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Home > Vegan Recipes

Lentil Walnut Taco “Meat” Recipe (Vegan Taco Filling)

4/6/21 by Nicole | 20 Comments

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5 from 18 votes. Leave a review!

This recipe for lentil walnut taco meat is incredibly quick and easy to make. It’s perfect for a weeknight meal or weekly meal prep! Enhanced by crunchy walnuts, the vegan taco filling has an amazing texture and deliciously nourishing ingredients!

Along with homemade taco seasoning, this recipe is loaded with flavor and fully approved by non-vegans! It’ll quickly become your favorite way to make vegan tacos.

Hand holding up folded flour tortilla filled with cooked walnut lentil taco "meat" with chopped tomato, red onion and shredded lettuce. Blurred in the back is a glass bowl of walnut taco filling and stack of tortillas.

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Are Lentil Walnut Tacos Vegan?

Most lentil or walnut taco recipes are vegan; both can be used as a ground meat substitute.

There are so many ways to make tasty vegan taco filling but using lentils with walnuts is quite possibly the best combo! The texture of soft lentils and crunchy walnuts is a real winner.

Not to mention this is a very nutritious combination of ingredients. Lentils offer plant-based protein, fiber, complex carbs and lots of vitamins and minerals. Walnuts offer additional protein, fiber and healthy fats, along with other micronutrients!

Together, it’s a delicious and nutritious vegan taco filling.

Three flour tortillas resting flat on a grey marble surface and topped with lentil taco filling, tomato, red onion and lettuce. Front right corner show a portion of a glass bowl filled with cooked lentil taco filling; back right sits half a lime and stack of tortillas; middle left sits a glass bowl of guacamole and lime wedge.

Vegan Lentil Walnut Taco Meat Ingredients

This recipe is made with simple ingredients, many of which can be customized to your liking! To cook these lentil walnut tacos, you’ll need:

  • Lentils: This primary ingredient creates the bulk of the recipe. You can use pre-cooked or canned lentils. If using canned lentils, drain and rinse them before using!
  • Walnuts: To create an irresistible texture in your tacos, walnuts are the perfect pairing with lentils. They are crunchy and loaded with nutrition!
  • Taco seasoning: I use a homemade taco seasoning blend since I love to control the flavors. I always keep taco seasoning on hand (stored in a mason jar) for quick and delicious tacos!
  • Onion and garlic: For extra flavor, I start this recipe with a chopped onion and lots of minced garlic. This is the only chopping required, keeping the recipe quick and easy to make with minimal prep work.
  • Oil: You’ll cook the onion and garlic in some oil. This adds extra healthy fats to the taco filling, making the recipe more flavorful and satisfying.
  • Tomato paste: Some tomato paste adds acidity and delicious flavor to the tacos.
  • Soy sauce: While not a traditional ingredient for tacos, I love the depth of flavor soy sauce provides. It’s an ingredient I often use when making meat substitutes (especially ground beef replacements). There’s just something about the savory saltiness of soy sauce that elevates vegan meat recipes like these tacos!
  • Vegetable broth: To help the spices and tomato paste mix evenly over the lentils and walnuts, some vegetable broth is needed.  I buy no salt added (or low sodium) vegetable broth; the taco seasoning has all the salt you’ll need!
  • Lime juice: Fresh citrus elevates the flavors in any recipe and lime juice is the perfect pairing for tacos!
  • Cilantro: This is optional but I’m a huge fan of cilantro and add it to any recipe I can, especially tacos.
A young white woman with long brown hair tied into a ponytail stands behind a marble counter top. The counter top is covered with a large black pan on a cooking element and this is surrounded with glass bowls and jars filled with different ingredients (onion, garlic, oil, cilantro, limes, tomato paste, vegetable broth, walnuts, taco spice and lentils). The woman is looking down at the pan and wears a white shirt with black sleeves that has white text reading "plant powered"

How to Make Vegan Lentil Walnut Tacos

Making lentil tacos with walnuts is super quick and easy. There’s very little prep work involved, and it cooks quickly since the lentils are already cooked (or canned).

Step 1: Chop + Cook Onion and Garlic

Chop an onion and mince a few cloves of garlic. If needed, chop your walnuts; I aim for the walnuts to be slightly larger compared to the lentils.

If using canned lentils, drain and rinse them. If using pre-cooked lentils, measure out 4 cups.

In a large pan, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the onion is softened and begins to turn translucent.

Next, add the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

A hand holds a large red spoon and is stirring the contents of a black pan filled with chopped onion. Many glass bowls surround the pan on a marble counter top, each filled with a different ingredient (lentils, walnuts, taco spice, vegetable broth, cilantro, garlic, soy sauce).

