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This tofu chili can be made in one pot, doesn't call for any wild, hard to find ingredients, and packs so much protein you are going to become a giant muscle lord who can walk through brick walls without flinching. I mean, maaaybe not. But it surely is flavorful, healthy, pretty quick to whip up, and just an all around crowd-pleaser.
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Here's the thing about tofu that most people sleep on: it's basically a flavor sponge in disguise. When you shred it, sear it until it's got that gorgeous golden crust, then hit it with a chipotle-adobo-tamari sauce, it transforms into something so smoky, savory, and actually meaty that your brain is gonna short-circuit. Chewy, caramelized, slightly crisp at the edges. It's the same tofu beef technique I use for my easy vegan picadillo, tofu tacos, and vegan taco salad topping, and you aren't going to be even a wee bit disappointed.
And it's not just the tofu doing all the heavy lifting. This chili is layered AF. Fire-roasted tomatoes, two types of beans, a dialed-in spice blend, AND cocoa powder. Yes. Cocoa. In the chili. You are looking at a seriously high-protein bowl that actually keeps you full for more than 20 minutes. Plant-based protein that delivers in this economy? Well, I'll be darned.
And let me tell you, this thing gets better the next day. The tofu soaks up even more of that gorgeous sauce overnight and turns practically chewy-perfect, which makes it a slam dunk for meal prep. One pot, feeds a small army, tastes like you were in the kitchen all day even though it only took about 30 mins.
Jump to:
🥰 Why you'll adore this tofu chili recipe
✊ Vegan AF & GF: You know how every time you see a majestic field of wheat blowing gracefully in the breeze it makes your skin itchy and you get mad? Well, this is one of the gluten-free vegan recipes that doesn't feel like even a little bit of a compromise.
🫕 Built For Meal Prep: Day 2- this vegan chili recipe is on a whole other level once the tofu has soaked up all the flavors overnight. Make a big pot, park it in the fridge, and your week just got several degrees yummier.
🛒 No Weird Grocery Store Scavenger Hunt: Everything here is regular grocery store fare, no ordering insane nonsense from out of the back of the Sharper Image catalogue. You are not driving to four different shops or standing in the parking lot Googling what the heck something is.
✅ Tested and Approved Worldwide: Over 1,000 home cooks from around the world put my vegan recipes through their paces before I hit publish.
I'm on my knees staring weirdly into your eyes, asking you in a soothing voice to be my taste-testing partner in crime. Sign up for the recipe testing crew and get early access to new recipes before they're published.
🌶️ Tofu Chili Ingredients
Chipotles in Adobo Sauce
Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce makes the tofu beef smoky and deep tasting. If you don't want to make your own, I recommend getting some from La Morena or La Costeña. But pretty much any brand that doesn't have weird crap in it will do.
Mushroom Powder
Okay mushroom powder bumps up the savory meaty quality of the tofu something fierce without noticeably tasting like mushrooms at all. Go for one with porcini in it if you can. Nutritional yeast is a solid swap if you cannot track it down.
Vegetable Stock
I make my own stock by simmering onions, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves and peppercorns together and it is cheap and freezes well. Sometimes I throw in whatever random veg scraps I have kicking around like broccoli stems, shiitake stems or kale stems because nothing goes to waste around here.
Storebought works totally fine though, just know that finding completely unsalted stock is kinda tricky. So if yours has any salt in it, just ease up on the added salt and taste as you go.
Canned Diced Tomatoes
Fire roasted diced tomatoes make chili taste better, and I will die on that hill. Regular diced tomatoes work fine too though, just like, not 100% as awesome.
Optional: Vegan Sour Cream
I put optional but between you and me it is really not. My vegan sour cream recipe is fast and doesn't rely on a zillion ingredients. Storebought faves are Tofutti, Kite Hill and Forager. A big cool creamy dollop on top of this smoky spicy chili is heaven on Earth.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
🤯Variations
Seitan Chili (uh, in a God-forsaken hat)
Chili out of a bowl? Are you an actual scumbag? A fedora, a bucket hat, a beanie with a pompom. Come on, level it up and eat your vegan chili the real way already…
Pinto Bean Chili
This pinto bean chili recipe is soy-free, and is a lovely, more classic-style chili that goes amazing as part of a vegan burrito bowl.
Grab my easy-yo-use app that builds your whole week with real, chef-tested vegan dinners in 30 seconds, customized to your budget, time, and taste, with a shopping list sorted by aisle.
📖 How to make tofu chili
Well, well, well. Look who decided to make a real hearty meal instead of ordering from one of those apps where a soggy burrito costs 47 dollars. Good for you, my kindhearted chili tofu pony. Follow along with the step-by-step instructions below, or scroll to the recipe card if you just want to get the darn thing made already.
Step One
Meet the Press:
Wrap the tofu in a clean kitchen towel and place something heavy on top. Let it press for 15 minutes to remove excess moisture.
Step Two
Grate Expectations:
Using a box grater or a food processor fitted with a grating disc, shred the pressed tofu into a bowl.
✅ If you don't have a grater, you can also just crumble to tofu by hand for a similar enough texture.
Step Three
Tofu Legit to Quit:
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, about 90 seconds, add the tofu and spread it out evenly to maximize contact with the pan.
