This vegan ground beef recipe is easy to make with whole-food ingredients and is the most delicious vegan ground meat ever. This plant-based substitute for ground beef is full of umami flavor with the taste and texture similar to real meat. This vegan meat is made with lentils, walnuts and mushrooms…without any fake meat processed food products. Use it as a substitute for hamburger meat in all your favorite recipes.
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If you’ve been buying beefless crumbles and you’re ready to make vegan ground beef from scratch instead, I’ve got a wonderful recipe for you. This vegan ground meat recipe is super satisfying, incredibly delicious, so versatile, a great source of protein and there’s no TVP (textured vegetable protein—a highly processed product) in it.
Use 1 ½ cups of this vegan beef to replace one pound of ground beef in all your favorite recipes that call for the real thing, or to replace vegan beef crumbles. Make a batch for your weekly meal prep and then use this as the main ingredient for your favorite vegan meals like sloppy joes, vegan hamburger helper, spaghetti sauce, vegan meatloaf, chili mac and anything that calls for taco meat.
Read the labels of meat substitutes found ready made in grocery stores. After you’re done trying to figure out what type of food product some of that is, try this vegan ground beef substitute that’s made with simple ingredients, no tvp and perfect meaty texture.
Why you’ll love this vegan ground beef recipe
- Easy swap in place of ground beef in your favorite recipes
- Good source of vegetable protein
- No highly processed soy products and fake food like TVP, beyond meat, meatless crumbles, soy curls, tofu crumbles etc.
- Budget friendly
- Meal prep rock star
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Lentils: Use beluga lentils, green or brown lentils. Red or yellow lentils will turn to mush and don’t work well in this recipe.
- Mushrooms: I used shiitake mushrooms, but baby bellas also taste great and any variety will give you the satisfaction of this umami-rich ingredient.
- Walnuts
- Onions: I like the added sweetness the red onion offers, but you could use a white or sweet yellow onion.
- Spices: garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin and black pepper.
- Tomato paste
- Tamari: For a soy free ground beef, substitute with coconut aminos.
- Nutritional Yeast
How to make it
If you have uncooked lentils, you’ll need to cook them before you begin. Go to the recipe card for easy directions to make them on the stovetop or in an instant pot.
I mince the onion, mushrooms and walnuts by hand, but you could also use a food processor.
Step 1: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use water or vegetable broth to saute veggies until beginning to soften. Although you could use olive oil in the pan, using a little bit of water or stock works just as well.
Step 2: Sprinkle on the nutritional yeast, garlic powder, smoked paprika and cumin. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring until everything is well distributed. For best results, stir constantly and break up any small pieces that have formed.
Step 3: Whisk together tomato paste, tamari and water, then stir it into the veggie mixture until evenly dispersed.
Step 4: Mix in the cooked lentils. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until crumbly. It will take about 10 minutes to become browned and crumbly, resembling ground beef.
How to store and serve
- Serve: Use in all your homemade recipes that call for ground beef. One and half cups of vegan ground beef is equal to one pound ground beef that’s been cooked. See variations below for some great ideas.
- Store: Completely cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or freeze for 3 months.
- Freeze: Use freezer safe containers and freeze in smaller portions so you can use in your favorite recipes.
Variations
Start with the basic vegan ground beef recipe and use it as a substitute in all your favorite recipes that call for ground meat. 1.5 cups will replace 1 pound of ground meat. Meal prep a batch of this and then hello easy dinner any night of the week!
My absolute favorite way to enjoy this vegan beef recipe is loaded onto some hummus and scooped up with chips. Use my roasted cauliflower hummus for a low carb alternative.
Vegan Taco Meat
Skip the seasonings in the vegan ground beef recipe card and instead use with 2 tablespoons of my homemade no salt taco seasoning. Now you have a vegan taco meat that is so delicious. I make a batch weekly so I’m always ready for vegan tacos (lettuce wraps optional), veggie fajitas, burrito bowls, taco salad, taco bowls.
Vegan Meat Nachos
Follow directions above for vegan taco meat and take it to the next level with a tablespoon of dry ranch dressing mix as well. Layer corn chips with the vegan minced meat, enchilada sauce and sliced jalapenos on a baking sheet. Heat in 350 degree oven for 5 minutes, or until heated through, then spoon on some vegan sour cream, guacamole, fresh cilantro and sliced scallions. Make a batch of fresh salsa when tomatoes are in season!
Vegan Meat Enchiladas
Use the recipe above for vegan taco meat and add that as the filling in my vegan enchilada casserole. OMG…next level umami satisfaction for an easy make ahead vegan dinner.
