This Lentil Taco Meat is your perfect meat replacement recipe for a plant-based taco night! It takes just 15 minutes to make a batch of this vegan lentil taco meat, and it’s also gluten-free and packed with plant-based iron.
I love making simple and healthy plant-based lunches that you can make quickly and easily at home with simple wholesome ingredients and still deliver all the flavors you want. So when we want to taste the flavors of Mexican food, I either make my lovely Sofritas, Vegan Enchiladas, or this taco meat. Lentil tacos are healthy tacos made with plant-based ingredients.
The traditional meat is replaced with cooked lentils for a meat-like taste and texture. The tortillas can be either classic wheat tortillas or lentil tortillas. It’s a high-protein wholesome lunch or dinner that brings a lot of nutrients and can be made in under 15 minutes!
Ingredients and Substitutions
All you need to make lentil taco meat are:
- Cooked Lentils – Use canned brown lentils. This is the faster way to make this recipe. Of course, you can also use raw brown lentils or raw green lentils, soak them overnight and cook following the packaging instructions. But this is time-consuming, and the nutrition properties will be pretty similar. So if you are hungry for a healthy dinner, use canned lentils!
- Olive Oil – I always use locally-sourced extra-virgin olive oil for the best taste.
- Onion – Yellow or red onions work fine.
- Cauliflower Rice – I used frozen ready-made cauliflower rice. You can also use a fresh head of cauliflower and pulse it in your food processor with the S-blade attachment to make your own. Another option is to make lentil walnut taco meat and replace cauliflower with finely chopped walnuts.
- Vegan Worcestershire sauce or tamari sauce.
- Tomato Paste – Use classic tomato paste or whole canned tomatoes.
- Vegetable Broth – or water.
- Spices – Cumin, Salt, Paprika, Oregano, Chili powder, Garlic powder
How To Make Lentil Taco Meat
Lentil taco meat is the easiest, healthy meat replacement recipe you can whip at home in less than 15 minutes. It’s also very cheap to make and perfect for anyone who starts a vegan diet and looks for a tasty, filling protein meal.
In a large frying pan, heat olive oil under medium heat. Stir fry onion until fragrant and golden.
Add the and cauliflower rice – fresh or frozen and the spices and stir fry for 2 minutes until fragrant.
Then, stir in the cooked, drained canned lentils and tomato paste.
Finally, pour the vegetable stock and vegan Worcestershire sauce. Reduce heat, and simmer for about 5 minutes, occasionally stirring until the mixture thickens.
Expert Tips
- For a meatier texture, pulse the cooked lentils in a food processor a few times before adding them to the skillet.
- Toast the spices in the pan for 30 seconds before adding the lentils to enhance their flavor.
- Use fire-roasted diced tomatoes instead of tomato paste for a smokier flavor profile.
- For a spicier version, add a diced jalapeño or chipotle pepper in adobo sauce.
- Squeeze fresh lime juice over the mixture just before serving to boost the flavors.
- For a protein boost, add textured vegetable protein (TVP) along with the lentils.
- Make a large batch and freeze portions for quick future meals.
- Add a tablespoon of cocoa powder for a funky touch or richness, similar to traditional mole sauces.
- For a fresher taste, stir in some finely chopped cilantro at the end of cooking.
- If the mixture becomes too dry, add a splash of vegetable broth or tomato sauce to reach desired consistency.
- Experiment with different types of mushrooms instead of or in addition to cauliflower rice for added umami flavor.
- For a smoky flavor without adding heat, incorporate a teaspoon of smoked paprika.
- Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes after cooking to allow flavors to meld and excess liquid to absorb.
- Use leftover lentil taco meat in burritos, on nachos, or as a topping for baked potatoes.
Using Lentils As A Meat Substitute
You can use this taco lentil recipe as a meat substitute for any Mexican dish like:
- Taco Salad – like my Vegan Taco Salad
- Vegan tacos or burritos – this makes a delicious, flavorsome taco filling to fill into my coconut flour taco shell recipe or paleo tortillas for burritos.
- Quesadillas – or Vegan Enchiladas
- With my Pupusas
- On the side of my Vegan Cornbread
But also to replace meat in vegan lasagna, spaghetti, or to stuff a spaghetti squash recipe.
Assembling Lentil Tacos
Once you have prepared the lentil taco meat and made my Lentil Taco Recipe, Quinoa Tortillas, 2-Ingredient Lentil Wraps, or my Chickpea Flour Tortillas, prepare the vegetables. Dice some avocados into small cubes, slice some fresh bell pepper and wash a bunch of fresh cilantro.
Lay a few tablespoons of lentil meat on the tortilla, add diced avocado and bell pepper slices, and pour a few teaspoons of coconut yogurt on top. Lay a few strands of cilantro and fold the wrap!
Storage Instructions
Lentil taco meat can be stored for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also freeze the mixture and thaw them the day before using it in any recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make lentil taco meat, you must use cooked lentils. It can be:
– Cooked Green Lentils
– Cooked Brown Lentils
– Red Split Lentils – It’s not my favorite choice because precooked red lentils often turn mushy if cooked for too long in a sauce.
