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    Chipotle Lentil Taco Meat

    March 7, 2019 By Rene 27 Comments

    This Chipotle Lentil Taco Meat is zesty, vegan and delicious - perfect protein-packed addition to tacos, burritos and bowls.

    Jump to Recipe
    This Chipotle Lentil Taco Meat is zesty, vegan and delicious - perfect protein-packed addition to tacos, burritos and bowls | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #vegan #vegantacos

    You guys all know my new love for lentils is very real. Last week I RAVED about my new favorite recipe - Chipotle Lentil Avocado Toast. Be sure to check out that recipe, because I am seriously OBSESSED!

    But for today's recipe we are making some adjustments to the ingredients in that original recipe that make it the perfect taco "meat" replacement.

    And if you use pre-made lentils (like I did), then this recipe is not only super delicious, it is also SO QUICK!

    This Chipotle Lentil Taco Meat is zesty, vegan and delicious - perfect protein-packed addition to tacos, burritos and bowls | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #vegan #vegantacos

    If you're like me, then you might have given lentils a bad rap in your head. I always thought they were so bland. But that's just because I was eating bland lentils...imagine that?!? If you spice them up the right way, then they seriously taste amazing!

    What I used to season these are:

    • red onion
    • chipotle peppers in adobo
    • taco seasoning
    • vegan beef broth

    That's it. You can add salt & pepper if you want, but I didn't even need to do that. This is so flavorful with just those 4 simple ingredients!

    This Chipotle Lentil Taco Meat is zesty, vegan and delicious - perfect protein-packed addition to tacos, burritos and bowls | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #vegan #vegantacos

    Plus, the texture of lentils is surprisingly similar to traditional taco meat, which makes this a great dupe for both vegans and non-vegans.

    This recipe literally takes 15 minutes to put together (again, if you're using pre-made lentils) and makes for the BEST leftovers.

    You can serve these in tacos, burritos, bowls or salads - no matter what you put these on, they will taste amazing!

    This Chipotle Lentil Taco Meat is zesty, vegan and delicious - perfect protein-packed addition to tacos, burritos and bowls | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #vegan #vegantacos
    Print Pin
    4.75 from 4 votes

    Chipotle Lentil Taco Meat

    This Chipotle Lentil Taco Meat is zesty, vegan and delicious - perfect protein-packed addition to tacos, burritos and bowls.
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Mexican
    Keyword lentils, taco meat
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Cook Time 10 minutes
    Total Time 15 minutes
    Servings 6
    Calories 129kcal

    Ingredients

    • 1 tbsp olive oil
    • ¼ red onion diced
    • 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo diced
    • 1-2 tablespoon adobo sauce from the can
    • 2.5 cups cooked lentils
    • 1-2 tablespoon taco seasoning
    • ¼ cup broth*
    • salt & pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 2 minutes. 
    • Add chipotle peppers and adobo sauce to the pan and sauté for an additional 2 minutes. 
    • Add lentils, taco seasoning and broth to the pan and turn heat to low. Stir to combine everything and allow to cook for 5 minutes.
    • Taste and add salt and pepper as needed (I didn't need to add either). 
    • Serve in tacos, burritos, bowls or salads. 

    Video

    Notes

    *I used vegan beef broth. You can get this at Whole Foods or online here. Or swap for your favorite broth.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 129kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 582mg | Potassium: 317mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 2g | Iron: 3mg

    This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase I will receive a small percentage of the sale. Please know I would never link a product unless I have personally used it and loved it!

    If you make any of these recipes be sure to snap a photo + post it + and tag #thissavoryvegan and  @thissavoryvegan!

    This Chipotle Lentil Taco Meat is zesty, vegan and delicious - perfect protein-packed addition to tacos, burritos and bowls | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #vegan #vegantacos
    « Tomato Corn Avocado Pasta Salad
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. mcw

      January 22, 2021 at 7:08 pm

      5 stars
      I’ve made this twice and it is delicioussss especially in tacos

      Reply
    2. Dee

      October 27, 2020 at 12:08 am

      5 stars
      Wow, so good! Put it on a tostado as well and it was amazing!

      Next time I hope to alter the recipe to cook the onions and chipotle with uncooked lentils – wish me luck. Thanks for a delicious lentil recipe.

      Reply
      • Cindy H

        April 16, 2021 at 8:56 pm

        4 stars
        What makes it so high in sodium? I'm definitely going to try it.

        Reply
        • Leah

          July 01, 2022 at 4:35 pm

          Probably because precooked lentils are canned/preserved, hence lots of sodium

          Reply
    3. Dee

      October 27, 2020 at 12:07 am

      Wow, so good! Put it on a tostado as well and it was amazing!

