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These quick tofu crumbles are an easy way to a meatless dinner! Use this vegan meat substitute in tacos, salads, pasta, and more.
Need a meatless dinner…fast? Here’s one of my favorite shortcuts — these quick and easy tofu crumbles! They’re savory, meaty, and the perfect plant-based substitute you can use in endless ways.
If you’re not a tofu fan…you will be after you try this recipe! (Promise.) Use these as a taco filling like in Tofu Tacos, or try them on salads, pasta, bowl meals, or even savory breakfast! There’s nothing these crumbles can’t do.
What to expect as a vegan meat substitute
These tofu crumbles are quick and easy to make on the stovetop. While there are some methods for baking tofu crumbles, I prefer cooking them in a frying pan to keep it quick and easy.
That said, the texture of the crumbles is fairly soft. Don’t expect it to taste like ground beef!
The skillet crisps the crumbles lightly on the outside, but they’re not chewy like meat would be. However, these are delicious when you go in with the right expectations!
Ingredients you’ll need
You only need a few ingredients for this recipe, but they’re all important for bringing big flavor! Here’s what to have on hand:
- Extra firm tofu: This is key! Extra firm tofu is the consistency you’ll need to make crumbles. Check the label carefully at the store.
- Soy sauce or tamari: Substitute coconut aminos for soy-free and gluten-free
- Apple cider vinegar
- Spices: Garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt
- Olive oil
How to make tofu crumbles
Tofu crumbles are beyond easy to make — and lately, they’ve been fueling my dinners right alongside my go-to tofu scramble! There’s no real trick to it: just crumble your tofu and cook it up. Here’s what to know (or feel free to scroll straight to the recipe below!).
- Crumble the tofu with your fingers. You want roughly bite-sized crumbles here — it’s okay if they’re all different sizes. This part can be cold on your fingers, so do it quickly! It should take about 1 minute.
- Mix the tofu with the seasonings. Thoroughly coat the crumbles with the seasoning.
- Cook 8 to 10 minutes until lightly crispy. There will be quite a bit of water until it cooks out, and then you’ll be left with lightly crispy crumbles with a deliciously soft interior.
Oven baked method
You can also cook these tofu crumbles in the oven for a chewier and crisper texture. As mentioned above, I prefer to make mine on the stovetop for a fast and easy meal. If you want a crispier texture that’s more of a vegan meat substitute, you can spread them on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.
Delicious ways to use tofu crumbles
There are so many ways to use tofu crumbles! I use them often for fast and easy meals and plant-based dinners. Here are a few of my favorite ways to use them:
- Tacos: Try them in these 20-minute Tofu Tacos.
- Salad: Spread them over Vegan Caesar Salad for a meatless Caesar, or make our Ultimate Taco Salad.
- Bowl meal: Add them to an Easy Rice Bowl or an Easy Grain Bowl.
- Pasta: Add them to spaghetti with marinara, or Spaghetti Squash.
- Stir fry: Make them with Cauliflower Stir Fry or Broccoli Stir Fry.
- Main dish: Add broccoli and rice, and it’s a main dish.
How are you planning to use them? Let me know in the comments below!
Is tofu healthy?
There’s a lot of misinformation related to the health benefits of this soy product, so I get this question a lot. Here’s the thing: Tofu in moderation is part of a healthy diet (several times per week).
According to the Harvard School of Nutrition, soy is a nutrient-dense source of protein that can safely be consumed several times a week. It’s likely to provide health benefits, especially when you eat it as an alternative to red meat and processed meat. For more, go to Straight Talk About Soy and Is Tofu Good for You?
More tofu recipes
Tofu is such a quick and easy vegan meat substitute! I love eating it in recipes of all kinds. Some favorites you might enjoy are:
- Whip up my Go-To Tofu Stir Fry
- Make Crispy Baked Tofu, or use it to top a Tofu Salad
- Opt for quick and delicious Coconut Tofu Curry
- Try larger cubes of Perfect Pan Fried Tofu
- Make an Easy Tofu Scramble, an ultra fast breakfast, lunch or dinner
- Go for cozy Tofu Ramen
Dietary notes
This tofu crumbles recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free
Quick Tofu Crumbles
These quick tofu crumbles are an easy way to a meatless dinner! Use this vegan meat substitute in tacos, salads, pasta, and more.
