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.

Overhead shot of Tofu Rancheros Scramble served in tacos with avocado, lime and salsa on the side

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.

Adding sauce ingredients to a blender to pulse into the rancheros mixture All ingredients for the rancheros sauce pulsed in a blender.

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)

Crumbling the tofu into a pan.   Rancheros Tofu Scramble in a pan to warm through.

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! 

Rancheros Tofu Scramble vegan recipe in corn tortillas shared with salsa and avocados.

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

5 stars from 1 rating
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 10 6" Tacos
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!
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Ingredients

For the Scramble:

For the Rancheros Sauce (yields 2 C (545g)):

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

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

Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.

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Filed under:

Breakfast & Brunch Easy Vegetarian Dinner Recipes Featured Freezer Friendly Tacos Vegetarian Dairy Free Egg Free Gluten Free Vegan Avocado Black Beans Lentils & Pulses Tofu Tomatoes Mexican & Southwest Inspired Cinco de Mayo

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I’m Traci. So glad you're here!

I cook vibrant vegetarian food, bake sourdough and create from scratch baked recipes, sharing them here since 2014. Inspired by the seasons, my southern roots and global flavors, let's cook something delicious together!

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4 Comments

  1. Ellen Lederman says:

    5 stars
    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!

    1. Traci says:

      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!

  2. Linda says:

    I have not tofu scrambled in so long …. why I don’t know … you inspired me … can not wait to make!!

  3. Jean says:

    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!