      Next time I hope to alter the recipe to cook the onions and chipotle with uncooked lentils - wish me luck. Thanks for a delicious lentil recipe.

      Reply
      • Rene

        November 03, 2020 at 1:21 pm

        I'm sure it will be great 😉

        Reply
        • Kory

          July 18, 2021 at 5:11 pm

          Making this recipe today! Do you think the leftovers would freeze well?

          Reply
    4. Amanda

      October 13, 2020 at 2:52 pm

      5 stars
      I'm trying to incorporate more vegetarian dinners into my meat loving household, I made these last night and put them in quesadillas, they were absolutely delicious and so easy to make. I will definitely be using these on a regular rotation!

      Reply
      • Rene

        October 17, 2020 at 11:17 am

        Yum! I love a quesadilla! Good thinking!

        Reply
    5. Ellen

      September 24, 2020 at 11:51 am

      Made this the other night-very tasty and spicy! Can it be frozen?

      Reply
      • Rene

        September 29, 2020 at 8:39 am

        I don't see why not. Just be sure to let it cool completely before freezing!

        Reply
    6. Darlene

      April 16, 2020 at 12:48 pm

      I don't have canned lentils but I do have dried green and brown lentils. Which ones should I cook to use for this recipe?

      Reply
      • Rene

        April 16, 2020 at 1:18 pm

        Either will work!

        Reply
    7. Jennifer

      March 04, 2020 at 9:05 am

      Do you have a preferred way to prepare the lentils if you aren't using already made lentils?

      Reply
      • Rene

        March 05, 2020 at 7:29 am

        Nope - I would just follow the package instructions 🙂

        Reply
    8. Lesley

      November 25, 2019 at 2:48 pm

      Is it okay to leave out the bouillon?

      Reply
    9. Gabby

      October 05, 2019 at 7:29 am

      Hi!
      I was hoping you could clarify whether you're putting already cooked lentils into the pan with the water and seasonings or just raw ones and this is how they cook?

      Thanks

      Reply
      • Rene

        October 05, 2019 at 8:15 am

        Yep, they are already cooked - I can usually find them in the produce section of my grocery store.

        Reply
    10. Patty Hay

      July 17, 2019 at 9:21 am

      Made this recipe last night and it was delicious. I altered it slightly.. I used a bag of lentils that had garlic seasoning in it and I made them with the seasoning and then instead of using the chipotle peppers as well as the chipotle sauce I used the sauce only. My husband doesn’t care for meals that are too spicy. I like spicy so I just drizzled my tacos with extra chipotle sauce I will make this again and again since we love Mexican. We both have some health issues and are trying to incorporate vegetarian meals into our diet. This recipe has made it very easy to continue on with the change.

      Reply
      • Rene

        July 17, 2019 at 9:47 am

        Hi Patty - so glad you were able to adjust this to your taste. And those garlic lentils sound awesome!

        Reply
    11. tracey

      April 01, 2019 at 3:42 pm

      Question: would this taste any different with green lentils since that’s all I have on hand?

      Reply
      • Rene

        April 02, 2019 at 8:14 am

        I haven't tried this with green lentils, but I'd imagine they would work just fine 🙂

        Reply
    12. Jane Miller

      March 27, 2019 at 3:01 am

      Thank you for the great recipe! I ate the entire recipe by myself over the course of a week and never got sick of it.

      Reply
      • Rene

        March 28, 2019 at 7:27 am

        Yay! So glad you liked it! I have also been eating this on repeat. Can't get enough.

        Reply
    13. Hayley Morrin

      March 07, 2019 at 7:04 am

      Your recipes remind me of the ones I use to find in my mom's recipe books & binders growing up; simple, well-explained without thinking we're all clueless in the kitchen and need to be guided through every step, easy & reasonably inexpensive/quick, but your blog is the vegan version! A handful of easy recipes I've made from you have becomes back pocket staples in my kitchen and I like the sounds of this one too. Thanks so much 🙂

      Reply
      • Rene

        March 07, 2019 at 7:46 am

        I think you just explained the mission of TSV better than I could 🙂 But thank you so much for the sweet words - cooking doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. And it should always taste good 🙂

        Reply
        • Hayley Morrin

          March 07, 2019 at 7:59 am

          Really appreciate what you do for us time-pressed vegans. Keep it up please 🙂

          Reply

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    I’m Rene! So-cal native, dog mom and lover of all things spicy. Learn more.

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