Cook undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes until the underside is golden, then sauté for another 4 minutes, stirring and flipping frequently, until lightly crisped and golden throughout.
Step Four
Livin' La Vida Adobo:
While the tofu cooks, use a fork to whisk together the tomato paste, minced chipotle peppers, tamari, mushroom powder, and water in a small bowl until smooth.
Step Five
Tofu Wong Foo:
Pour the chili sauce into the tofu and continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has absorbed and the tofu is lightly caramelized. Remove the tofu from the pan and set it aside.
✅ Give the pan a quick wipe if you are going to use it again to cook the chili, so you don't end up with any burnt little specks of tofu in your chili, which will make you mad and then you will scream.
Step Six
Saved by the Bell:
In the same pot you just cooked in, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, about 60 seconds, add the onion and red bell pepper and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
Step Seven
Cumin to America:
Add the garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, and oregano directly to the pot. Stir constantly for 30 to 45 seconds until the spices are fragrant and toasted.
Step Eight
Beans, Beans the Musical Fruit:
Add the black beans, kidney beans, vegetable stock, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, lime juice, brown sugar, and cocoa powder. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step Nine
Tofools Rush In:
Stir the tofu ground beef into the chili and season with salt to taste.
Step Ten
Chili Bob Thornton:
Ladle the chili into bowls and top with a dollop of vegan sour cream, red onion, diced avocado, and cilantro.
💡Serving Ideas
A big warm hunk of vegan cornbread on the side is just the way chili is supposed to be done, unless you are eating it with a steaming pile of vegan Mexican rice instead. My vegan corn casserole is another great option that the whole family will love.
Use this chili as the base for vegan Frito pie or vegan Tamale pie and just try to keep your senses calm as you are whisked away into Tex-Mex comfort food extract.
👉Top tips
- Cast Iron Maiden: Cooking this in cast iron is not super-ideal because the acid from the tomatoes reacts with the pan and gives everything a metallic flavor that sucks. An enamel coated Dutch oven or thick bottomed stainless steel pot is the way to go here.
- Go Wide or Go Home: A wider pot means more surface contact between the tofu and the pan, which means more of that gorgeous golden crust that will become beefy and chewy once the marinade caramelizes in.
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
Extra firm tofu is awesome, but if its available to you, SUPER-FIRM tofu is even better and really crisps up nicely in the pan. Drier crispy tofu absorbs the flavors better and ends up having a more naturally chewy mouthfeel (ugh, I hate that word) in the chili.
🧊 Refrigerating
Allow the tofu chili to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
❄️ Freezing
Place the cooled chili in freezer-safe containers, leaving a little room at the top for expansion. Freeze for up to 3 months.
🌡️ Thawing
Transfer the frozen chili to the refrigerator and let it thaw overnight before reheating. If you're short on time, you can gently thaw it in a saucepan over low heat.
🔥 Stovetop Reheating
Add the chili to a pot or saucepan over medium-low heat and stir occasionally until heated through. If it has thickened too much in the fridge, add a splash of vegetable stock or water to loosen it up.
✌️You'll also love these vegan Tex Mex recipes
Tofu Chili Recipe
Equipment
- food processor (optional)
Ingredients
For the Tofu Ground Beef:
- 14 oz. Extra-firm tofu
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons chipotle peppers in adobo sauce minced
- 4 teaspoons tamari
- ½ teaspoon mushroom powder
- ¼ cup water
For The Rest of the Chili:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups onion diced
- 1 cup red bell pepper diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 ½ teaspoon Mexican chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 14 oz. canned black beans drained and rinsed
- 14 oz. canned kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 2 cups unsalted vegetable stock
- 28 oz. canned diced tomatoes (preferably fire roasted)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 5 teaspoons brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 4 teaspoons natural cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt or to taste
Optional Garnishes:
- ⅓ cup vegan sour cream
- ¼ cup red onion minced
- 1 avocado diced
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Press the tofu by wrapping it in a clean kitchen towel and placing something heavy on top for 15 minutes.
- Using a box grater or food processor with a grating disc, shred the pressed tofu into a bowl.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. After 90 seconds when the oil is hot, add the tofu, spreading it out as much as possible to maximize contact with the hot pan. Let it cook undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes until the bottom develops a golden crust, then sauté, stirring and flipping frequently for an additional 4 minutes until lightly golden and slightly crisp all around.
- While the tofu cooks, using the tines of a fork whisk together the tomato paste, chipotle peppers, tamari, mushroom powder, and water in a small bowl until smooth.
- Pour the sauce into the sautéing tofu and continue to cook for 2 to 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is mostly absorbed and the tofu is slightly caramelized. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. After 60 seconds when the oil is hot, add the onion and red bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 7 minutes until softened.
- Add the garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, and oregano directly to the pot. Stir constantly for 30 to 45 seconds, toasting the spices until fragrant.
- Add the black beans, kidney beans, vegetable stock, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, lime juice, brown sugar, and cocoa powder. Bring the chili to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the tofu ground beef, and season with salt to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and top with vegan sour cream, red onion, diced avocado, and cilantro.
Notes
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Zoe says
What rice did you serve with it?
Adam Sobel says
My Mexican rice.
Meg says
So easy sooooo yum. The flavours were even better the next day. Thank you Chef Adam.
Cathy says
The seasoning, beans, and Tofu make this Tex Mex a 5