This simple plant-based, vegan Chorizo recipe is incredibly easy to make at home! Made with ground walnuts, lentils, and savory Mexican spices, perfect for tacos, tostadas, quesadillas, burritos, burrito bowls, nachos, or breakfast bowls. Make it ahead and keep it in the fridge for busy weeknights, or freeze for later!
Looking for a plant-based chorizo recipe? This smoky, savory, nutty vegan Chorizo is a delicious way to add the flavor of Mexican Chorizo to your dishes without the meat! This vegan chorizo recipe can be made in literally 10 minutes! The walnuts give this an earthy meaty flavor, great texture, delicious depth and a lovely richness. Looking for something different? We also have this Tofu sofritas recipe!
TIP: For a quick low-carb version, double the walnuts and skip the lentils.
Plant-based Chorizo Ingredients
- Walnuts (or pecans) see notes if allergic to nuts.
- Cooked lentils (or cooked black beans, or use more walnuts for a low-carb version)
- Salt and black Pepper
- Spices and seasonings: granulated garlic powder (or fresh garlic clove), cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, chili powder, dried oregano (or thyme), ground chipotle (or sub cayenne), more to taste, cinnamon
- Tomato paste
Vegan Chorizo Instructions
Step 1: Place ingredients in a food processor and pulse.
Pulse until combined but not overly smooth.
Step 2: Brown the vegan chorizo in a greased skillet until nutty and fragrant.
Step 3: It is ready to use. Serve!
Storage anD Make-AHead
The vegan chorizo will last 4-5 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 6 months.
Serving Suggestions
Use this plant-based chorizo recipe in the following dishes!
- Burrito Bowl
- With tortilla chips and Vegan Queso
- Nachos Supreme with Walnut Chorizo
- Chipotle Tostadas with Pineapple Salsa
- In these Vegan Breakfast Tacos
- Mexican Breakfast Burrito Bowls!
- Use in tacos, enchiladas, or any way you would use plant-based meat.
Enjoy this easy recipe and let us know what you think of it in the comments below!
More Favorite Plant-Based recipes!
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Vegan Chorizo
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 5
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Category: Plant-based
- Method: blended
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This simple plant-based, vegan Chorizo recipe is incredibly easy to make at home! Made with ground walnuts, lentils, and savory Mexican spices, perfect for tacos, tostadas, quesadillas, burritos, burrito bowls, nachos, or breakfast bowls. Make it ahead and keep it in the fridge for busy weeknights, or freeze for later! No soy!
Ingredients
- 1 cup walnuts (or pecans)
- 1 cup cooked lentils (or sub-cooked black beans, or use 1 cup more walnuts for a low-carb version)
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons granulated garlic powder ( or 1 garlic clove)
- 1 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or thyme)
- optional: 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle (or sub cayenne), more to taste
- optional: 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1–2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons water, and more to desired consistency
Instructions
- Place walnuts, lentils, spices, salt, tomato paste and water in a food processor and pulse until combined, but not over smooth- a little texture is good.
- Taste, adjust salt and heat.
- If using the vegan chorizo as a taco or tostada filling, heat it up in a greased skillet, and if it gets overly dry, feel free to add another tablespoon or two of water so it doesn’t dry out in the pan, or another drizzle of olive oil.
- Sometimes I’ll saute a little onion or shallot in a skillet with olive oil until fragrant, then add the chorizo, for even more flavor.
Notes
Nut allergy? For a quick, simple version, crumble 1 block of firm tofu in a skillet, browning about in the oil, then add the salt and spices.
Vegan Chorizo will keep 3-4 days in the fridge or can be frozen.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ cup
- Calories: 134
- Sugar: 1.2 g
- Sodium: 188.3 mg
- Fat: 9.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 8.8 g
- Fiber: 3.6 g
- Protein: 4.9 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Hello, I would love to try this recipe, which type of lentils do you recommend?
We used black lentils in this recipe, they hold their texture nicely. But brown or green will work just fine too.
Delicious recipe with simple ingredients and the right amount of spices.
Thanks Helene!
So good! I make this all the time!
Great to hear Shawn!
This is an amazing recipe, the spice mix is honestly right on point! Personally, I like to also use it with tofu to make ‘tofu chorizo’, it works really well when you add it and then grill the scrambled tofu with the spices
Hi Ellie- funny I have been doing that too- so much simpler and faster, right? I noted the recipe. 🙂
Delicious. Thank you Sylvia!
Thanks so much!
Can you suggest a substitute for the lentils? More walnuts? Black beans? Mushrooms?
Thanks!
Hi Annie- yes, you can use all walnuts, and black beans too (a little mashed up). Mushrooms also- maybe chop them up finely and cook long enough, so all the liquid cooks out of them.
Crazy delicious! Make a double batch- nachos- breakfast… so good.
Awesome Julie, thanks!
What lentils did you use. Am so keen to make this for my lunch on the go.)
I used little black lentils!
Super easy, super delicious 😋. Made a double batch with black beans, used for tacos and breakfast hash.
Awesome JoAnn! Love that you tried the blackbeans!
I’ve made this chorizo with walnuts, and it is mind-blowing good! Meat eaters will never know it’s not meat. The flavor is unbeatable. You have to try it!
Thanks Lisa!