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Bad news, scumbag. Your mom's homemade club sandwich is not an acceptable opponent for this juicy AF vegan torta de chorizo. The good news? A spicy vegan chorizo torta, jammed out with refried beans, fresh toppings on an olive-oil-grilled roll, and an extra-tall stack of napkins is about to be in your hands in about 20 quick minutes. And this Mexican food recipe doesn't even think about wrecking your whole kitchen in the process!
Recipe tips tailored to what matters most to you:
Use tofu chorizo and grab gluten-free bread instead of the crusty rolls. That covers it.
No time to make vegan refried beans from scratch? Goya's canned traditional or ranchera style works great here and are labeled as vegan too!
Got leftover vegan Italian sausage or breakfast sausage in the freezer? Crumble that up instead of buying new chorizo.
Load up on extra lettuce, tomato and avocado, and go easy on the chorizo portion to lighten things up.
No guajillo chiles on hand? Swap in ancho chiles for the sauce, just a touch milder.
Warming the roll brings it back to life. Let the cut sides sit on the heat until they are lightly golden. That crisp layer is the only thing standing between you and a soggy, collapsing sandwich halfway through.
Warm the beans until they spread easily. If they are thick and acting brand new, add a tiny splash of water so they slide on instead of wrecking the bread.
Oodles more tips, step-by-step recipe photos, info on weird ingredients, and FAQs are all still here. I just tucked 'em out of the way so you can start cooking sooner.
Quite possibly my favorite way to demolish my vegan chorizo is right in front of you. Spicy, crumbly, browned properly, and shoved into bread for a bangin' late night snack. Once you have a legit plant-based chorizo in your life, it starts showing up everywhere. Same move for my chilaquiles verdes, vegan taquitos, and vegan tostadas.
Time to make this food on the first shot like you have done it a hundred times and everyone is watching.
Made this a few weeks back and loved it! A great blend of many different flavors and textures!
Jump to:
Why you'll adore this vegan torta recipe
✊ Vegan AF: Like every vegan Mexican recipe here, you get all the spicy, slightly greasy joy of a traditional torta de chorizo, just done without harming any animals.
🌾 Easily made gluten-free: Use my tofu chorizo and grab gluten-free bread instead of the crusty rolls. That's it. That's the whole adjustment.
⏱️ Weeknight doable, brain mostly off: You can make this on a tired night without spiraling. Straightforward, simple ingredients, fast, and done.
Tested and Approved Worldwide: All my vegan recipes have been made, tweaked, and stress-tested by real people who absolutely would've told me if they sucked.
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.
Vegan Chorizo Tortas Ingredients
Vegan chorizo crumbles
This tofu chorizo is easy enough to make without sighing halfway through and waaay cleaner than a lot of store-bought ones. If you already have my vegan Italian sausage or vegan breakfast sausage hanging out in the fridge or freezer, just crumble those up and use them instead.
Vegan refried beans
I have a killer vegan refried beans recipe, but when I am buying them, I grab the traditional or ranchera refried beans from Goya. Both are vegan and even say so on the can.
Guajillo chiles
These chiles add warmth, color, and a little earthy sweetness without going nuclear. Extra guajillos do not go to waste around here. Toss them into my seitan bacon, salsa verde, or salsa macha and feel extremely efficient.
Bolillo or telera rolls
These are the correct rolls for vegan tortas and I am not entertaining arguments. Soft inside, sturdy enough to hold the rest of the fillings. Just be sure to check that your local Mexican grocery store has ones that aren't made with lard in them. Otherwise, just about any roll can work for this torta, so don't lose a ton of sleep over it.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
Variations
Torta Adobada
Go saucy and chile-forward with a vegan torta adobada. The juicy grilled jackfruit brings deeper flavor than your mind can handle.
Torta de Milanesa
A veg Mexican fried chicken sandwich? This vegan torta milanesa rocks a thin, crispy tofu cutlet and some yummy chipotle sauce too.
Torta de Carnitas
My vegan Torta de Carnitas is stacked and fully committed to being dinner. Crispy bits, creamy layers, and enough structure to survive your grip while you absolutely house it.
Vegan Chicken Mole Torta
They said it wasn't possible, but I guess they never tried my mole poblano! 🤫 Don't tell the other variations, but my vegan chicken mole torta might be my all-around fave way of rocking a torta.
How to make Vegan Torta de Chorizo
Okay okay, before you start throwing stuff in pans like a multiple-personality cooking show montage being watched in fast-forward, skim these steps. They'll keep you from backtracking and swearing to yourself under your breath. Recipe card below if you're already halfway to the stove.
Step One
Proteinage Mutant Ninja Turtles:
Prepare the vegan chorizo crumbles and refried beans using my recipes, or portion out store-bought versions and have them ready to go.
Step Two
Guajillocked and Guajilloaded:
If making the optional guajillo sauce, place the chiles in a heatproof bowl and pour boiling water over them. Let them soak for 15 minutes until fully softened.
