Growing up in California we loved tacos and National Taco Day celebrates that love every year on October 4th. Americans eat some 4.5 billion tacos a year.
The word taco comes from Mexican silver miners who put slips of paper around gun powder and put them in holes to extract the silver ore and originates from the word ataco, meaning to stuff.
Are tacos vegan? Of course, tacos can be easily made vegan by substituting animal meat for a meatless taco meat including beans, mushrooms, cauliflower, tofu, seitan, soyrizo, or tempeh. We love vegan black bean tacos with a great vegan taco seasoning. The only rule in the vast world of tacos is that they are in a tortilla, gluten-free wraps, or vegan taco shells. The satisfaction of biting into a hard crunchy shell to the easy foldability of a warm, soft tortilla is better than a sandwich.
Start your Taco Cleanse today with this one-of-a-kind cleansing journey that anybody can follow. While the typical cleanse work by depriving you of your favorite foods, the vegan Taco Cleanse rewards your body with what it naturally craves: tortillas, refried beans, guacamole!
There are so many options for vegan tacos that you will be able to find one you love. Look for the major deals planned for National Taco Day Tuesday by checking in on some of your favorite local spots, peruse the hashtag #NationalTacoDay.
Tell your server that you’re on a vegan diet and have special dietary restrictions. Letting the servers know that you’re a vegan and that you can’t have anything with any animal products whatsoever will help them make your dish as vegan-friendly as possible. Double-check that your meal is vegan. Even if it has a name that sounds vegan, always double-check with the server to ensure that it truly is vegan. Make sure there isn’t any hidden non-vegan item in your meal. Butter, cheese, the sour cream always seems to be the culprit that always finds a way to sneak into your vegan dish. So always double-check with the server.
Chipotle offers Sofritas—organic tofu braised with peppers and spices—which you can order in a bowl, burrito, taco, or salad. You have the option of black or pinto beans and brown or white rice. Plus, the restaurant has a great selection of vegan toppings, including mixed fajita veggies, salsas, lettuce, and guacamole.
Taco Bell has many great options for vegans! The fast-food chain has a variety of sides that are vegan—including the cinnamon twists, chips and guacamole (or Pico de gallo), cilantro rice, black or refried beans, and Mexican rice—and all of its salsas are vegan. You can also order the Bean Burrito “fresco style,” the regular Black Bean Burrito without Cheese, or the Veggie Cantina Power Bowl (ask for no sauce). Several of Taco Bell’s other dishes can be veganized by omitting a few ingredients or asking for it “fresco style.” The 7 Layer Bean Burrito can be made vegan if it has five layers—just forgo the cheese and sour cream. The tacos, nachos, Crunchwrap Supreme, and Mexican Pizza are vegan when you hold the meat (substitute beans if you’d like), cheese, and sour cream.
Del Taco: Every Tuesday is Taco Tuesday at Del Taco (called Taco Nights), and National Taco Day is no different. From 3 to 11 pm at participating Del Taco locations, you can enjoy three value tacos for $1.29. There are nearly 550 Del Taco locations nationwide. For a vegan burrito, Del Taco is a good place to go. You can get the 8 Layer Veggie Burrito, the 1/2 lb. Bean & Cheese Burrito, or the Value Bean & Cheese Burrito with red or green sauce. Just ask for no cheese, no rice, and no sour cream.
Margaritas Mexican Restaurant has a BOGO deal for National Taco Day. You'll receive a free regular taco with each Taco Gigante order on October 4! There are Margaritas locations in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. They have a vegetarian menu that you just have to leave off the cheese and sour cream to make vegan.
On the Border: Get ready to go taco loco with On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina and their National Taco Day celebration on Tuesday, October 4, 2016. The modern Mexican restaurant is serving up 50-cent Mini Crispy Tacos all day at participating restaurants. There’s no limit to how many specially priced tacos you can buy and eat! Make sure to ask for the "secret" vegetarian menu and cheese can be left off most of the dishes with no problem. On the Border even has special plant-based Cilantro Lime Rice and Black Beans as an alternative to their non-vegan Mexican rice and refried beans.
