Of all the recipes that I’ve put on this blog, these 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 try subbing lentils for ground beef/turkey/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 recipe is gluten-free if you sub corn tortillas for flour. Vegan, gluten-free, this meal pleases everyone!
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The perfect vegetarian swap for ground beef tacos! Same amount of protein, 1/2 the fat and zero cholesterol.
Ingredients
- 2 cups lentils, cooked (from 1 cup dry lentils)
- 1 white onion, finely diced
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1–2 garlic cloves, minced (What can I say? I’m Italian, I throw garlic into every dish. If that’s weird for you in taco filling, omit it)
- 1/4 cup of vegetable broth
- Corn or Flour Tortillas, for serving
- Taco toppings: shredded lettuce, sliced jalapeños, homemade guacamole
Spice mix:
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a large frying pan over medium high heat, sweat the onion in 1 tbsp. oil. Stir frequently, about 4-5 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and spice mixture and cook for another minute or two, stirring frequently. You don’t want to burn the spices just crank up the flavor by cooking them.
- While you are cooking this, warm the tortillas. You can do this in the oven or microwave. I just place them on the burner behind my frying pan and let them warm up while I cook the filling, this way I don’t have to turn on the oven.
- Add the lentils and stir to combine. Add the vegetable broth and using a potato masher or fork, gently mash the lentils until they start to look like ground meat. Cook another few minutes until hot. If the lentils start to dry out, add another tbsp. or two of vegetable broth (can also use salsa here)
- Place a heaping spoonful or two into the taco shell and add your fillings. The filling will make about 10-12 tacos, depending on how stuffed you like them!
Notes
If you are using dried lentils, you’ll need to cook them first. Rinse the lentils, then place in a saucepan with enough water to cover by 2-3 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let simmer until tender, about 25-30 minutes.
I heard these were amazing- looking forward to trying them!
I have been looking for vegetarian taco ideas. Ideas: found. Thank You.
You are welcome Jesse! Hope you like them!
How many does this recipe serve, looking to feed 15 ppl. Thanks!
nm!! I see 10-12 tacos
I would double it!
Does it matter what kind of Lentil’s you use ?
Hi Tracy, I use brown lentils in these but almost any kind: green, black or brown will work. Red Lentils will not work as they will become too mushy after cooking. Thanks! Alex
I was short on time and used red lentils tonight. No toothfeel but still delicious and enjoyed by the whole family!
★★★★★
Yum! What a great idea!
Oh. My. Gosh. My husband is crazy about Mexican food. (Seriously crazy. If we visit a Mexican restaurant and English is the primary language on the menu, we leave.) It’s been difficult to transition that into a vegan diet, but he LOVED these. RAVED about them. I couldn’t believe it. A million gracias-es. :)
Yes! This makes me SO happy! Glad you- and your husband- liked them! :)
Unless you mean to use 1 cup of dried lentils…because I don’t see how 1 cup of cooked lentils can make 10 to 12 tacos!!
Hi Lyndsay, yes- the recipe uses 1 cup dried lentils, not canned.
Thanks! I guess the wording just threw me off. I assumed 1 cup lentils, cooked, meant 1 cup of cooked lentils. Oops! Giving these another go tonight.
I should have clarified! Let me know how they turned out with dried. Thanks, Alex
How do you recommend cooking the lentils? I love them but I’ve never cooked them before.
Hi Mackenzie, to cook from dried, cook on a stovetop, using 3 cups of liquid (water, stock, etc) to 1 cup of dry lentils. Be sure to use a large enough saucepan as the lentils will double or triple in size. Bring to a boil, cover tightly, reduce heat and simmer until they are tender. For whole lentils, cook time is typically 15-20 minutes.
Can this taco filling be frozen and stored?
Hi Lindsey, yes, you can freeze this taco meat easily. Enjoy!
I never leave reviews but I tried your recipe tonight as I try to live my life healthier. AMAZING!! Better than normal tacos even. Thank you so much for sharing!
★★★★★
So glad you liked them! Thanks for the comment :)
These taste as good as any taco mix I have ever had – like ever. The taco seasoning mixture is perfect. Amazing, 100% healthy to my temple. Doing the Daniel Fast and these fit right in with rightly made taco shells. Thanks so so so much. Blessings.
★★★★★
Love, love, love the lentil tacos!!! One of our first vegetarian meals, will be searching your site for more. Thank you so much!
★★★★★
Thanks Sally! Glad you liked them.
OMG these ARE OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!!!!!!! I am at a loss for words! THANK YOU!
★★★★★
So glad you like them! Thanks for the kind words.
Hi there! Should I be using just 1 cup of dried lentils for this recipe? Or should I be using 2 cups? Thanks so much!
Hi Carla, it’s 2 cups cooked from one cup dried.
best ive ever had
So glad you liked it! Thanks!
Planning on making these tonight. My love just had bypass surgery almost 3 weeks ago and is working on building up his iron again and lentils are a great source of iron, along with other great health benefits. I’m thinking of using low sodium beef stock to boil then in to impart some flavor. Any thoughts on that?
★★★★
Hi Donna- I havent tried it with beef broth before but I can’t imagine that it won’t work. I often cook my lentils with vegetable broth, so I assume the same thing will work here.
I can’t wait to try these. I’m afraid I don’t have all the spices but I do know I have a package of taco seasoning. How much of it would I use? Does 1 cup dried lentils equal 1 lb meat?
Hi Cara- I’d do 1/2 of a packet with a little broth or water to see how that tastes- you can always add more, but I wouldn’t want it to be too salty!
For a novice chef, such as myself, with barely any experience using lentils, it would have been nice to include preparing the lentils before adding them to the skillet
★
Hi Dave- just added that to the notes. Thanks!
incredibly delicious…. loved it so much, thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
This is the fantastic!!! I asked my meat loving boys to try and they liked. Cheap, flavors are great and you can’t be the nutritional value of lentils. This will become a staple for meatless Monday’s.
PS.. I cook my lentils in the rice cooker .
Thanks a bunch.
★★★★★
So glad you liked it! Thanks Jan!
Does anyone no the nutrional info per serving ?
I was blown away at how delicious these were! They will be added to our regular meal planning rotation. Thank you!!!
★★★★★
So glad you liked it! Thanks Jeannine!
Is this recipe spicy??
Your spice mix will determine how spicy the tacos are; the one listed here is mild, but if you add more cayenne pepper, it will be more spicy. To decrease any spice, remove the pepper all together.
You can never have enough garlic! . Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes and i Am a die hard omnivore but reading your recipes I could imagine giving up meat
★★★★
Thanks Sam!