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 12 minutes
- Yield: 3 to 4 servings 1x
- Category: Essentials
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegan
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 12 to 14-ounce block extra firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari (or coconut aminos)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Instructions
- Make the tofu crumbles: Drain the tofu container, then pat the tofu dry with a clean dish towel. Place the tofu in a large bowl and use your fingers to break the tofu into roughly bite-sized crumbles. (It might be a little cold on your hands: don’t worry, it should only take a few seconds!). Stir in the soy sauce, vinegar, salt, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add the tofu and cook on medium-high for 8 to 10 minutes, breaking up large pieces into bite-sized chunks and stirring occasionally, until browned and lightly crispy and the liquid evaporates. (The exact timing depends on the tofu brand.)
I used it in a cheesy cauliflower soup alongside bacon. I had a gastric bypass this year and need all the protein I can eat. Tofu works well, and it doesn’t aggravate my food aversions.
Great recipe! I use this instead of ground turkey in my one pot pasta.
Thank you both for this wonderful recipe, as i need to eat more plant-based meals ! I am forever making this tofu crumble and freezing bags of it in the freezer for when i need to add it to a dish. It smells great and i find it delicious to eat. And it supplements my dishes so well ! Can’t thank you enough.
Easy, tasty, economical recipie.
Great as a topping for vegetable crumble!
I’ve recently tried tofu again after many years and discovered I love it! I’ve been looking for different ways to make it, so far my absolute favorite is sweet n sour! I had half a brick left from yesterday and decided to try the crumbles. After pressing and crumbling, I mixed with a bit of reduced sodium soy sauce and smoked paprika and “stir” fried in olive oil Going to make quesadillas with it tonight!
by the way, I use Nasoya super firm and have never had any issues (so far)
OMG….so very easy and incredibly tasty. I had this ready within 20 minutes of starting on the recipe. I used for pizza and it fit the bill.
Used the crumbles as part of a filling for stuffed bell peppers. Came out delicious! 👍🏼🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟Love your pan fried tofu and easy baked tofu as well!
This is my girlfriend and I’s favorite tofu crumble recipe! I love that the flavor has more depth to it than other tofu crumble recipes, and it is super quick to put together.
Very easy and tasty recipe!!
I’ve made this on numerous occasions. It’s been a hit every time! I even served a large batch of tofu crumbles at a taco night I was hosting and everyone that tried it loved it.
I’m a total carnivore, but I love this! I used chipotle powder instead of chili for extra smoke, and I added a dash of onion powder, and it was so good. Make sure you use high quality olive oil in the marinade, it makes all the difference.
I tried cooking this on the stove as directed, after 10 minutes it was not even slightly crispy and was beginning to stick to the bottom of the pan. So then I tried putting it in the oven and after 25 minutes in there, only a few pieces on the very edge were slightly not mushy. Not sure what went wrong here, but it made really mushy tacos, which did not go over well with some. Any suggestions?
We just had this experience with a tofu brand! It’s one we have used before and it was marked “extra firm” but it came out incredibly watery. We’re wondering if it was just a bum block of tofu? Never had that happen in our 15+ years of cooking together! So, it could either be your tofu brand or maybe even a bum block of tofu. Was the tofu marked “extra firm” on the package? What brand was it?
It was Nasoya brand, and definitely marked extra firm. I’ll have to give it another try.
Every tofu recipe I’ve done in the past suggests getting rid of excess moisture. Just want to be clear that is not a necessary step here. Thanks you! Excited to try!!
Correct! The extra moisture actually works well in this case (we only press tofu if it’s absolutely essential for the recipe to work). Hope you enjoy!
Can I make this and then freeze it for future use? Thanks!
We haven’t tried freezing but I think it would work fine!
Made this for dinner and used the oven instructions. Added to my stir-fry. It was absolutely delicious and SO easy! I will definitely be making again :)
Made this early this morning for this evening’s meal, and it’s very good. Pan frying is a very good option and helps keep the kitchen cooler on these 100°+ days we’ve been having lately rather than baking it as I normally would. Thank you!