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    Home » Recipes » Vegetarian Tex-Mex Recipes

    May 22, 2021 by Becca Heyes · This post may contain affiliate links · 5 Comments

    Easy Lentil Tacos

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    Total time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 2 people
    5 from 1 vote
    Jump to Recipe Rate this Recipe

    These easy lentil tacos are super simple to make, with a smoky chipotle flavour, and they can be customised with your favourite toppings.

    Vegetarian lentil tacos topped with cheese and cherry tomatoes.

    These easy lentil tacos are such a people-pleasing dinner - and the recipe is so easy, a monkey could do it. Start with a basic chipotle lentil mixture, scoop it into taco shells, and then load each taco with different toppings. Everyone's happy!

    Vegetarian lentil tacos on a board topped with grated cheese and tomatoes.

    Easy lentil tacos

    These lentil tacos are made with a smoky, slightly spicy lentil mixture, with chipotle paste for a beautiful flavour. Lentils don't have a huge amount of flavour on their own, so they soak up the chipotle flavour beautifully, and become really tasty.

    Some fresh toppings bring different flavours and textures to the lentils, giving you the perfect dinner.

    Grated zucchini and mushrooms cooking in a frying pan.

    Vegetarian tacos

    I began my lentil taco mixture by cooking off some mushrooms, grated courgette (zucchini), and garlic.

    To be honest, you could easily swap those veg for any others, and it would still work fine - just use whatever you have in the fridge (this recipe is a great fridge clearer!). Peppers, fresh tomatoes, finely chopped carrots, aubergine (eggplant), onions... it'll all work well.

    I cooked the vegetables quite thoroughly, so they weren't overly prominent in the finished dish. I do love getting extra veg into my cooking wherever I can, but I still wanted the lentils to be the star of these tacos.

    Chipotle lentils cooking in a frying pan.

    Chipotle lentils

    Next, add a tin of green lentils to the veggies, and some chipotle paste.

    You can use lentils that you've cooked yourself instead, if you prefer - I just love using tinned lentils for things like this, as they're so convenient. They're already pre-cooked, so all you need to do is heat them through, and you're good to go. They make these easy lentil tacos really quick to make.

    Brown lentils and green lentils will both work well here. Red lentils will give a different texture, as they cook down a lot more than brown and green lentils, so I'd avoid those on this occasion.

    The chipotle paste will really bring the mixture to life, and I also added some tomato puree and a bit of extra smoked paprika for good measure (I can't resist the stuff).

    Stand-and-stuff taco shells stuffed with a smoky lentil mixture.

    Soft vs hard taco shells

    The lentil mixture will soon be ready for scooping into taco shells.

    I do love crunchy taco shells (they'd actually be a really good contrast to the soft lentils), but I find them a bit messy to eat, so my go-to for homemade tacos is soft tortillas. I used those stand-and-stuff ones because I thought they were really flipping cute, but mini tortillas will also be great.

    Vegetarian lentil tacos topped with cheese and spring onions.

    Taco toppings

    There's only one last thing to do, and that's to pile your lentil tacos high with whatever toppings you choose. Toppings are a great way to bring some different flavours and textures to your tacos - make each one different, if you like!

    Here are some taco topping ideas:

    • guacamole
    • sour cream
    • grated cheese
    • fresh tomatoes
    • sliced avocado
    • fresh coriander (cilantro)
    • spring onions
    • shredded lettuce

    I like to put the various toppings in small bowls, and let everyone help themselves. It's a great way to feed a crowd if everyone has different dietary preferences.

    A hand holding up a lentil taco with toppings.

    Easy Lentil Tacos

    These easy lentil tacos are super simple to make, with a smoky chipotle flavour, and they can be customised with your favourite toppings.

    If you've cooked this recipe, don't forget to leave a star rating!

    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Comment
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 2 people
    Calories: 233kcal
    Author: Becca Heyes

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon oil
    • 6 medium mushrooms, sliced
    • 1 medium courgette (zucchini), grated
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 400 g tin lentils (brown or green), drained (265g, or ~ 1 ¼ cups, when drained)
    • 1 tablespoon chipotle paste
    • 1 tablespoon tomato puree / paste
    • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
    • Salt
    • Black pepper
    • To serve: Taco shells (soft or crunchy), toppings (see blog post for ideas)

    Instructions

    • Heat the oil in a frying pan, and add the sliced mushrooms, grated courgette, and minced garlic. Cook over a medium heat for 5-10 minutes, until any excess liquid has cooked off and the vegetables are soft.
    • Add the tin of lentils, along with the chipotle paste, tomato puree, and smoked paprika. Mix well, and cook for a further 5 minutes or so, until piping hot. If the mixture seems too dry, just add a splash of water.
    • Season to taste, and serve in taco shells (soft or crunchy), with your choice of toppings. I used grated cheese, fresh tomatoes, and spring onions.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 portion - Calories: 233 kcal - Carbohydrates: 30.1 g - Protein: 12.9 g - Fat: 8.6 g - Saturated Fat: 1.2 g - Cholesterol: 0 mg - Sodium: 197 mg - Potassium: 925 mg - Fiber: 11.3 g - Sugar: 6.1 g - Calcium: 49 mg - Iron: 6 mg

    Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.

    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @EasyCheesyVeg or tag #EasyCheesyVegetarian!

    Another favourite Tex-Mex lentil recipe is my enchilada lentil casserole:

    More Vegetarian Tex-Mex Recipes

    • Vegetarian Chilli Mac (One Pot!)
    • Vegan Taco Soup (with Crispy Tortilla Strips)
    • Creamy Cowboy Caviar (with Avocado Dressing)
    • 10 Minute Air Fryer Quesadillas
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    Comments

    1. Michael Ann says

      April 27, 2012 at 4:38 am

      Oh, I LOVE lentils! I have never tried anything like this, and it sounds delish! I am always looking for more meatless dishes, I will be perusing your blog a lot!

      Thank you for stopping by The Big Green Bowl. You asked how I bake everyday and eat everything :-) Well, I have two teenage boys who make short work of it, plus all their friends love to come see what I've baked. I also take stuff to work and give plates to friends :-)

      Reply
    2. Medusa says

      April 26, 2012 at 1:14 am

      This looks really good. I am going to try it.

      Reply
    3. Stephanie Carlson says

      April 25, 2012 at 9:04 pm

      Hi Becca! I love following your blog and everything you do for fellow bloggers! That's why I nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award. Thanks for everything!

      Reply
      • Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says

        April 25, 2012 at 9:59 pm

        Thanks so much Stephanie! :) Glad you enjoy!

        Reply
    4. Julia @The Roasted Root says

      April 25, 2012 at 5:29 pm

      So excited to try this, Becca! I love lentils, and my boyfriend (like yours) hates them, so hopefully I can coax him into realizing how awesome lentils can be. Great taco!

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Becca! I've been a vegetarian for 20+ years, and unlike most of my other childhood pursuits, I actually stuck with it! I love cooking vegetarian food that's full of flavour, but doesn't take a lot of effort to make.

    More about me →

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