Step 2: Cook Taco Filling

At this point, add the lentils, walnuts, taco seasoning, tomato paste, soy sauce, and vegetable broth to the pan. Stir until everything is well combined.

A hand holding a large red spoon stirs a mixture of lentils and walnut in a large black pan sitting on a cooking element on a marble counter top. A jar of taco spice with a metal spoon in it along with two glass bowls filled with lime juice and chopped cilantro sit to the left.

Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. This time allows the flavors to cook together and for the vegetable broth to cook off.

Once there’s no liquid in the bottom of the pan, remove it from the heat. Stir in fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro, if using.

A hand pours a glass jar filled with chopped cilantro into a large black pan filled with cooked lentil and walnut taco filling. A glass jar of taco spice with a metal spoon in it sits to the left of the image.

Step 3: Serve

The lentil walnut tacos are ready to serve!

Load a tortilla with the taco filling and all your favorite taco toppings! You could also use this recipe to create a taco salad if you serve it over a bed of chopped lettuce. This also makes a delicious taco bowl if you want to skip the wrap!

Some of my favorite vegan taco toppings include:

  • Chopped tomato
  • Red or green onion
  • Corn
  • Shredded lettuce
  • Avocado or guacamole
  • Vegan sour cream
  • Vegan cheese shreds
  • Cilantro
  • Fresh lime juice
  • Salsa
  • Enchilada sauce
  • Hot sauce
  • Jalapeno peppers

Get creative and enjoy!

A person fills a flour tortilla with taco filling; one hand holds the tortilla flat while the other is scooping filling on top with a spoon. Below the hands is a long wood board topped with a stack of tortillas, a bowl of lentil taco filling, guacamole, lime wedges and two glass bowls of lettuce and tomato.

Walnut Lentil Taco Tips and Variations

You can use any type of cooked lentils for this recipe.

While walnuts are a delicious and nutrition-packed choice, any crunchy nut or seed work for this taco recipe. Pecans are another great choice.

To keep the recipe nut-free, use sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds for that crunchy texture and boost of healthy fats!

Any taco seasoning will work for this recipe but I love my homemade blend! You can also add extra spicy heat with the addition of cayenne pepper or some hot sauce.

Glass bowl filled with lentil walnut taco meat; with a spoon resting in the taco mix; this bowl sits on a long, narrow wood board with a pile of flour tortillas in the back. To the left are small glass bowls, resting on the marble background, filled with chopped tomato, shredded lettuce, sliced red onion and lime wedges.

How to Store Leftover Lentil Taco Filling

Refrigerate leftover taco meat in an airtight container for up to a week.

This is a great recipe to make for meal prep. It offers quick and easy lunch or dinners through the week! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much a me and my family do! It’s definitely non-vegan approved!

Row of three folded flour tortilla tacos filled with lentil walnut meat, tomato, red onion and lettuce; tacos become blurred toward the back and a glass bowl of guacamole sits to the back left.

If you make this recipe, please rate and comment below to help others benefit from your experience!

Close up of a hand holding a small taco filled with lentil walnut "meat", lettuce, tomato and onion.

Lentil Walnut Taco "Meat"

This lentil walnut taco meat recipe is the ultimate filling for vegan tacos. Lentils with crunchy walnuts and plenty of delicious spices creates an amazing texture and flavorful taco mix. Make sure to have some homemade vegan taco seasoning on hand before you begin!
4.95 from 18 votes. Leave a review!
Prevent screen going dark
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Servings 6 Servings
Calories 429 kcal
Cuisine Mexican-inspired, Vegan

Equipment

  • Cutting board
  • Knife
  • Can opener
  • Large pan

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons oil (I use avocado oil but any type works)
  • 1 cup onion , diced
  • 3-5 cloves garlic , minced
  • 4 cups lentils , cooked (2 19 oz cans, drained and rinsed)
  • 1 ½ cups walnuts , chopped
  • 4 tablespoons taco seasoning
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce (tamari for gluten free)
  • ½ cup vegetable broth (no salt added)
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice (juice of about ½ lime)
  • ¼ cup cilantro (optional)
Prevent screen going dark

Instructions

Prepare Ingredients

  • Dice onion, mince garlic, chop walnuts and drain/rinse canned lentils (or prep cooked lentils).
    1 cup onion, 3-5 cloves garlic, 1 ½ cups walnuts, 4 cups lentils

Cook Ingredients

  • In a large pan, warm oil over medium heat.
    2 tablespoons oil
  • Add onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, until it softens and starts to become translucent.
    1 cup onion
  • Next, add the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minute, until fragrant.
    3-5 cloves garlic
  • Add lentils, chopped walnuts, taco seasoning, tomato paste, soy sauce and vegetable broth. Mix until everything is well combined.
    4 cups lentils, 1 ½ cups walnuts, 4 tablespoons taco seasoning, 3 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce, ½ cup vegetable broth
  • Cook, stirring continuously, for about 5 minutes or until the vegetable broth is absorbed and no liquid remains at the bottom of the pan.
  • Remove pan from heat. Stir in lime juice and chopped cilantro (if using).
    1 tablespoon lime juice, ¼ cup cilantro

Serve

  • Serve in your favorite tortillas with all the taco fixings you love!