Italian Recipes with Vegan Ground Beef
Vegan Stuffed Vegetables
Follow my easy recipe for stuffed cabbage rolls and use this delicious vegan ground beef for the stuffing. You can do the same for vegan stuffed peppers or stuffed zucchini boats.
Pasta sauce
Stir into your favorite marinara sauce and serve over spaghetti or zucchini noodles for an easy dinner that everyone will adore. Sprinkle on some chopped fresh basil if you’re feeling fancy! Or, use that vegan meat sauce to make the best lasagna ever!
Vegan Sloppy Joes
Vegan sloppy joes bring back childhood memories and make an awesome main dish. Bring a 15-oz can of tomato sauce to a simmer over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 tablespoon chili powder and 2 cups of this vegan hamburger meat. Stir well and cook for 5-10 minutes until heated through.
Debra’s Pro Tips
- Let the veggies and spices dry out in the pan and become crumbly so they resemble real ground beef in texture.
- Spice blends like taco seasoning, italian seasoning or dry ranch mix are a great way to quickly change this basic vegan hamburger meat into something that better suits your recipe.
- Spoon some into lettuce cups the next day for a legit quick high protein lunch.
- Bake sweet potatoes, stuff with this plus some assorted roasted veggies for a delicious and satisfying easy meal.
More Healthy Meal Prep Ideas
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Ground Beef
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry beluga lentils
- 1 red onion minced
- 3.5 oz shitake mushrooms minced
- ¾ cup minced walnuts
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon tamari
- 2 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prep: Cook lentils. This can be done up to 5 days in advance. Add the 1 cup dry lentils to a small sauce pan with 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes for al dente lentils. See notes below for how to cook them in an instant pot.
- Prep: Mince onion, mushrooms and walnuts. You can use a food processor or a sharp knife and cutting board.
- Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Use 1-2 tablespoons water or vegetable broth to saute onions, mushrooms and walnuts for about 5 minutes, stirring once in a while.
- Turn down the heat to medium-low. Stir in nutritional yeast, cumin, garlic powder, paprika and pepper. Keep mixing until everything is evenly dispersed.
- Whisk together tamari, tomato paste and water. Then, pour it onto vegetable mixture and mix well.
- Stir in lentils and cook, stirring occasionally until crumbly, resembling ground beef. It will take about 10 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Note
The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.
Alexandra
This is such a superb recipe – so hearty, delicious and a great vegan meat substitute. This is the perfect filling for tacos or as a topping to nachos.
Debra Klein
Totally!
Mina
This is perfect for my tacos and spaghetti! Yay!
Debra Klein
Yay is right!
Jan
This recipe would be a real life-saver to have on hand but I can’t have nuts. Could I leave them out (I know the texture would be affected) or is there a substitute?
Debra Klein
You could omit the walnuts….or, if you can have seeds, substitute with sunflower seeds. I would pulse them in a spice grinder or coffee grinder, because they’re a bit tricky to chop by hand. Another option would be to use hemp seeds, if you can eat them.
Andrea White
this vegan ground beef is awesome! perfect for taco night!
Debra Klein
Yes. Awesome vegan tacos…we do it all the time and not just on Tuesday’s!
Oscar
I have been searching for a vegan ground beef recipe that isn’t made with a whole bunch of processed ingredients. This was spot on and the whole family enjoyed it. Thanks for the recipe.
Debra Klein
Yay…exactly why I developed this recipe.
Lisa Matsui
This is a great meat substitute for a variety of meals. Thank you.
Debra Klein
You’re welcome….would love to hear what you’re using it in.
Lisa Matsui
Loved all the great ideas listed in your blog post. Had recently made a cauliflower walnut meat substitute that I enjoyed so I added a bunch of crumbled cauliflower to your recipe. I like how you can season it up it different ways and love the quantity it makes. Think I will try out your idea for seed use also (sunflower, pumpkin seeds, hemp). Have used in wraps, bowls with different sauce toppings, nachos with cheese sauce, on baked potato’s, on seed crackers with hummus or avocado. Must try your pasta ideas and lasagne roll ups. So versatile!
Lisa Matsui
It’s also great tossed into my green salads! A regular staple for sure. So glad you shared this! Thanks again.
Debra Klein
You’re welcome…I love your enthusiasm for good food 🙂
NATALIA
What a delicious alternative to the traditional meat-based ground beef! I’m vegan and this recipe has been a wonderful discover for me! I will definitely be making it this weekend.
Debra Klein
So easy, delicious and versatile. You’re going to love it Natalia!
