A healthy and satisfying vegan Black Bean Lentil Tacos recipe! It's filled with protein, fiber, and delicious Mexican-inspired flavors. They're easy to prepare, then just add your favorite toppings! (Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free.)

Three black bean lentil tacos on a white plate topped with lettuce, tomato, and onion

These high-protein black bean lentil tacos are such a satisfying meal. And best of all, they're easy to assemble and budget-friendly!

We combine hearty black beans and cooked lentils, then infuse them with flavorful Mexican-inspired spices and salsa. (Yum!) It's a delicious plant-based alternative to ground beef.

It's also a great family-friendly meal because everyone can add their own favorite taco toppings. Plus the leftovers save and reheat great, so you can enjoy them for meal prep or make-ahead meals.

Corn tortillas, beans, onion, salsa, garlic, fresh cilantro, and taco seasoning ingredients laid out on a metal tray

Ingredients for Black Bean Lentil Tacos

For this recipe you'll need:

Green lentils or brown lentils: These have a nice, earthy flavor and hold their shape well after cooking. If you don't want to your own from scratch, then use two 15-ounce cans lentils instead. (Red lentils won't work for this recipe because their texture is too mushy.)
Black beans: Or you could substitute pinto beans if desired.
Yellow onion: Or swap in white onion or sweet onion instead.
Fresh garlic cloves
Taco seasoning: I use my homemade Taco Seasoning mix, but use your own favorite. It's a warm blend of spices like ground cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, oregano, onion powder, and garlic powder.
Salsa: I like this Restaurant-Style Blender Salsa or Fresh Garden Salsa but use your own favorite.
Vegetable broth: Be sure to use low sodium if desired.
Tortillas & toppings of choice: I use corn tortillas and top it with romaine lettuce, chopped tomato, red onion, salsa, etc. But you can swap in flour tortillas, almond tortillas, or whatever you enjoy.

Overhead view of preparing vegan taco mixture in a large skillet with wooden spoon

Customizing

Make it spicy: Add cayenne pepper, chipotle in adobo sauce, diced jalapeño, medium green chiles, or simply top with hot sauce to taste.

Spices & seasonings: Change up the spices as you see fit. Instead of the taco seasoning, you can use your own spice blend or simply ground cumin and chili powder.

Other Uses!

The healthy lentil taco meat is great in burritos, taco bowls, burrito bowls, and rice bowls as well. It's also a delicious "meaty" nacho topping!

Overhead view of black bean lentil tacos mixture cooking in a large skillet

Serving

Add your favorite toppings before serving! A few ideas include:

Romaine lettuce
Chopped tomato or more salsa
Vegan cheese shreds or dairy-free cheese sauce
Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing
Chipotle Crema
Loaded Guacamole or avocado
Dairy-free sour cream (or cashew cream)
Cashew Queso
Diced onion and fresh cilantro
Pickled jalapeños

Storing

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I find they keep for about 4 days. Simply reheat in the microwave when ready to enjoy.

Close up view of black bean lentil tacos on a white plate

For more inspiration, also browse all vegan Mexican-inspired recipes or lentil recipes.

Black Bean Lentil Tacos (Easy!)

These high-protein vegan tacos combine hearty black beans and lentils. They're easy to make, customizable, and so satisfying!

4.82 from 16 votes

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Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 40

Author: Kaitlin - The Garden Grazer

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Mexican-inspired, Oil-Free, Vegan

Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 cup green/brown lentils*
15 oz. can black beans
1 small yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp. taco seasoning (or more)
1/3 cup salsa (I like Blender Salsa)
1/2 cup vegetable broth
8 corn tortillas (or other tortilla)

Toppings of choice:

Tomato, lettuce, red onion, sweet corn, vegan cheese, salsa, guacamole, cilantro, etc.

Instructions

Cook lentils according to package directions and drain. (I simmer mine in a pot of water for 18-20 minutes or until tender, not mushy.)
While the lentils are cooking, finely dice the onion.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté onion for about 7-8 minutes. (I use about 3 Tbsp. water for no-oil sauté method, adding more as needed.)
Meanwhile, mince the garlic.
Once onion is translucent, add garlic and taco seasoning. Stir and sauté for 2 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the cooked lentils (drained) and black beans (rinsed and drained). Mash the mixture with a potato masher to desired consistency.
Add the salsa and vegetable broth. Stir and heat for about 7-8 minutes uncovered or until slightly thickened. (Add a splash more vegetable broth if needed for a moist texture.) Taste and add salt or seasoning if desired.
Spoon the mixture into warmed tortillas and finish with toppings of choice.

Notes

*Lentils: 1 cup dry lentils equals about 2.5 cups cooked. (If you're short on time, you can use two 15 oz. cans of lentils instead of cooking your own.)

Make it spicy: Add diced jalapeño (with the garlic), chipotle, medium green chiles, cayenne pepper, or hot sauce.

Other uses: The lentil mixture is great on taco bowls, rice bowls, burritos, and nachos as well.

Yield: Recipe makes about 3.5 cups of the lentil mixture. (I find this is about 4 large servings, or 5-6 medium servings.)

Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)

Nutrition Facts

Black Bean Lentil Tacos (Easy!)

Amount per Serving

Calories

403

% Daily Value*

Fat

Saturated Fat

0.4

Polyunsaturated Fat

Monounsaturated Fat

0.5

Potassium

988

Carbohydrates

Fiber

108

Sugar

Protein

Vitamin A

250

Vitamin C

Calcium

123

Iron

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Sodium content: This is omitted as I cannot provide an accurate number. I encourage you to calculate your own to provide a much more precise reading based on the exact ingredients, brands, and amounts you're using.

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Black Bean Lentil Tacos (Easy!)

Ingredients for Black Bean Lentil Tacos

Customizing

Other Uses!

Serving

Storing