These tacos are unreal. I'm usually an extra toppings kinda girl but with this one... not needed. The pico is all this needs because there is so much flavor in the seitan. This seitan must be marinated overnight and then cooked in the marinade so it absorbs all that flavor. Waiting overnight is worth it. Trust.
Traditional Carne Asada is grilled or charred meat that is cooked in the marinade. I've never had carne asada the traditional way before so my non-vegan boyfriend helped me out on this one and he LOVED it! Give it a try and let me know it goes down below! Enjoy.
What You Will Need For These Vegan Carne Asada
Main Ingredients:
- Homemade Seitan
- Flour Tortillas
- Red Onion
- Fresh Pico de Gallo
- Lime Juice
Substitutions:
- Flour Tortillas: Corn Tortillas would also be delicious but just make sure you get them fresh so they are soft. Don't forget to char them on an open flame. Yum!
How To Make The Best Vegan Carne Asada Tacos
Don't skip the marinating. It's super important to develop flavor and you won't regret it!
These tacos are unreal. I'm usually an extra toppings kinda girl but with this one... not needed. The pico is all this needs because there is so much flavor in the seitan.
More Taco Recipes You Might Like:
If You Make This Recipe:
Tag me on Instagram! I’d love to see your delicious re-creations and feature them! As always, I would greatly appreciate if you share your review in the comments below. Don’t forget to add if you made any fun substitutions. Thank you!
Recipe
Vegan Carne Asada Tacos
Ingredients
- Seitan:
- 1 cup Vital Wheat Gluten
- ¼ cup Nutritional Yeast
- 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¾ cup Not Beef Broth I used this one or can sub vegetable broth
- 3 tbsps Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 1 tablespoon Vegan Worcestershire Sauce I used Annie's
Marinade:
- ¼ cup Red Onion minced
- 1 jalapeño minced
- 6 Cloves of Garlic minced
- 1 cup Chopped Cilantro stems included
- 1 cup No Beef Broth I use this one or can sub vegetable broth
- Juice of 1 Orange
- 1 Lemon juiced
- 1 Lime juiced
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 tablespoon Maple Syrup
- 2 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
- ½ teaspoon Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
Fresh Salsa:
- 4-5 Roma Tomatoes
- ¼ cup Red Onion
- 2-3 tablespoon Cilantro
- 1 Clove of Garlic
- Juice of 1 Lime
- Salt + Pepper to taste
For Serving:
- 8 Flour Tortillas Corn Tortillas, or Crunchy Taco Shells, I used flour
- Guacamole optional
- Extra Lime Wedges
- Extra Cilantro
Instructions
- Make the Seitan: Whisk together the vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, and all the dry seasonings in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients.
- Combine the wet mixture in to the dry and mix with a spatula until combined. Knead the seitan for 2-3 minutes until combined and stretchy. Shape in to a short and fat log. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Place the seitan in a steamer basket and steam for 30 minutes.
- Mince the red onion, jalapeño, garlic, and cilantro. Whisk together the rest of the marinade ingredients and add to a large tupperware container along with the minced vegetables.
- When the seitan is done steaming, let cool at room temperature. Once cooled, thinly slice the seitan and place in the marinade. Refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, remove the seitan from the marinade and place on a chopping board. Slice the seitan in to strips (see photo for reference).
- Heat a large pan on medium-high heat and add 1-2 tbsps of olive oil. Add the seitan and cook until golden brown and slightly charred.
- Add the marinade and lower the heat to medium. Cook until the marinade has been absorbed. While seitan is cooking in the marinade, prep the rest of the ingredients.
- Combine diced tomatoes, minced red onion, minced garlic, chopped cilantro, the juice of 1 lime, and salt + pepper to taste.
- Prep extra limes, extra cilantro, guacamole, and heat up tortillas.
- Assemble tacos by adding a healthy portion of carne asada on each tortilla and top with pico & toppings of choice. Serve and enjoy!
Zach says
Made these for my boyfriend just now and he said it was the best home cooked meal he's ever had in his life. That if he ordered this at a restaurant he'd be impressed. It's worth nothing that he is not vegan and he has very high standards when it comes to mexican cuisine. Anyway, this was the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me about my cooking. Thanks to you my boyfriend and I shared an amazing meal and a beautiful moment of love and intimacy. I can't thank you enough for sharing this recipe.
Liv says
I'm so glad you and your boyfriend enjoyed these tacos! Thank you for taking the time to leave this review. It means so much to me! 🙂