These Veggie Taco Bowls have all the delicious flavors you love about tacos served in a bowl. They are easy to customize and loaded with seasoned tofu, fresh tomato salsa and served with cauliflower rice and avocado. Gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free with paleo, low carb, keto and Whole30 options.
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Easy Veggie Taco Bowl Recipe
Craving tacos but want to switch things up? These healthy Veggie Taco Bowls have all the flavors you love about tacos loaded into a bowl. Fresh veggies, plant-based protein and classic Mexican-inspired flavors assembled into a bowl with fluffy cauliflower rice, tomato salsa and creamy avocado.
You can customize these vegan and gluten-free veggie bowls with your go-to taco ingredients and tailor them to meet any additional dietary needs you have. With paleo, Whole30, low-carb and keto options, the sky is the limit! Whenever you need a nutritious lunch or dinner for your family, these quick and easy taco
What is a Taco Bowl?
A taco bowl is basically just a taco without the tortillas or taco shells. All of your favorite taco fillings are piled into a bowl instead! This makes it much easier to save leftovers for later. Plus, you don’t have to worry about stuffing the tacos only to have everything spill out.
Why we love this easy Taco Bowl
- Quick and easy to make: Tacos are something that my family says they can have on the regular since they take about 30 minutes to put together.
- Simple to customize: You can pretty much use any protein and veggies you like on hand to suit your family.
- Lots of options for toppings and serving choices: You can even add some grain-free nachos for an added crunch or serve with your favorite rice if you’re not a fan of cauliflower rice.
- Suitable for multiple dietary lifestyles: Naturally gluten-free, grain-free, paleo, Whole30, low carb and keto.
- Works great for meal prep: Everything can be made ahead of time and stored in lunchbox or meal prep containers.
Recipe Ingredients
Feel free to load up these bowls with whatever taco fillings you’re craving. Here are all of the ingredients we used in ours:
For the Crumbled Tofu
- Organic Extra-firm Tofu: Crumbled. Swap with this filling from our Vegan Taco Bowls for a Whole30 and paleo option.
- Avocado Oil: Or Olive Oil.
- Chili Powder: For a savory, smoky flavor with a touch of spice.
- Smoked Paprika: For a savory, smoky flavor with a touch of spice.
- Ground cumin: 1/2 teaspoon.
- Garlic powder: 1/2 teaspoon.
- Dried Oregano: 1/4 teaspoon.
- Salt: To taste.
For the Tomato Salsa
- Tomatoes: Finely diced.
- Onion: Diced.
- Lime Juice: Freshly squeezed from half a lime.
- Salt and black pepper: To taste.
- Jalapeno: Diced. Optional.
For the Veggie Bowls
- Corn: You can use fresh or frozen corn kernels. Leave this out for paleo, Whole30, low-carb and keto taco bowls and sub with bell peppers, mushrooms or veggies of choice.
- Cauliflower Rice: If you’re using frozen rice, make sure it has been thawed and drained. For details on how to make this from scratch, check out my fail-proof recipe.
- Iceberg Lettuce: Shredded.
- Avocado: Sliced
- Cilantro: Fresh cilantro adds freshness and flavor.
For serving:
- Vegan Sour Cream
- Jalapeno: Sliced.
- Extra Lime Juice: Optional, to garnish the bowls.
How to Make Veggie Taco Bowls
These vegetarian taco bowls are super easy to make in about 30 minutes. You just have to cook the tofu and corn then make the salsa and assemble it up!
Cook the tofu: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the tofu to the pan and cook cook for 4-5 minutes until golden. Season with salt and add the remaining spices. Saute for another 1-2 minutes. Transfer tofu to a plate.
Char the corn: Wipe down the pan, then add the corn, if using. Cook on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes, while stirring frequently, until charred.
Make the salsa: Meanwhile, make the salsa by adding the tomatoes and onions to a medium bowl. Squeeze in the lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Use a fork to mix and combine.
