make with any of the following plant based sides for a delicious feast:
Preparation Tips
- Dry the sun dried tomatoes well before using them.
- If you don’t use chipotle seasoning and still want the touch of smoky flavor, you can sub smoked paprika.
- To make this more or less spicy, adjust the amount of Chipotle seasoning. You can even add cayenne if you really want to amp it up!
- To prep this ahead of time, make sure to soak the walnuts and pre-measure out the other ingredients. Then day of all you need to do is pulse and heat if you want!
Storage and Reheating Tips
- This vegan chorizo recipe stores in the fridge in an air tight container for about a week.
- You can freeze this as well.
- I like to place a sheet of plastic wrap right over the top to help avoid freezer burn. It should touch the chorizo.
- Then store in an air tight container until ready to use. It will last many months.
- To reheat, simple defrost to room temp then sauté in a pan with a drizzle of oil or broth if oil free.
Common Questions
There are a number of bases for plant based chorizo including walnuts and chickpeas, soy, pea protein, tofu, or tempeh.
Most vegan chorizo recipes will be lower in calories, fat, and cholesterol than pork chorizo. Plus, when using plant based ingredients you add in more healthy nutrients!
It depends on the product or recipe. This particular recipe does not need to be heated before eating. However, many store bought options, such as soy chorizo, need to be cooked before enjoying.
Chorizo is savory and a little spicy with a hint of sweetness. It's flavored of paprika, garlic, cumin, and peppers.
Vegan Cinco de Mayo Recipes
- Copycat Chipotle Rice Recipe (Cilantro Lime Rice)
- Elote Street Corn Salad Recipe
- Fajita Veggies (Chipotle Copycat)
- Chipotle Inspired Veggie Burrito Bowl (Vegan)
Easy Vegan Chorizo Recipe (Gluten Free)
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup walnuts , soaked overnight
- 1 ½ cup cooked chickpeas , about 1 can rinsed and drained
- ¾ cup sun dried tomatoes , not in oil, dry or in water (see note)
- 4-5 teaspoon cumin , adjust for your preference
- 4-5 teaspoon smoked paprika , adjust for your preference
- 2-3 teaspoon onion powder , adjust for your preference
- 2-3 teaspoon apple cider vinegar , adjust for your preference
- 1 ¼ teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder , or 4 fresh cloves
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ - 1 teaspoon sea salt , optional and adjust depending on how salty your sun dried tomatoes are
- ½ teaspoon chipotle seasoning , optional for added spice
Instructions
- Put everything into a food processor and pulse until crumbly.
- If you want to warm it, saute in a pan with a drizzle of oil to get it crisp around the edges.
- Serve in and on eveyrhting!
Notes
- If your sun dried tomatoes are in water make sure to dry them well.
- If you want spice and no extra smoky flavor, you can sub cayenne.
- Adjust the seasoning for your preference. The ranges were from the different trials and what we all liked.
- This makes about 4 cups. Serving size is ½ cup.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Sarah
Tried it in tacos so far, amazing! I'll be making taco salads with the leftovers!
Mark
I just found your website and the chorizo tacos are the first recipe of yours that I've attempted. I followed your instructions exactly and then finished the "chorizo" by sauteing it with olive oil, diced onions, yellow bell peppers and jalepenos. After filling the tortillas with the chorizo mixture, I topped them with avocado slices and pico de gallo. They were absolutely delicious!! I can't wait to try more of your wonderful recipes. Thanks Sophia!
Sophia DeSantis
Thank you so much Mark!! I am so happy you liked it!
Chelsee
I can't wait to try this on our next taco night!