Step Three
Saucetin Powers:
Transfer the softened chiles and their soaking liquid to a blender. Add garlic, tomato paste, oregano, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and salt, then blend until completely smooth. Set aside.
Step Four
Chorizy-E and NWA:
Heat a wide skillet over medium heat. After 90 seconds, once the pan is hot, add the vegan chorizo crumbles and cook, stirring every 45-60 seconds, until heated through and lightly crisped in spots.
Step Five
It Was All a Beans (I used to read Wordup Magazine):
In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the refried beans for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly, until hot throughout.
Add a splash of water if the beans are very thick.
Step Six
Bready Krueger:
Heat a skillet or coal over medium heat. After 90 seconds when the pan is hot, split the rolls lengthwise and toast them cut-side down in the skillet just until lightly golden.
Otherwise, place them on a sheet tray and warm in a 375°F (190°C) oven until lightly crisp on the inside and heated through.
Step Seven
Torta a Big Deal:
Spoon the hot chorizo and beans evenly onto the bottom halves of the rolls. Drizzle with the guajillo sauce if using, then top with lettuce, tomato slices, red onion, avocado, and optional Fresno chili. Close the sandwiches and serve immediately.
Serving Ideas
Chips and salsa are Mexico's answer to "do you want fries with that?"
So, serve this torta with salsa roja, salsa ranchera, jalapeño salsa, roasted habanero salsa, or mango avocado salsa.
If you are putting together a whole meal around this torta, my lion's mane fajitas fit right in, chilaquiles verdes are bomb any time of day, vegan picadillo adds some more protein, and my jackfruit tamales always make any meal feel complete.
In the winter, nothing hits quit like a nice cup of soup to go with a torta. Sopa de lentejas, vegan pozole verde, or pozole rojo might be just the thingy to make you rip your clothes off and dive into the sea in the middle of the darn winter, because you just loved your meal that much...
Top tips
- Toast The Bread Before Building: Warming the roll brings it back to life. Let the cut sides sit on the heat until they are lightly golden. That crisp layer is the only thing standing between you and a soggy, collapsing sandwich halfway through.
- Adjust The Beans For Spreadability: Warm the beans until they spread easily. If they are thick and acting brand new, add a tiny splash of water so they slide on instead of wrecking the bread.
Recipe FAQs
It's a moderately spicy chorizo and optional fresno chile. The heat level is easy to control based on how much chile and sauce you add. You can also use a milder pepper like ancho in the sauce instead of guajillo (which honestly is already not that spicy, just a little bit).
Come on, you've made a sandwich before in life right? For best results, store the components separately and assemble fresh next time. This keeps the bread from getting soggy and makes reheating way less annoying.
🧊 Refrigeration
Store the cooked vegan chorizo, refried beans, and guajillo sauce in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Keep the bread and fresh toppings separate until you're ready to assemble.
❄️ Freezing
The vegan chorizo and refried beans freeze well in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. The guajillo sauce can also be frozen, though it may need a quick stir after thawing to smooth it out.
🔥 Stovetop reheating
Reheat the vegan chorizo in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through and lightly crisped again. Warm the refried beans in a saucepan, stirring often and adding a splash of water if they've thickened.
You'll love these vegan sandwich recipes too:
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Vegan Torta de Chorizo Recipe
Ingredients
For the Protein:
- 4 cups vegan chorizo crumbles
- 2 cups vegan refried beans
For the Optional Guajillo Sauce:
- 4 dried guajillo chiles about 5.5g each, stems and seeds removed
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Sandwiches:
- 4 bolillo or telera rolls 6-7 inches long
- 8 leaves Boston Bibb lettuce or iceberg
- 1 medium tomato sliced thinly
- ¼ cup red onion very thinly sliced
- 1 ripe avocado sliced
- 1 Fresno chili thinly sliced (optional)
Instructions
- Prep the chorizo and refried beans following my recipes, or measure out store-bought ones to use.
- If making the guajillo sauce (I recommend it!), place the chiles in a heatproof bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Let soak for 15 minutes until fully softened.
- Transfer the chiles and soaking liquid to a blender. Add the garlic, tomato paste, oregano, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and salt, then blend until completely smooth. Set aside.
- Heat a wide skillet over medium heat. After 90 seconds, when the pan is hot, add the vegan chorizo crumbles and cook, stirring every 45-60 seconds, until heated through and lightly crisped in spots.
- Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat the refried beans for 4-5 minutes over medium heat, stirring regularly, until it is hot throughout. Add a splash of water if your beans are very thick.
- Split the rolls lengthwise. Toast cut-side down on a dry skillet set over medium heat, or place on a sheet tray and warm in a 375°F (190°C) oven until lightly crisp on the interior and warmed through.
- Spoon the hot chorizo and bean mixture evenly over the bottom half of the rolls. Drizzle with the guajillo sauce, if using. Top with lettuce, tomato slices, red onion, avocado, and optional Fresno chili. Close the sandwiches and serve immediately.
Notes
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hg says
Made this a few weeks back and loved it! A great blend of many different flavors and textures!