It only takes 5-ingredients to make this nutritious (and vegan!) Instant Pot Lentil Tacos recipe. Serve it on a tortilla, in a bowl or on nachos!
If you are looking for easy and delicious lentil taco meat recipe, we’ve got you covered!
We love our Instant Pot sweet potato lentil stew, Vegan Instant Pot Chili, and this Instant Pot Sweet Potato Curry. All these recipes are packed with protein from the lentils and so tasty!
Make them after you make these easy Instant Pot Lentil Tacos!
Vegan Tacos
Tacos are a favorite meal in so many households! We love chicken tacos, ground beef tacos, and now our new favorite taco are these 100% plant-based Instant Pot Lentil Tacos. Let me tell you why!
- These are a perfect vegan/vegetarian ground beef replacement if you are looking for a meatless taco filling!
- You get 15g of protein per serving in a meatless dish!
- This meatless taco filling only uses 5 ingredients.
- Instant Pot Lentil Tacos are ready in under 30 minutes! Just throw everything in the Instant Pot and dinner is ready in a half-hour.
- This meal is perfect for meal prep! You can make these lentils to go in tacos, on a taco salad, or just scoop them up with a chip! PS here’s more vegan meal prep ideas!
Lentil Taco Ingredients
We’re not lying about the 5 ingredients, people. You need 5 ingredients to create this meatless taco meat and then you get to decide how you’re going to use it. Here are the ingredients you’ll need!
- Lentils
- Green Chilis
- Vegetable Broth
- Tomato Sauce
- Taco Seasoning
How to Make Lentil Tacos
Once you make this lentil taco recipe a couple times you will figure out the little nuances of the recipe that you like and some that you may want to adjust!
For example, what color lentils you like to use, what broth taste best to you, and how dry or saucy you like your lentil taco filling.
Here’s how to make lentil tacos our way–>
- Begin by adding all of the ingredients to the Instant Pot. Any Instant Pot size should do and since there is enough liquid in the pot, you shouldn’t have to worry about the ‘burn’ notice.
- Next, mix everything together and make sure all the lentils are submerged in the broth and sauce.
- Cover the Instant Pot and make sure to close the pressure release valve. After that, set the Instant Pot to high pressure and cook for 15 minutes.
- Quick release the pressure when the lentils are done and give them a stir and a taste test. If the lentils are still a bit crunchy (which shouldn’t happen, but could based on your Instant Pot or lentils) cook them for another 2-3 minutes.
- If the lentils have reached your desired consistency, stir them and let them sit for 5-10 minutes to absorb the access liquid and then enjoy!
How to Freeze Lentil Tacos for Later
Are you preparing these lentil tacos for the freezer? Great idea! This recipe is easy to mix now, freeze, and prepare later. Check out the freezer directions below.
Freeze these Ingredients Together
The only ingredient you are NOT going to freeze is the vegetable broth! You will add the vegetable broth to the Instant Pot right before you cook everything together!
Here are the ingredients you will be freezing together!
- 1 cup uncooked green lentils
- 1 4.5-oz can green chiles
- 1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
Freezer Directions
- Place all ingredients into a freezer-safe container such as a plastic gallon-size bag, Stasher bag, or glass container and mix.
- Remove as much air as possible and seal.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
Cooking Directions (From Frozen in the IP)
Additional Cooking Ingredients
- 1.5 cups vegetable broth (any kind of broth or water)
Cooking Directions
1. Run the frozen lentil tacos bag until hot water for a few seconds to loosen the lentils from the bag.
2. Then, transfer the entire contents of the bag into the Instant Pot and add 1.5 cups vegetable broth.
3. Place the lid on the Instant Pot, seal the vent, and set the Instant Pot to manual > high > and set the timer to 15 minutes*. It will take your Instant Pot around 5 to 10 minutes to build pressure before it starts to count down from 15.
4. Once the timer goes off, open the vent to quick release and let the steam pour out. Once the Instant Pot unlocks, open the lid and stir.
5. Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving. Serve with all of your favorite taco fixings.
Notes
If your lentils are still a little crunchy after 15 minutes, close the lid and cook for an additional 2 minutes at a time until they’ve reached your desired texture.
As the lentils sit, they will absorb more moisture and thicken.
What to Eat with Lentil Tacos
Whether you are eating your vegan lentil tacos as lentils, in a salad, or as a dip, we recommend pairing them with any of these plant-based dishes below!
Taco Inspired Recipes
Instant Pot Lentil Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 cup green lentils
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 4.5-oz can green chiles
- 1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into the Instant Pot and mix to combine.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, seal the vent, and set the Instant Pot to manual > high > and set the timer to 15 minutes*. It will take your Instant Pot around 5 to 10 minutes to build pressure before it starts to count down from 15.
- Once the timer goes off, open the vent to quick release and let the steam pour out. Once the Instant Pot unlocks, open the lid and stir.
- Let sit for around 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Serve with all of your favorite taco fixings.
Tips & Notes
- If your lentils are still a little crunchy after 15 minutes, close the lid and cook for an additional 2 minutes at a time until they've reached your desired texture.
- As the lentils sit, they will absorb more moisture and thicken.
- Freezer meal directions: scroll up in this post to see how to turn this into a freezer meal and also read directions how to cook it from frozen in the Instant Pot!
These are so great. I’m not vegan but I prefer these to regular tacos. I add a diced up chipotle pepper in adobo sauce for a little bit of spice and Smokey flavor.
Love the adobo add!
After trying your Vegan Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta last night, I was scouring your site for some other options! I just made this to have for dinner tonight and it is wonderful! I’ve already had more than a “taste”! 😉
I made this as written with the exception I didn’t have any tomato sauce, so I threw a can of organic diced tomatoes in the Vitamix first to blend. Can’t wait to make tacos for dinner! Thank you! Love your simple and tasty vegan recipes!
YAY!! I love this recipe so much too! Thanks for the review <3
My teenage daughter made this for the family dinner tonight. It was so easy and delicious! We are trying to to be more plant-based and no one in the family missed the meat that would usually be in our tacos.
YAY! Glave you guys loved this!
Amazing!
These lentil tacos were so dang easy and insanely good. Like, I’ll-be-making-these-instead-of-beef-tacos-any-day good! All you gotta do is dump errythang in the instant pot and voila! Recipe makes a lot, so we’ve been enjoying all week for lunches. Subbed brown lentils for green and turned out just fine. Would use slightly less broth next time, they were just a bit wet for me.
YASSS! Glad you guys love them!
I’m one of the few non instant pot owners in the world, but I’m looking forward to trying this via boring old cooking. Thank you for the recipe!
Should work just the same on the stovetop!
How long and on what setting if I want to cook in the crockpot?