The Taco Truck: Despite the mobile-sounding name, you'll have to visit the brick-and-mortar version of The Taco Truck to get your National Taco Day freebie on October 4. That is, when you buy a Taco Tradicional, you'll get another one for free. There are three Taco Truck locations in New Jersey--Hoboken, Princeton, and Morristown. Their menu is clearly labeled with vegan and gluten-free options.
Chevys Fresh Mex locations will be holding a special contest on National Taco Day. Customers that finish a four-pound taco in less than 30 minutes will be awarded free tacos for one year. Mexican is a great way to go for a great vegan meal! Always make sure of the chips and tortillas are made without lard, but usually one or the other is ok! Chevy’s has some kick-ass guac and salsa! Their veggie fajitas rock as does their veggie burrito. Just skip the sour cream and cheese, and you are golden! At Chevy’s the black beans are vegan, and most of the tortillas are lard free except for the El Machino flour tortillas. The salsa vinaigrette and Mexican rice are also vegan!
Qdoba Mexican Eats is offering a free drink or an order of chips and salsa on National Taco Day. However, this requires that you sign up for the Qdoba Rewards loyalty program. At Qdoba Mexican Grill, you can make a burrito, taco, or salad bowl with the following vegan ingredients: corn or flour tortillas, black or pinto beans, brown or cilantro-lime rice, fajita vegetables, grilled vegetables, potatoes, guacamole, and most salsas. You can also enjoy the tortilla soup.
California Tortilla: This classic Mexican joint serves up all the tacos, burritos, and bowls you could want. And on October 4th they will be giving out buy one get one free taco all day. Check out their vegan menu.
Fuzzy's Tacos: Make sure you step into Fuzzy's Tacos for dollar tacos on October 4th. Who doesn't have a buck to spare when it comes to this delicious meal? They have a lot of vegan items on the menu including Chips & Fire Roasted Salsa, Guacamole, Salad Mix, Black Beans, Potatoes, and Cilantro Lime Rice. Their Crispy Taco Shell, Extras Flour Tortilla, Extras Corn Tortilla soft, Chimichurri Sauce, Veggie Mix (Squash, Zucchini, Carrots, Black Beans), Fajita Veggies (Green & Red Bell Peppers, Onions) are also vegan. They have a whole PDF with menu items here.
Tijuana Flats: The Florida-based Tijuana Flats is combining Taco Tuesdays and National Taco Day into one sweet deal. Their Tijuana Tuesdaze special will be readily available all day and contains two tacos, chips, and a drink for a mere $5.49. The Fresh Norrito Bowl is a giant burrito without the tortilla, and the ingredients include light salsa based rice, black beans, hand-made pico, fresh guacamole, and green onions served in a bowl. Other menu options you can make vegan are burritos, chimichangas, quesadillas, enchiladas, tacos, and flautas. Tijuana Flats is an excellent choice for a quick and healthy Mexican meal. You can view all their nutrition and allergen information here.
Looking for vegan taco ideas then use one of the vegan best taco recipes below. These healthy taco recipes will satisfy your taco hunger. Want to know how to make taco meat vegan?
- Vegan Tacos
- Fried Cactus Tacos With Avocado "Cream" Sauce
- Chipotle Quinoa Sweet Potato Tacos
- Grilled Vegetable And Black Bean Fajita Tacos
- Quinoa Black Bean Tacos With Avocado Sauce
- Blackened Tofu Tacos With Avocado Lime Crema
- Buffalo Cauliflower & Chickpea Tacos With Vegan Blu Cheese
- Mango Habanero Black Bean Tacos
- Butternut Squash Tacos With Cabbage & Black Bean Slaw
- Veggie Tacos With Avocado Tomatillo Salsa
- Jackfruit Taquitos With Avocado-Cucumber Salsa