I remember making this lentil taco filling for the first time. It felt like an undercover mission to hide the fact that it was “meatless.” I quietly served it to my family without saying a word.
After the meal, I received raving reviews from everyone! No one—not even my “meat and potatoes” husband—noticed that it didn’t have shredded chicken or ground beef like usual.
That’s because these lentil tacos are FILLING and SATISFYING.
And oh by the way … they are one of the most frugal meals I make—less than $2 for 5 people!
Tips for Making This Lentil Taco Filling
I actually make this as a “meal in a jar.” All of the ingredients are dry, so I layer them in jars, and they’re on the shelf when I need a quick meal.
The recipe calls for dehydrated beans, which is not the same as dried beans. These beans have been cooked, then dehydrated in order to produce “just add water” beans.
However, if you don’t have dehydrated beans, you can omit them from your jar and simply add a can of pinto beans when you add your salsa.
You’ll need to watch the water level as this cooks. The lentils rehydrate and expand significantly, so stir every 5 minutes or so, and add water as needed to keep it from sticking to the bottom of your pot.
If you prefer video, there is a video tutorial at the bottom of this post. Enjoy!
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Lentil Taco Filling for Meatless Tacos
This lentil taco filling makes the best meatless tacos. It's so hearty and satisfying that you won't miss the meat. It's our go-to frugal meal for taco night!
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 10–14 tacos 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup red lentils
- 1/2 cup rice
- 3 teaspoons beef broth powder
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1/2 cup parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup dehydrated pinto beans (or you can use 1 can of pinto beans)
- 2 cups salsa
- 3 cups water (add more as needed as it cooks)
Instructions
- For a “meal in a jar,” layer all of the dry ingredients in a Mason jar and vacuum seal. It will be shelf-stable for 1 year.
- To cook, pour contents of the jar into a large pot. Add the salsa and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil.
- Once at a boil, lower it to a simmer, place the lid on, and simmer for 30 minutes (stirring occasionally).
- Fluff the mixture with a whisk and serve on tortillas.
- Optional: Top with sour cream, cheese, and sliced avocado.
Notes
It's important to watch the water level as the lentil mixture cooks. You may need to add an additional 1 cup of water to keep the mix from sticking while it cooks. It depends on how quickly your lentils, rice, and dehydrated beans rehydrate.
Also, dehydrated beans are beans that have been cooked and dehydrated to produce "just add water" beans. If you don't have any, then replace the dehydrated beans with 1 can of pinto beans and decrease the water amount by 1/2 cup.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Additional Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
Thank you for all the info and help you provide! If I wanted to use dried beans, how would I need to modify the recipe? I have a pantry full of dry beans and am always looking for recipes to incorporate them. We love tacos! This sounds great!
Hi Nene! You would just pre-cook them and add 1 cup of cooked beans when you add the salsa. Also, decrease the initial water amount from 3 cups down to 2 cups. If you need tips for cooking dried beans, just let me know. 🙂
I hope you love these tacos as much as we do!
Thank you!! Definitely going to try this.
Do you make your own dehydrated beans? If so, how? I have a ton of dried beans in my cupboards, and if I can precook them that would be great.
Thanks for doing this challenge and sharing what you’re making with us! You are definitely inspiring me! 🙂
Yes, I do. We have a complete tutorial coming up on that, too! Be sure you’re subscribed to our email list, and keep an eye on your inbox to be notified when it’s published. 🙂
Thank you for your kind words and encouragement!
Thank you for this recipe, I want to try this soon with my family. Could you please share how you make the salsa you put in it?
Here’s our tutorial for making the salsa – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHmzEX9Xpso&t=903s
Enjoy!
Thank you!
This meal makes so much food! We’ve already had it multiple nights for leftovers, and even as a notorious bean hater, I choked down the beans and dehydrated some for next time. Win!! Thank you! I have a jar ready to go on my shelf and feel like stocking the pantry won’t be as hard as I thought.
Definitely a win! It CAN be easy to stock your pantry with well-planned meals. These lentil tacos are a great example of that. Thanks for stopping by to comment!