I love tacos. I love the versatility of them. How they can be made out of anything. Beans, meat, quinoa, nuts. After trying different recipes for vegan taco meat I have finally mastered my Instant pot lentil tacos. They are amazingly good. Give these to any meat eater and they will devour them. Top them with my famous avocado crema and slaw and you will have yourself a winner!
Tips For Making The Tacos
Lentil Meat
It’s easiest to make the lentil meat mixture in the Instant Pot but you can make it on the stovetop as well. You would saute your onion in a saute pan and then add the rest of your ingredients. Bring the lentils to a simmer and cover for 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed and your lentils are cooked through.
If you would like to use a homemade taco seasoning this is my favorite mixture. https://jessdeliciousliving.com/quick-homemade-taco-seasoning/
Using a homemade taco seasoning cuts down on the sugar and the sodium.
They secret to these delicious lentils is the liquid smoke, however if you don’t have it you could add an additional tsp of smoked paprika.
Slaw
This is one of my favorite slaws. You can add this to anything. Burgers, salads, or even just eating it plain is great. It will hold up in the fridge for about 5 days.
To shred the cabbage I like to use a mandoline but you can also use a cheese shredder or finely slice it with a knife.
If you don’t want to have the whole cabbage, generally you can ask your produce department to cut it in half or in fourths and they usually will. This not only cuts down on food waste but also allows other customers to use it!
Another alternative is buying slaw already precut in a bag.
Avocado Sauce
The best way to make this sauce is to put it in a blender of food processor. However you if you don’t have these you can also mix it by hand.
If you want it to be extra creamy I would also add 1 Tbsp of sour cream to it.
Serve these instant pot lentil tacos with and extra lime wedge and chopped cilantro.
Hope you like them, let me know if you make them and what you think of them in the comments.
Cheers!
Instant Pot Lentil Tacos
Ingredients
- 8 Corn Tortillas
Lentil Taco Meat
- 1 Tbsp Oil
- 1 Cup Brown Lentils
- 2 Cups Water or Vegetable Broth
- ½ Yellow Onion Diced
- 1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
- 2 Tbsp Taco Seasoning
- ½ Tsp Liquid Smoke
Slaw
- 2 Cups Purple and Green Cabbage Shredded
- 1 Large Carrot Shredded
- ½ Red Onion Sliced Thinly
- 1 Small Jalapeno Deseeded and Sliced
- ½ Cup Cilantro Chopped
- ½ Tsp Salt and Pepper
- ½ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- ¼ Cup Olive Oil
- 2 Tbsp Lime Juice
- 1 Tsp Sugar
Avocado Sauce
- 1 Avocado
- 1 Tbsp Lime Juice
- 1 Tsp Maple Syrup
- ⅓ Cup Cilantro
- 1 Tsp Cumin
- ⅔ Cup Water and more until right consistency
- 1 Garlic Clove
Instructions
Lentil Meat
- Turn Instant Pot on Saute.
- Add in oil and diced onion.
- Saute for 2 minutes. Turn off Saute and turn on Manual for 10 minutes.
- Add in lentils, broth, tomato paste, taco seasoning and liquid smoke.Stir.Close Lid
- Quick Release when finished. Remove Lid and Stir
Corn Tortillas
- Preheat oven to 350
- Wrap your tortillas in aluminum foil.
- Put them in the oven for 5-10 minutes until warm.
Slaw
- Shred and slice your vegetables
- Make a dressing. Mix together the vinegar, lime juice and sugar. Slowly whisk in olive oil.
- Add in your vegetables and mix well.
- Season with salt and pepper
Avocado Sauce
- Blend Together in a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy.
- Keep adding water until it has the right consistency.
Assembly
- Take out your warm tortillas from the oven.
- Place your lentil meat, slaw and avocado cream in shells.
- Garnish with lime wedge and cilantro.