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Alex Caspero is a Registered Dietitian, New York Times Bestselling Plant-Based Chef and mom of two. She aims to cut through the nutrition noise by providing real-life, nourishing tips for body and mind. Learn more about Alex.
Vegan Lentil Tacos! These are the BEST swap for ground meat tacos with the same amount of protein and half the fat!
Of all the recipes that I’ve put on this blog, these vegan lentil tacos are my favorite. My I-hope-you-will-make-these-first recipe, as I am confident in their ability to win over any die-hard omnivore.
Not only is this meal healthy, it’s also pretty inexpensive and quick to make. A win-win in my book. Of all the subs for ground beef, lentils are probably one of my favorite. They are high in fiber, iron and protein and one cup provides almost all of your daily folate needs.
If you’re trying to lower cholesterol levels then try subbing lentils for ground beef, turkey or chicken in your pasta sauces, burgers, and these tacos. I’ve made these for many carnivores and everyone asks for the recipe. And, coincidentally, this lentil recipe is gluten-free if you sub corn tortillas for flour. Vegan, gluten-free, these lentil tacos please everyone!
In addition to lentils, you’ll also need:
Our favorite toppings for these tacos are diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, cheese– either dairy-free or regular– and black olives. Flour tortillas are my preferred tortilla here, but corn will also work for gluten-free tacos.
These lentils are also fantastic on a taco salad! Shredded lettuce, whatever vegetables you want and a big scoop of this alongside taco dressing is one of our favorite meals.
The good news is that these tacos couldn’t be easier to put together! First, sauté an onion until translucent and soft in a large skillet over medium heat. This helps give the lentils more flavor and adds to the overall texture of the dish.
From there, you’ll add the spices and let cook until you start to smell them, about 1-2 minutes. Cooking the spices in the fat of the onions and oil is called blooming, which is just a fancy way of making the dried spices more potent.
Then, stir in cooked lentils and cook until warmed through. The secret to getting these lentils to act like ground meat is to gently smash some of them using the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher.
Canned lentils are fine to substitute here. A reminder that you don’t have to soak lentils first before cooking them, so you can cook a large batch at once to use in these tacos, then in my lentil loaf, lentil masala, or lentil tacos with cauliflower later in the week.
Brown or french green lentils are best as they hold their shape after being cooked. Split lentils or red lentils will turn to mush once cooked, so avoid them in this recipe. If you cannot find lentils, you can substitute cooked black beans or pinto beans.
If you’re short on time, sub in the spice mixture for a taco seasoning packet. You may need to add in a little vegetable broth along with the lentils as taco seasoning packets tend to have added thickeners in them that will absorb moisture in the recipe.
If you try these tacos, make sure to come back to leave a comment and rate them! Your feedback helps others and seeing you make my recipes makes my day.
PrintVegan Lentil Tacos! These are the BEST swap for ground meat tacos with the same amount of protein and half the fat!
Spice mix:
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This recipe was first posted in 2015 and updated in 2021.
(84 comments) leave a comment
This was delicious. I have just started cooking vegan meals so it was nice to fix something that my husband and I both loved.
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So glad to hear! We love this one too in my house
This is absolutely delicious! I made taco salads using corn tortilla chips. I didn’t have vegetable broth so I simply used water. Perfect in every way! Thanks for a great recipe!!!+
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Perfect spice combo! This will be my “to go” taco recipe from now on! Thanks you!
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These are super delicious and easy to whip up!
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Used canned pinto beans. Turned out very well.
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Love these lentils on tortillas and as nachos.
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I did not expect this to taste good. This was so delicious it made me briefly evaluate becoming vegetarian.
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Made this dish twice. Used the canned French green lentils and Taco seasoning mix.
Great tasting dish. Just sent the recipe to my cousin in England who looks for meatless dishes.
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Excellent!! The spice mix was on point! I swapped the chilli flakes and onions with fresh salsa from Whole Foods, but it was still great! Quick, easy, delicious! Thank you!!
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Great recipe! So easy and tastes better the next day so great to make a head.
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