You can cook raw green or brown lentils on a stovetop or slow cooker.
As a general rule, you need 3 cups of water or vegetable stock per cup of dry lentils.
Place the raw lentils into a large saucepan, and cover with cold liquid.
Bring to a boil, cover tightly, and reduce heat. Simmer until the lentils are tender – depending on lentil varieties, it can take between 15 to 20 minutes.
Red split lentils cook way faster – more around 8-10 minutes.
Lentil is very much comparable to meat when it comes to iron:
– 1 cup of cooked lentils has 6.6 mg of iron.
– 1 cup of cooked ground beef has 6.5 mg of iron.
However, iron from animal sources is made of 40% heme iron and 60 % non-heme iron, compared to plants that are made of 100% of non-heme iron.
Studies have shown that non-heme iron is not as readily absorbed as heme iron. So while lentils are great sources of plant-based iron on a vegan diet, it is not as well absorbed as meat iron.
Since lentils are 100% made of non-heme iron, you have to eat a larger amount of cooked lentils than cooked beef to reach the same level of iron intake.
Also, to improve iron absorption, it’s important to pair lentils with vitamin-C-rich food, like tomato sauce or orange juice.
You can absolutely replace meat with lentils in most meat-based recipes.
It has a similar texture to ground meat, and when seasoned with the right spices, it tastes like beef.
You can replace cauliflower rice with many other options.
Some people are sensitive to cauliflower, so below, I listed some IBS-friendly replacements for cauliflower. Choose from one of those:
– Chopped walnuts
– Sunflower seeds
– Cooked quinoa – quinoa is a complete plant-based protein and a great addition to lentil taco meat to boost the protein profile of the recipe.
– Cooked brown rice
– Hemp hearts
If you are after a spicier recipe, try my Vegan Birria Tacos.
More Vegan Meat Recipes
Below I listed my favorite homemade vegan meat alternative recipes:
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Lentil Taco Meat
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons Olive Oil
- ½ Yellow Onion - diced
- 1 ¼ cup Cooked Brown Lentils - equivalent 1 can 15 oz, rinsed, drained
- 1 ¼ cup Cauliflower Rice - fresh or frozen, see note to make your own*
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Oregano
- ¼ teaspoon Chili Powder
- ¼ cup Vegetable Broth
- 3-4 tablespoons Vegan Worcestershire Sauce - or 1 tablespoon of tamari sauce
- ½ cup Tomato Paste
Instructions
- In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and stir fry the onion until fragrant – about 1 minute.
- Stir in cooked, drained, canned brown lentils and cauliflower rice and stir fry for 1 minute.
- Stir in spices: cumin, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, salt chili powder.
- Stir in tomato paste, vegetable broth, and vegan Worcestershire sauce.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 5-6 minutes until the mixture thickens. The longer you cook the lentils, the thicker and dryer the sauce. For a smoother sauce, stop the heat after 3-4 minutes of cooking.
- Serve hot in my vegan, gluten-free flatbread recipe and follow my vegan, lentil taco recipe for filling tips!
Why add vegan Worcestershire sauce? Would it impact flavor that much without it?
It has a umami flavor, the flavor that mimic meat, the recipe is delicious without, but even more delicious with.
Loved this recipe. I swapped the cauliflower rice for a handful of chopped walnuts and had it over a baked potato, I’ll definitely be making this again. Thanks
Thank you!
I love this recipe! I use fresh or frozen cauliflower, and just slice it small on the cutting board. I also add mushrooms. My omnivore partner finds this delicious as well, and doesn’t feel the need to add chicken to his taco like he does with some of my vegan recipes (winning! Lol). I make a monstrous amount and freeze Ziplocs for quick meals later.
Oh thank you!!!
Loved this recipe! Tasted great and was very good in a burrito with cheese and avacado! Will make again!
Thank you!!
literally addicted to this, think this recipe changed my life, i’m not even vegan but prefer this to taco meat
Very good! Reduced amount of tomato paste and added salsa instead. Added 1/2c of Trader Joe’s fire roasted corn.
If I substitute quinoa for the cauliflower rice how much quinoa do I add? Thank you, can’t wait to try this!
You must cook the quinoa first, then add the same amount of cooked quinoa
Outstanding! Great flavor and texture. My only regret is that I didn’t double the recipe…
This is soooo delicious, I had to have a second helping! When cooking lentils, I do an entire package, then divide it up into containers that I freeze for convenient use. A couple of pulses with my min-chopper diced the onion, and since I always have frozen riced cauliflower on hand, this recipe was quick to make, all in one skillet. This is a yummy keeper that will make frequent repeat appearances in my kitchen! I cannot compliment this recipe enough! (Plus, this can easily be converted to chili by adding cooked beans, a can to tomatoes, and optionally, a green bell pepper.)
Sooooooo good!!!!!