Homemade Lentil Tacos | Easy Instant Pot recipe
Discover a delicious twist on taco night with these easy homemade lentil tacos, packed with hearty flavors and less-expensive ingredients for a satisfying plant-based meal.
Whether you’re looking for a meatless meal or for a way to save money, lentils are a great option!
We’ve taken classic taco flavors and paired them with lentils to create this easy low-cost, high-fiber dinner.
About Lentils
Lentils are a good substitute for ground beef—when cooked right, they have a similar crumbled texture and soak up the seasonings similarly.
Lentils are high in both soluble and insoluble fiber, rich in protein, and have no saturated fat. They also have all sorts of vitamins and good-for-you compounds like folate and polyphenols.
They’re also much cheaper than ground beef—just $2.29 at my local store. (In contrast, a pound of ground beef is $6.49 at my local store.)
Just a warning: If your tummy isn’t used to lentils, they can make you uncomfortably gassy.
If you’d like to include more lentils in your diet, start with a very small amount (like 1 tablespoon cooked lentils) and then increase your intake slowly over time.
What is the secret to cooking lentils?
To help break down gassy compounds, use canned lentils or soak/quick-soak your lentils.
While the packaging instructions say that lentils don’t need to be soaked, some studies suggest that soaking helps reduce discomfort after eating.
Note: If you soak your lentils, they will not hold their shape as well as unsoaked lentils. When you stir the salsa into soaked lentils, some of the lentils will fall apart as you stir. They won’t go all the way to the texture of refried beans, but they will definitely be easier to mash.
How to Soak Lentils
Countertop soak: Place the lentils in a large bowl. Cover them in cool water by about an inch. Put a dish towel on top and allow to sit for 4-12 hours. Discard the water, rinse the beans well in a colander, and proceed with the recipe.
Quick Soak Method: Rinse lentils in a colander and sort through to remove any debris.
For every 1 cup of lentils, add 4 cups of water and 1 tablespoon salt to the pressure cooking pot. Then add the rinsed beans to the cooking pot.
Lock the lid in place and select High Pressure and a 1 minute cook time. When the cook time ends, turn the pressure cooker off and let the lentils soak for 1 hour.
After soaking, drain and rinse the lentils, and discard the soaking liquid. Rinse out the cooking pot, then proceed with the recipe as written.
What kind of lentils are best for making lentil tacos?
We used regular-old brown lentils in this Lentil Tacos recipe. Brown lentils are a great all-purpose lentil, and they hold their shape a little better than red lentils. However, you can use yellow or red lentils in a pinch.
You can also use canned lentils. (These are hard to find at our grocery store, we just have one single row of cans near the canned beans.)
To use canned lentils: Make sure to drain and rinse your canned lentils well before using in this recipe. The cans at our store are 5 oz each, so you’d need 3 cans to follow the recipe as written.
How to make lentil tacos?
Sauté the onion and garlic in oil, then add spices, broth, and lentils.
Cook at high pressure for 6 minutes, let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then release remaining pressure.
Stir in the salsa, mash the lentils if you like, and serve in taco shells or tortillas with all of your favorite toppings.
Do you LOVE this recipe?
Leave us a review below to tell us why!
Easy Lentil Tacos | Instant Pot Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon canola oil
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 pound dried lentils well rinsed and picked through
- 2 1/2 cups vegetable or reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup salsa
- 12 taco shells or tortillas
- 1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
- 1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
- Shredded cheese we use cheddar or Oaxaca, sour cream, guacamole
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Set aside.
- Select sauté to preheat the cooking pot. When hot, add the oil and onion and saute until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute 1 minute more. Stir in the spices.
- Add the broth and lentils and stir until well combined. Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and 6 minutes cook time. When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then finish with a quick pressure release.
- When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid. Gently stir in the salsa. If desired, gently mash the lentils.
- To serve, spoon the lentil filling into a taco shell or into the center of a tortilla. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese. If desired, add sour cream and guacamole.
Nutrition
What else can I make with lentils?
Lentils are a favorite in soups, salads, and stews. Or, try mixing lentils with ground turkey for another easy taco filling.
Lentil Orzo Soup is a great option during colder weather.
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Been looking for an interesting lentil recipe for about a year now having heard all the benefits of lentils in one’s diet. Turning lentils into a Mexican dish –now that was inspiring. I did the presoak and followed directions as written, used chipotle seasoning and chohula salsa. Good texture, good flavor. Enjoyed it on a tortilla or just by the spoonful.
I am glad you enjoyed it!
I have canned lentils. How can I modify your recipe since the cooking time will be different?
That’s a great question. I haven’t done it with canned lentils, but I would probably reduce the pressure time to 1 minute and that may help to infuse the flavors. If you did this, I would reduce the broth to half a cup. You could also just add them and the seasoning after sauteing and skip pressure cooking altogether.
For those of us who are using stove top pressure cookers, do we cook at low pressure (12 psi)?
Though I haven’t tried these recipes in a stovetop, the High Pressure setting for electric pressure cookers is 10-12 psi. So it looks like it should line up pretty well. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!