Name: Instant Pot Vegan Lentil Tacos
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 16 min
Total time: 26 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups brown or green lentils, rinsed and picked through to remove any debris; 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth; 1/2 cup red salsa of choice; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon chili powder; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1/2 teaspoon paprika; 1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon salt, as needed; 8 warmed tortillas; Taco toppings of choice (we love shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, jalapeños and shredded cheese (regular or dairy-free)

How to Make Lentil Tacos in the Instant Pot

I consider this a dump meal– throw everything into the Instant Pot, seal and cook for 16 minutes and that’s it. To make these vegan lentil tacos in the Instant Pot, you’ll simply add the lentils, broth, salsa and spices then cook until tender. Couldn’t be easier! A blend of spices using cumin, garlic powder, onion powder and chili powder is called for here, but prepared taco seasoning will also work.

I usually have a batch of my homemade seasoning in the pantry or Penzey’s taco seasoning that works great here too. Typically, I’ll do 2 tablespoons of prepared taco seasoning here, and then add less salt.

What Lentils are best for Lentil Tacos?

You’ll need to use either brown lentils or whole green lentils for this recipe. Red lentils and split lentils won’t work as they loose their shape while cooking and you’ll end up with taco mush. You can typically find brown or whole green lentils in most grocery stores near the canned bean or soup aisle.

I find that brown lentils work best, but you can also substitute black lentils and French green lentils instead. They won’t get as soft as brown lentils but will still work well in this Instant Pot Vegan Lentil Taco recipe.

More Vegan Taco Recipes

If you like these lentil tacos made in the Instant Pot, you’ll love these taco recipes:

If you make this recipe, make sure to come back to leave a review and rate it! Seeing you make my recipes makes my day and your feedback helps other readers.

I found this recipe over the summer and have literally made it every single week since! We always have leftovers so we basically eat this 2-3 days a week and still love it. My favorite way to eat it is on toasted corn tortillas with salsa and avocado. I also love the lentils in a wrap, with rice, in a salad or just on their own. It’s so easy to make and just so delicious!!

★★★★★

It takes seconds to make this and we all love it, especially when I just use 2 tbsp of already made taco seasoning in place of the seasonings. Perfect for a lunch or dinner when I’m pressed on time!

★★★★★

great recipe! Will be adding these consistently to the menu.

★★★★★

Delish!

Hello wondering if you use canned or dried lentils?

Alex

April 12, 2022 AT 5:01 am

Hi Giselle, I used dried lentils here. Canned won’t work as they will be too mushy after cooking BUT if you have canned lentils, then I’d recommend using this recipe: https://www.delishknowledge.com/lentil-tacos/ and sauteeing the onion, adding in the cooked lentils and the spices there to warm through.

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I don’t have an instant pot, recommendation for another way of preparing?

Alex

March 23, 2022 AT 5:39 pm

Hi Alicia– yes, for that I’d recommend my regular lentil taco recipe to make on the stove top here. https://www.delishknowledge.com/lentil-tacos/

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