Kathleen Allen
I have made something like this before but could not get past the crunchiness of the walnuts, even after soaking and chopping finely. The taste and the look is good but the texture is not . I guess I can leave them out
Debra Klein
I like the extra texture the walnuts provide. If you don’t like the texture, I would grind the nuts in a spice grinder or coffee grinder…or, as you say, just leave them out.
Maya
Hubby is allergic to mushrooms, what would be a good substitute? Cauliflower? Zucchini?
Debra Klein
You can try tofu (extra firm, cut into super small pieces) or maybe eggplant would also work. Cauliflower rice would probably have good texture, but wouldn’t add much flavor.
Carol
I just made this Vegan Ground Beef. I tasted it and I’m very pleased. I think I over processed the onion, mushrooms and walnuts. I had to cook it a VERY long time to dry it out so that it would brown and crumble. I hope that was my only error. Has anyone else had to cook it way way longer than recommended? I will definitely make it again though. Thank for the recipe.
Debra Klein
Onions can produce onion juice when over processed. If you find yourself in that situation again, omit the broth/water and saute in the onion juice instead. I make this all the time and never have had to cook it longer than 10-15 minutes total, but I usually chop by hand.
Nora
Used it for my spaghetti bolognese. Turned out really tasty!
Debra Klein
That sounds terrific!
Deborah
This recipe was amazing. I always buy Beefless crumbles and never knew I could make my own with lentils.
Debra Klein
So glad you found this recipe…it’s easy, convenient and so much healthier than beefless crumbles!
Tina
I love that this vegan ground beef uses whole-food ingredients. I used it for tacos and it was sooo good!!
Debra Klein
The simple, whole ingredients is exactly why I make it myself! Perfect for tacos.
Lisa Green
I loved this recipe. It had all the flavorings of my favorite comfort foods plus it had the right texture. I doubled the batch and froze it in small containers to use for taco night and spaghetti night. Last night I used this delicious recipe with some homemade tomato sauce and poured it over garlicky spaghetti squash and served it with a salad. It is so much better tasting than the store bought brands and way better for you!
Debra Klein
I couldn’t have said it better! I love all those use cases….especially the tomato sauce on spaghetti squash, one of my favorite dinners.
Barbara
Can I use different mushrooms?
Debra Klein
Absolutely. I’ve made this with portobello mushrooms with great results.
Ben
I really love this recipe! It has become a go-to and works well in tacos and as a component in nachos. I have two hacks to offer both Trader Joe’s related:
1. TJ’s has premade lentils that can be found in the produce isle and they are perfect for this recipe. Using them greatly cuts down on prep-time. Simply double the ingredients and use the whole package of lentils.
2. TJs sells a great taco mix, which I now substitute for the seasoning offered in this recipe. I still use the nutritional yeast and tomato paste but skip the spices and soy sauce since the taco mix is plenty salty.
Anyway it always comes out great! I hope these suggestions are helpful.
Debra Klein
Thanks Ben. Great suggestions!
C
Awesome….Easy…tasty!
Debra Klein
Yes to all of that. Thank you.
Wes
Looks fantastic! Gonna make it this week. It appears the link to your recommended San Marzano sauce is broken. Can you tell me what you use?
Debra Klein
Ooh….it looks like that brand is no longer available. You can find Raos Tomato Sauce in your local grocery store and that’s a good alternative to making homemade sauce.
Mikayla Katz
I’m going to try this in a variety of recipes, but im wondering if red lentils can be used I’m place of the beluga lentils? (It’s all I have in the house at the moment.)
Debra Klein
There will be a texture difference as red lentils don’t hold their shape as well. I haven’t tried it, but I don’t see why not.
Kim Bankston
I tried making another recipe that had you saute mushrooms and almonds in olive oil. No matter how much I reduced the heat and added more olive oil and water the mushrooms stuck to the pan. I use stainless steel and will not use non stick due to the toxic nature of these pans when they get just the tiniest of scratches. And I don’t use cast iron because they are too heavy for me to handle when full of food. Your recipe looks great, but before I try it, can you recommend what I should do to avoid this from happening. Is my only option non stick or cast iron?
Debra Klein
I usually use cast iron for these types of recipes, and, like you, I don’t use non-stick. I was at a friends house recently and made this in her stainless steel pan and it worked out fine. I can’t speak for the other recipe you tried, but in this vegan ground beef recipe, stick to a medium heat, constantly keeping the pan moist from a bit of water at a time…the mushrooms will release additional liquid as they cook. Keep an eye on things, stir as often as needed for things to not stick to the pan. That method worked well for me.