Build Bowls: Distribute all of the ingredients evenly among 4 large serving bowls. If you know you’ll have extras, we recommend not building them all right away. Add the cauliflower rice to a bowl, followed by the crumbled tofu, corn, avocado and lettuce.
Top with vegan sour cream, salsa, fresh cilantro and sliced jalapeno and any other toppings of choice.
Enjoy! Serve and enjoy.
Tips for Success
Before you start preparing your veggie bowls, take a moment to look over the tips and tricks below.
- Avoid Overcooking the Cauliflower Rice: Stop cooking your cauliflower rice as soon as it softens. Overcooking it will cause it to become mushy.
- Use Extra-firm Tofu: Be sure to purchase organic Extra-Firm Tofu so the tofu doesn’t get mushy.
Variation Ideas
Let’s talk about some simple ways you can customize your tofu taco bowls. Try one of the following ideas!
- Sub the Tofu: Not a huge fan of tofu? Swap them out for jackfruit or any crumbled ground protein of choice. As long as you aren’t following a paleo, keto or Whole30 diet, chickpeas or any other beans will work as well.
- Add Grain-Free Nachos: If you’re craving a little extra crunchiness, go ahead and add some grain-free nachos into your taco bowls.
- Swap the Salsa for Mango and Guac: Switch things up with a mango salsa or our homemade guacamole.
- Use Another Kind of Rice: For those of you who aren’t gluten-free or grain-free, regular white or brown rice can be used in place of the cauliflower rice.
Storage and Reheating
These bowls are great for meal prep – they’ll stay fresh in the fridge for up to 2 days if they’re stored in airtight containers. We like to cook everything a day in advance, store it, then heat it up and assemble the bowls the next day.
To reheat the cauliflower rice, simply warm it up over a low-heat burner on your stove, adding a splash of oil or water to re-hydrate it and stirring occasionally. The veggies can be reheated in the same way. Warm up your potatoes in a 400°F oven for 10-15 minutes, or until they’re warmed through. If your bowls are already assembled, microwave them in 30-second intervals, stirring after each and reducing the cook time as needed.
Do Taco Bowls Freeze Well?
These bowls can also be frozen either before or after they’re built. Just be sure to keep everything stored in freezer-safe containers that are well sealed. Thaw out your bowls in the fridge, reheat them and enjoy them within 2-3 months of freezing.
More Healthy Vegan Dinners to Try
It’s so important to make vegan dinners that provide all of the vital nutrients you need. And to me, it’s equally important that they taste amazing!
These Vegan Taco Bowls have all the flavors you love about tacos served in a bowl. They are easy to customize and loaded with seasoned tofu, fresh tomato salsa and served with cauliflower rice and avocado. Gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free with paleo, low carb, keto and Whole30 options.
- 1 tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 lb organic extra-firm tofu , swap with this filling from our Vegan Taco Bowls for a Whole30 and paleo option.
- 1.5 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 large tomatoes , finely diced
- ½ red onion , finely chopped
- ½ lime
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels , omit for Whole30, paleo and keto and sub with bell peppers, mushrooms or vegetables of choice
- 2 cups cauliflower rice
- 1 avocado sliced
- ½ head iceberg lettuce shredded
- 4 tbsp vegan sour cream
- 1-2 jalapenos , sliced
- Fresh cilantro
- Extra lime slices
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the tofu to the pan and cook cook for 4-5 minutes until golden. Season with salt and add the remaining spices. Saute for another 1-2 minutes. Transfer tofu to a plate.
Wipe down the pan, then add the corn, if using. Cook on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes, while stirring frequently, until charred.
Meanwhile, make the salsa by adding the tomatoes and onions to a medium bowl. Squeeze in the lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Use a fork to mix and combine.
Assemble the bowls. Add the cauliflower rice to a bowl, followed by the crumbled tofu, corn, avocado and lettuce.
Top with vegan sour cream, salsa, fresh cilantro and sliced jalapeno.
Serve and enjoy.
- To Store: Refrigerate in airtight containers for up to 2 days.
- To Reheat: Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each and reducing cook time as needed.
- To Freeze: Store in freezer-safe containers that are well sealed for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
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