Yesterday I was watching my friend Beth’s Instagram stories. (Do you follow her? You DEFINITELY should! She’s the best and also shares great recipes and has an awesome cookbook coming out soon!!)
She was loading up on plant-based goodies at TJ’s in an effort to incorporate more veggie-based meals and less animal protein into her diet. I immediately DMed her and said, “You HAVE to try my veggie burger tacos!!” and she was like, “YAASSS.”
Then I thought, “hm, I really should have a blog post on these––because they’re one of my proudest creations to date.” 😂They also happen to be one of the most popular recipes in my Teach Me How to TJ’s e-book–where I share 100+ easy weeknight “no recipe recipe” hacks for busy gals!
The most common response after anyone makes these is… “I made these for my husband and he had NO idea they didn’t have meat in them! I didn’t tell him until after! 😂” So maybe we should call these, “husband foolin’ tacos!”
I think it’s important to note here that I actually *hate* veggie burgers in their original form. Actually, I don’t touch anything claiming to be a “meat substitute” with a 10-foot pole (personal preference, but I’m not a fan of soy, tofu, and the like). I think at best, most veggie burgers (even if they aren’t made with soy) are mushy and have a gross consistency.
BUT–luckily, that is not the case here. When you crumble ’em up––they morph into something delicious that even the biggest meat lover will fall head over heels for!
Anyway–this is the easiest hack you’ll ever see, regardless of whether or not you eat meat! They’re are a good go-to when you have relatively little in your pantry/fridge, because they keep forever in the freezer!
What if you don’t have a TJ’s?
That’s okay! You can totally adapt this however, with your favorite burger or whatever you have on hand! (They would be great with a black bean burger especially!)
How to make the veggie burger tacos:
Step one: Starting with a veggie burger of your choice (I love the TJ’s Cowboy Quinoa burgers or the TJ’s Thai Sweet Chili veggie burgers, but you can use any burger––doesn’t have to be from TJ’s!) For serving size, assume one burger per person for an average portion.
Step two: Throw burger in a cast-iron skillet drizzled with a little oil of your choosing. Sautee for a few minutes, chopping it up until it gets crumbled and crispy–it should be the texture of ground beef. (Really, it’ll shock you). You can season with whatever you’d like as well–(garlic powder, cumin, cayenne pepper––whatever) but it’s good as it is! Once it’s nice and browned and toasty, remove from the pan.
Step three: Spoon onto your favorite warm tortillas (I love the whole wheat + corn tortillas from TJ’s, but if you’re gluten/grain free, I also love the Siete cassava flour tortillas from Whole Foods) You can warm it on the stove in another pan for a slightly crispy texture (my preferred method) or you can zap in the microwave for 3-5 seconds! Top with toppings of your choice. Favorites below!
Top your tacos:
For a Southwestern twist, top with:
Southwest TJ’s cruciferous crunch slaw: You can make a slaw by tossing cruciferous crunch or any slaw mix with Sriracha ranch, or I also love any ranch (TJ’s Parmesan Peppercorn ranch is great) mixed with hot sauce! (This is also a great way to get your kids––or husbands–HA–to eat more veggies!)
Other toppings: cilantro, cheese, avocado, your favorite salsa (I love TJ’s Salsa Verde or Pepita salsa), hot sauce.
For an Asian twist, top with:
Cruciferous Crunch Peanut Slaw: Toss CC or any slaw mix with TJ’s Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette (or any asian style dressing) and use as a topper. Some matchstick carrots are delicious here too! Have some veggies like brussels sprouts or broccoli? Whether their raw OR cooked leftovers, just toss them in the dressing, and throw them on there too! Add a drizzle of Sriracha to finish! Avocado is also a delicious icing on the cake!
Yep–that’s it. Shocking, I know. You can’t even call this a recipe it’s so easy. (Which is why I call my TJ’s e-Book a “hacks book” instead of a “cookbook” 😜)
Don’t believe me that they’re this good? Check out what Danielle and Caroline emailed me after they tried out the recipe from Teach Me How to TJ’s!
