Easy vegan lentil tacos packed with Tex-Mex flavor, fiber, and plant-based protein — perfect for taco night and meal prep!
Vegan Lentil Taco Recipe
There are so many meat substitutes at the grocery store these days, but one of the best swaps for ground beef is natural (and a lot less expensive): lentils! I’m often asked for more plant-based, high-protein recipes — and with 12 grams of fiber, these lentil tacos deliver! They have an earthy flavor and a texture that makes them a great stand-in for beef, and this lentil taco meat is the perfect example. These lentil tacos are an easy vegan recipe, but they’re so delicious, even the meat eaters in your family will devour them. (If you love lentils, be sure to try my Lentil Bolognese and Lentil Salad too!)
Why These Vegan Tacos Belong on Your Menu
I’m often asked for more plant-based, high-protein recipes — and these lentil tacos deliver! Packed with bold flavors and wholesome ingredients, they’re sure to become a family favorite.”
- A budget-friendly meal. Lentils are incredibly affordable and a great source of plant-based protein. Incorporating them into your meals is an easy way to save money on groceries.
- Healthy alternative. Lentils are a whole food substitute for ground beef—and even if you do eat meat, you’ll appreciate the fiber and nutrients in this lentil taco meat.
- Great for meal prep. This is a recipe that comes together with very little effort and it also stores really well so you can make the lentil taco filling and pop it in the fridge for later in the week.
If you make this healthy lentil tacos recipe, I would love to see it. Tag me in your photos or videos on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook. And be sure to join the Skinnytaste Community to see what everyone’s cooking!
What You’ll Need
Here’s a list of the ingredients you’ll need to make these lentil tacos. Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Avocado oil – You can also use olive oil or another oil you like for cooking.
- Red onion and garlic – Adds depth and flavor to the lentil taco meat. Yellow onion is fine too.
- Tomato – For some tanginess and sauciness, to keep the lentil filling from being dry.
- Seasonings – I use onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, and salt for a homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe.
- Brown lentils – Rinse these well and pick them over for pebbles. Green lentils will also work.
- Low-sodium vegetable broth or water – Also for moistening the lentil taco filling.
For Assembling:
- Corn Tortillas – Or use flour tortillas if you prefer them.
- Toppings – Like red onion, cilantro, Pico de Gallo, avocado, Guacamole, or hot sauce.
How to Make Lentil Tacos
Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you visualize the process of making these lentil tacos. The complete written recipe is at the bottom of the page.
- Cook the onion. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high. Add the onion and cook for about 4 minutes, or until softened.
- Add the garlic and tomato. Stir them in and cook for another 4 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft.
- Simmer. Stir in the seasonings, lentils, and water or broth. Cover and reduce the heat to low; simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked through and most (but not all) of the water is absorbed.
- Process. Add half of the lentils to a food processor and pulse until smooth. Stir back into the pan.
- Finish. Char the tortillas on the stovetop, then top them with the lentil taco meat and your desired toppings.
Tips and Variations
These simple tips will help you make sure your lentil tacos turn out perfect.
- Don’t use red lentils. Their texture is too mushy and not ideal for tacos. They break apart completely when cooked!
- Skip the tortillas. If you want to enjoy a lower carb option, use lettuce leaves instead. You can also spoon the lentil mixture over a Baked Sweet Potato.
- Make them vegetarian. If you’re not vegan, you can add a drizzle of crema (mix sour cream with a squeeze of lime juice, a pinch of cumin, and a little salt) or a sprinkle of crumbled cotija cheese.
- Use the lentil filling for other things. Add it to salads, quesadillas, nachos, burritos, burrito bowls, and more!
- Toppings: Top with salsa or shredded red cabbage.
Serving Suggestions
This Warm Mexican Corn Salad is an awesome side for tacos, as is this Black Bean, Avocado, Cucumber and Tomato Salad. For a lower carb option, try my Mexican Cauliflower “Rice”.
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerator: Store leftover lentil tacos in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It’s best to store the filling separately from the other components.
- Freezer: You can also freeze the lentil filling in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
- To reheat: Warm leftover lentil filling in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium-low heat; if needed, add a splash of broth or water to moisten the filling a bit.
More Taco Recipes You Will Love
Craving more taco night dinner ideas? Check out these six delicious taco recipes to inspire your next meal!
Lentil Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 small red onion, diced – about 1 cup
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 large tomato, chopped- about ¾ cup
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup dry brown lentils
- 2 ½ cups low sodium vegetable broth or water
For serving:
- 8 corn tortillas, or hard shell tacos
- ½ red onion, chopped
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- pico de gallo, diced avocado, guacamole, hot sauce, optional for topping
Instructions
- Heat the avocado oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato and cook until the tomatoes have softened, about 4 minutes. Add spices and salt and stir to combine. Add the lentils and the chicken broth or water. Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pan and turn the heat down to low to simmer. Cook for 30 to 45 minutes, until the lentils are tender and most of the water has been absorbed.
- Turn the heat off and carefully transfer ½ of the mixture to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Process the mixture until smooth. Transfer the blended mixture back to the pan and stir to combine.
- Char the tortillas over an open flame on the stove about 30 seconds on each side.
- Assemble tacos with 1/4 cup lentils on each, topped with red onion and chopped cilantro.
These were incredibly flavorful. I didn’t even know I liked a lentil until last night. Aside from cooking it a little bit longer than the 45min, I followed the recipe to a T. Thank you so much for sharing.
These were delicious! I made them exactly as instructed, and they came out perfect! The seasoning was spot on. Lentils are so versatile and filling, and you really don’t miss the meat in this recipe AT ALL. Yummmm
Glad you enjoyed them!
These tacos pack so much flavor and I cannot eat just 2! They are full of fiber and delicious!
Glad you enjoy them!
Loved this recipe. Was wondering if it can frozen.
Yes, you can also freeze the lentil filling in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
This was very good! We used in burrito bowls.
We were pleasantly surprised how much we enjoyed this tonight for dinner. I skipped the cumin because my husband doesn’t like it and I only had half a cup of tomato, but it worked great. So don’t stress if you don’t have the perfect recipe. We served it to our kids on a Toasted cheese tortilla, and it was a hit. They both ate everything on their plate. We will absolutely be making this again.
I made the filling tonight but used it in enchiladas and I’ll make it again for sure! Trying to figure out the nutritional value for just the filling on its own
Made this for tonights dinner, it tasted better than it looked! I needed to add extra spices as I know we have a strong flavour palat.
This was so flavorful! Def one of my favorite meatless Monday dishes I’ve ever made. Thank you for such a great recipe!
Great!!
Loved this recipe. We didn’t have any tomatoes so I used a small can of tomato sauce and we skipped the food processor step. It had great flavor. This recipe was a hit!
Perfect!!
I’ve recently started eating 80% vegan for health reasons and have been on the lookout for flavorful plant-based recipes—this one is a standout favorite! It took about 35 minutes from start to finish. I topped it with avocado and pico de gallo and served it with corn tortillas. So tasty, and satisfying. Thank you for such a great recipe!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Could you use canned lentils?
Made this and loved the flavors and will be a repeat. I used French green lentils. The only feedback is that it took way over an hour for most of the water to absorb, I didn’t want soupy tacos so continued to simmer and it worked out, but took time. I also used a hand mixer to process half, less cleanup than bringing out my huge food processor.
Question, can this be made with canned lentils? If so, would it be one can?
Yes but you would omit the water. This makes 2 cups lentils, so use 2 cups. A little more than 1 can.