Rancheros Tofu Scramble has all the flavor and texture as huevos rancheros, but is egg-free. Even egg lovers get excited about this Vegan Tofu Scramble recipe! It works perfectly for breakfast, lunch or dinner! This recipe is vegetarian, vegan and easily gluten free.
Rancheros Tofu Scramble Discovery
So.. I finally tried a Tofu Scramble. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love eggs. But I love tofu too and cook with it at least once a week. But tofu sans eggs for breakfast was completely new to me.
I’d read about vegan tofu scramble in one of my favorite cookbooks by Cafe Flora, and my cousin and I had a conversation about it since she makes vegan tofu scrambles. She provided a no-oil tip which works beautifully!
What emerged was a crave-worthy, mouthwatering and easy to prepare vegan tofu scramble that I’ve been incorporating into our weekend breakfast routine. Rob loves the leftovers for weekday lunches and I love how easy it is to pull together! Hello, fancy breakfast in 30 minutes!
If you love Tofu Recipes and Mexican Inspired Recipes, you’ll enjoy this tasty Rancheros Tofu Scramble.
About the Key Ingredients
For the Vegan Tofu Scramble
- Firm Tofu – use firm tofu rather than extra firm. The texture of extra firm seemed a bit rubbery for this application, while firm has a similar texture to the real deal.
- Ground Turmeric – magically makes the tofu a beautiful golden/yellow hue. It’s optional, but a good fake out!
- Cooked Pinto Beans – canned or homemade works perfectly, but you can also try Homemade Black Beans.
- Ranchero Sauce – this is a simple sauce made in a blender featuring fire roasted tomatoes, onions, cilantro and chilis. It gives this scramble it’s wow factor!
Serve With (optional)
- Fresh Pico de Gallo
- Warm Soft Tortillas or Homemade Tostada Shells (so easy!)
- Sliced Avocados
- Tomatillo Salsa Verde
- Additional Rancheros Sauce
- Cilantro
At a Glance: How to Make Vegan Tofu Scramble
- First, heat and crumble the tofu on medium-low heat. Sprinkle in the turmeric and cook on medium-low for about 8-10 minutes.
- Second, make the Rancheros Sauce: In a blender, add the fire roasted tomatoes, green bell pepper, onion, garlic, chili pepper, adobo sauce, jalapeños, cumin, and sea salt. Pulse ingredients until chunky.
- Third, to the pan with the tofu, add the beans, salt and 1 cup of rancheros sauce.
- Last, assemble: Spoon the tofu mixture into warmed tortillas. Add a few slices of avocado and top with more rancheros sauce and cilantro to taste.
For meal prep, make the tofu mixture with the sauce and store it in the fridge for up to three days. When you’re ready to eat, simply warm the tortillas and top with all the things!
Traci’s Tips
- You’ll have rancheros sauce leftover. Use it to serve on the side or freeze it for next time you make this recipe, or share it with my Ground Tofu Tacos.
- No Oil: A non-stick pan is essential if preparing this recipe sans oil (as written).
- Meal Prep: Rancheros Tofu Scramble is a delicious option for meal prep. It holds in the fridge for up to three days without the toppings.
Rancheros Tofu Scramble
Servings:10 6" Tacos
Calories:334kcal
Rancheros Tofu Scramble has all the flavor and texture as huevos rancheros, but is egg-free. Even egg lovers get excited about this Tofu Scramble recipe! It's vegan and gluten-free and works perfectly for breakfast, lunch or dinner!
Ingredients
For the Scramble:
- 1 block 14 oz (400g) Firm Tofu* (see notes) drained and pressed
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric ground, for color (optional)
- 15 oz (425g) Prepared Pinto Beans - one can, drained, or Crock Pot Pinto Beans
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
For the Rancheros Sauce (yields 2 C (545g)):
- 14 1/2 oz (411g) Fire Roasted Tomatoes 1 can
- 1 C (115g) Green Bell Pepper diced, about 1 small
- 1 C (100g) Purple Onion diced, about 1 small
- 1 Large Clove of Garlic
- 1 Chipotle Chili Pepper in Adobo Sauce gluten free is needed
- 2 tsp Adobo Sauce from can of chipotle chili peppers
- 4-6 Pickled Jalapeno Pepper Rings take this up if you like the spicy!
- 1 tsp Cumin ground
- 3/4 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/2 Lime, Juiced
Serve With (optional):
- Warm Soft Tortillas** (see note) gluten free if needed, I like La Tortilla Factory
- Sliced Avocados, More Rancheros Sauce, Cilantro
- Fresh Pico de Gallo
Instructions
- Cook the Tofu: In a non-stick 10" (25 cm) skillet, heat to medium-low and crumble the tofu into the pan. They should be in bite-size pieces. Sprinkle in the turmeric, and cook on medium low for about 8-10 minutes, drying the tofu out even further, tossing and turning occasionally with a spatula to evenly distribute the turmeric. Some bits may brown a little - this is fine.
- Add the beans to the tofu, salt, and 1 C (290g) rancheros sauce (see below for instructions) to the pan. Stir gently to incorporate. Add more rancheros sauce if desired. Warm through on medium-low - about 5 minutes, stirring as needed. Taste for salt adjustment.
For the Rancheros Sauce:
- In a blender, (I use VitaMix) add the fire roasted tomatoes, green bell pepper, onion, garlic, chili pepper, adobo sauce, jalapeños, cumin, sea salt and lime. Pulse ingredients until chunky, about 5-6 times. It's now ready to use in the recipe.
To Assemble:
- Spoon the tofu mixture into warmed tortillas** or on to Homemade Crispy Tostada Shells (they're baked), place a few slices of avocado alongside the tofu mixture and top with more rancheros sauce, Fresh Pico de Gallo and cilantro to taste.
- Store leftover sauce in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month. Leftover Rancheros Tofu Scramble can be stored in a lidded container, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
*Dry out the Tofu: Use a tea towel and place it under and on top of the tofu. Set it on a plate. Place something heavy on top, like a cutting board, another plate or a not-so-full box of wine to press the water out. We don't want it too heavy or it will squash the tofu. Move the tea towel a few times to a dryer area of the towel so it can absorb more water. Press for about 20 or up to an hour if you have time.
**I like to warm my tortillas on a low open flame on the stove top turning with tongs a few times to lightly char the tortillas. To hold them warm, place the tortillas in foil and into a warmed toaster oven on low heat. This will work with a flour based tortilla or a flour and corn blend. If heating corn tortillas, heat according to package directions.
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 5282mg | Potassium: 1144mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 3550IU | Vitamin C: 347.2mg | Calcium: 232mg | Iron: 6.2mg
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I loved this! I have other tofu scramble recipes, but the sauce on this really makes it special. Tofu and pinto beans—great combination. I forget how I stumbled on your site—think it was a link from Greatist. I’ll be back for sure!
Thank you for coming back and leaving a note Ellen! I love that sauce too :D I find tofu sometimes requires aggressive seasoning and this is one of those recipes! I hope you enjoy the blog. Thank you for giving this one a go!
I have not tofu scrambled in so long …. why I don’t know … you inspired me … can not wait to make!!
What a great alternative for a breakfast taco, though I’d definitely eat this anytime. The rancheros sauce sounds really good and easy to whip up as well. I dot think I could ever have too many taco recipes!