Traditionally, tacos are all about meat, but whoever says that hasn’t tried this lentil tacos recipe. Everything you’ve come to love in a taco, including salsa, spiced filling, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes and a dollop of sour cream, comes together in this recipe. Only instead of beef, pork or chicken, you’ve got a tasty lentil taco recipe that just may fool the meat eaters in your life, because it’s that delicious.
With just 15 minutes of prep time and 40 minutes of cooking time (all on the stovetop), dinner is ready. If you’re looking for a new filling for the taco bar or another meal where the kids can customize their own plates, this just might be it.
Ingredients for Lentil Tacos
- Onion: You’ll want to use a yellow onion, not a white onion. Yellow onions add flavor and brightness to the palate—and sweetness, once caramelized—without overpowering the rest of the ingredients.
- Garlic: When minced, a garlic clove distributes evenly throughout this recipe so it’s fresh and intense, but not as sharp in flavor.
- Lentils:Â This source of plant-based protein is also high in fiber and, once cooked, has a similar texture to meat.
- Chili powder: The amount of this dried spice you use can be adjusted to your palate. However much you use, it doesn’t make the recipe spicy but is very essential in adding flavor.
- Cumin: Sold in the spice aisle at grocery stores, cumin adds a little bit of heat but won’t turn off those who can’t handle spicy foods.
- Oregano: This recipe calls for dried oregano, packaged in a spice jar.
- Chicken broth: You can use either vegetable or reduced-sodium chicken broth.
- Salsa:Â Tailor the heat index on your salsa to your palate: pico de gallo, or medium or hot salsa will all work.
- Hard taco shells: Hard taco shells give this recipe a fun, crunchy texture and keep the filling from dripping all over your hands.
- Shredded lettuce: The shredded lettuce blends easily into the lentil mixture while still maintaining its crunch factor.
- Tomatoes: Fresh, chopped tomatoes are key to this recipe, and if you can find varieties like plum tomatoes with less water content, even better.
- Reduced-fat cheddar cheese: As a topping, shredded cheddar is a good choice, as it’s subtle in flavor, without overpowering the other ingredients.
- Fat-free sour cream: By using fat-free sour cream, which is sold alongside other dairy products in most grocery stores, you’re saving calories without compromising flavor.
Directions
Step 1: Cook the onion and garlic
Chop the onion and garlic, then saute them in a large nonstick skillet with oil over medium heat until they’re tender.
Editor’s Tip: For this recipe, we recommend cooking the garlic and onion in canola oil, considered the jack-of-all-trades when it comes to cooking oils.
Step 2: Make the lentil filling
Add the lentils, chili powder, cumin and oregano to the onion and garlic, then continue to cook, stirring, for one minute. Next, stir in the broth and bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the lentils are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Continue to cook, uncovered, for an additional six to eight minutes, stirring occasionally. Mash the lentils slightly, then stir in the salsa and heat all the way through.
Step 3: Serve the tacos
Spoon the lentil mixture into hard taco shells. Top with shredded lettuce, sour cream and salsa, as desired.
Lentil Taco Variations
- Swap the sour cream for Greek yogurt: Although this recipe is very healthy to begin with, to cut out even more calories, use plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream as a topping.
- Serve in taco cups: For a fun, hand-held appetizer, spoon the lentil mixture into taco cups. Making taco cups is easy, especially with our lentil taco cups recipe. Simply press warm tortillas into greased muffin cups and then bake, with the lentil mixture inside.
How to Store Lentil Tacos
Weeknight meals can be hard to whip up when you’re tired and drained and there just isn’t enough time to devote to a recipe. While this one is fairly simple, with just 15 minutes of prep time, you can get dinner on the table even faster if you make the lentil filling ahead of time and store it in the fridge.
Can you freeze lentil tacos?
You can freeze lentil tacos, but just the lentil filling, not the tacos. Freeze the filling in a reusable freezer bag or airtight container.
How long do lentil tacos last?
If stored in the fridge in an airtight container, the lentil filling should last between four and five days.
Can you make lentil tacos ahead of time?
Yes, absolutely! Prepare the recipe’s first two steps, cool the mixture slightly, then pop it in the fridge. As long as it’s in a covered container, it will keep just fine.
How do you reheat lentil tacos?
All you have to do is zap the lentil filling in the microwave for about two minutes or heat it up on the stovetop, for between five to seven minutes, until it’s heated all the way through.
Lentil Taco Tips
Can I make this recipe entirely plant-based?
By using nondairy cheese and nondairy sour cream, and choosing vegetable broth over chicken broth, this recipe is now 100% plant-based.
How do I make the lentil tacos spicier?
If adding more and more chili powder and cumin isn’t hitting the spot for you, don’t be shy about dicing a jalapeno and topping your taco with a half teaspoon.
