Lentil Taco Meat (Vegan Alternative) (2024)

This easy lentil taco meat recipe is your perfect meat replacement for a taco night!

Bonus, 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.

Table of contents

When we want to taste the flavor of Mexican food, we either make my lovely sofritas recipe, vegan enchiladas recipe, or this taco meat.

What Is Lentil 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!

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.

Ingredients

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
• Spices: Cumin, Salt, Paprika, Oregano, Chili powder, Garlic powder

Using Lentils As A Meat Substitute

You can use this taco lentil recipe as a meat substitute for any Mexican dish like:

• 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
• 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

About Carine

Hi, I'm Carine, the food blogger, author, recipe developer, photographer, and published author of a cookbook and founder of The Conscious Plant Kitchen with my husband Damien.Learn more about us.