Kim Bankston
Thank you so much for the advice and getting back to me so quickly! Why do you like to use cast iron for these types of recipes and are there any tips you could provide on buying a cast iron pan or any specific recommendations. I think I will invest in one and do my best to handle the weight.
Debra Klein
I use field company cast iron which is a bit lighter than many brands.
Angela W
This is a fantastic recipe, and the alternative to store-bought vegan beefless crumbles that I needed. Thank you so much.
Debra Klein
Awesome….I don’t eat those beefless crumbles and, as you said, this is an awesome alternative. I make a batch every week.
Georgette
Can I use this recipe when making chili?
Debra Klein
Absolutely. This vegan ground beef recipe is an awesome addition to chili.
Charmaine M
Hi Debra, I found a burger recipe that included a purchased mince beef alternative. I would like to use your recipe to make burgers would this recipe work for that?
I know there are veggie patties (I’ve seen some of yours). Thanks
Debra Klein
Absolutely you can substitute this healthy recipe for vegan meat crumbles in a recipe.
Marybeth
Can I make swedish meatballs with tradional seasonings with this
Thank you
Debra Klein
Yes…just be sure to use the same binder as you normally would in swedish meatballs for everything to hold together.
MS
This recipe is fantastic and I love that it’s made with ingredients that I normally have on hand. I’d love to double it but that won’t work in one batch – instead of two batches I was thinking of doing in on a sheet pan or two in the oven – have you tried it that way?
Debra Klein
I haven’t made this in the oven…but it’s a fantastic idea. Let me know if you try it, and I will put it onto our menu for this week and report back!
MS
I tried it in the oven and it didn’t save any time! I double it all the time for a large baked pasta and it just takes forever to get dry and crumbly so I’ll have to do one batch at a time on the stovetop. Worth a shot!
Rita
Really delicious! I mixed this into some tomato sauce and served over whole wheat spaghetti. My non-vegetarian husband declared this a keeper! I take that as the highest compliment coming from him for a vegan recipe! I plan to try the sloppy Joe’s with the remainder. Thank you, Debra!
Debra Klein
A high compliment indeed. Thank you! I also made this vegan ground beef recipe over the weekend for non-vegans to rave reviews…it really is that good!
Cassondra Carito
Can this be frozen?
Debra Klein
Yes. You can freeze this vegan ground beef recipe. I recommend freezing in portion sizes that you think you’d use like 1 cup, 1/2 cup. I use souper cubes to make it super easy…freeze and then pop them into a freezer safe zip top silicone bag.
Laura
Is there an adequate substitute for walnuts in this recipe?
Debra Klein
I would try pumpkin seeds or sesame seeds….still mince them like you would the walnuts.
Laura
Thank you. I will. I like both of those alternatives. I just happen to be allergic to walnuts. Your recipe looks delicious. I plan to try it soon.
Debra Klein
Great. I look forward to hearing how it comes out with the seeds instead of the nuts.
Lauren
I don’t have tamari. Could I use worsteshire instead? Also can you freeze this?
Debra Klein
You can use any form of soy sauce that you tolerate well. I think worcestershire will work well…but I haven’t tried it. If you do, please report back for us! Yes, you can freeze, I suggest spreading onto a flat baking tray and flash freezing for a couple hours, then transfer to an airtight container.
Shirley Leger
Can this be made nut free?
Debra Klein
Of course, you can skip the walnuts…but I do like the added texture they bring. Are seeds an option? If so, I would substitute with some minced pumpkin or sunflower seeds. Even a handful of hemp seeds would be good. If you can’t use nuts or seeds, try some oats that have been pulsed in the food processor.
Aly
I love this recipe–at first, it seemed a little overwhelming, but Debra breaks down the steps and it comes together so nicely! Even my meat-loving husband liked it!
Debra Klein
I love that you were willing to try it, and that he liked it!!!
Juanita
Omnivore here. I wanted beef over rice with green bell peppers but had most of the ingredients for this recipe on hand so I decided to give it a try. It has an excellent flavor and is an interesting new way to enjoy lentils and rice. The kid enjoyed it as well.
I did sub green lentils and added evoo and extra water as the vegetables dried out after adding spices. Next time I may add more mushrooms for a little more chew. Nevertheless, it is delicious and we will keep this recipe in rotation.
Debra Klein
Thanks for stopping by….I love that you were open to trying this and it worked out well for you! Yay…and glad you’re already looking towards making it again. A little more mushrooms always a good idea in my kitchen!
Robynne Gant
I needed a soy free recipe and this is perfect! It was easy and economical. I have used it in a few recipes and it works every time.
Debra Klein
Fabulous! I love that you found this recipe that works so well for you.