Video

Notes

Accuracy of nutrition information cannot be guaranteed (certain ingredients may not have all nutrients listed in the database); amounts may vary (and will vary depending on brands of ingredients used); all nutrition fact values rounded to the nearest whole number.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 Serving (⅙ of recipe)Calories: 429 kcalCarbohydrates: 41 gProtein: 18 gFat: 25 gSaturated Fat: 3 gPolyunsaturated Fat: 15 gMonounsaturated Fat: 6 gSodium: 897 mgPotassium: 850 mgFiber: 11 gSugar: 5 gVitamin A: 591 IUVitamin C: 9 mgCalcium: 110 mgIron: 6 mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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About Nicole Stevens

Nicole is a vegan Registered Dietitian (RD) and founder of Lettuce Veg Out.

She helps people thrive on a vegan diet with balanced recipes and easy-to-understand nutrition science.


Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Laura

    March 20, 2023 at 3:04 pm

    Made this the other night. I used a little less salt in the seasoning mix and did everything else true to the recipe. It was so good! My kids, ages 8 and 2, loved it on crunchy taco shells. This is definitely going into my recipe box. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Nicole

      March 21, 2023 at 3:41 pm

      So happy you all enjoyed!

      Reply
  2. Jeanette

    February 02, 2023 at 10:10 pm

    Outstanding! I used cooked dry lentils and measured out 4 cups. Had 2+ cups leftover that I froze for something else. Delish.....

    Reply
    • Nicole

      February 03, 2023 at 7:58 am

      I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe!

      Reply
  3. Tracey Laureta

    January 29, 2023 at 4:33 pm

    Hi, I just made this recipe with a few changes since I try to follow the low fodmap. I didn't use any garlic, and I used the green part of green onion (for the onions), It turned out really good, although it was a bit salty, but I think it's because I used the Fody taco seasoning. Maybe next time I will cut down on the tablespoons of the seasoning. I really enjoyed this recipe and will be making it again. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • Nicole

      January 30, 2023 at 8:05 am

      Glad you were able to make changes that worked for you and it turned out well! You can always try making your own taco seasoning (it's super easy and lasts basically forever) then you can get lots of flavor with less salt if that's an issue 🙂

      Reply
  4. Debbie Shell

    January 08, 2023 at 1:27 pm

    My huge family of vegetarians LOVED this dish. Even the few meat eaters liked it.

    Reply
    • Nicole

      January 09, 2023 at 9:32 am

      Glad you all enjoyed it!

      Reply
  5. Celeste

    June 16, 2022 at 2:44 pm

    I tried it. It was delicious and nutritious. Everybody at my house loved it. Thank you for sharing it !

    Reply
    • Nicole Stevens

      June 17, 2022 at 3:37 pm

      So happy you all enjoyed!

      Reply
    • Glenda

      September 23, 2022 at 10:23 pm

      I made this and it tasted great! This will be my go to recipe for taco meat. Thanks so much for sharing!

      Reply
      • Nicole

        September 25, 2022 at 9:26 am

        Hi Glenda, so happy you enjoyed the recipe!

        Reply
  6. India

    May 08, 2022 at 4:38 am

    Hello would you say this could be frozen ? Thanks 🙂 great recipe!!

    Reply
    • Nicole Stevens

      May 08, 2022 at 7:30 am

      I've never tried freezing it but I think it should be okay.

      Reply
      • Debi Beebe

        June 25, 2022 at 8:45 am

        I am going to make this today and freeze some. Will try to come back and note the outcome. Thank you for a great alternative to beef for my husband’s taco filling.

        Reply
        • Nicole Stevens

          June 27, 2022 at 8:40 am

          Hope you and your husband enjoy! I think it should freeze well but I'd love to hear how it comes out 🙂

          Reply
  7. Kay

    March 15, 2022 at 9:04 pm

    This was amazing!!! Best vegan taco meat I’ve tried and super easy.

    Reply
    • Nicole Stevens

      March 16, 2022 at 10:37 am

      So happy you enjoyed!

      Reply
  8. Hannah Pendley

    November 28, 2021 at 2:19 pm

    Love this recipe! It's a wonderful meat free option for tacos. I cook it once a week!

    Reply
    • Nicole Stevens

      November 29, 2021 at 10:51 am

      So happy you enjoy! It's one of my favorites 🙂

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Nicole! As a vegan Registered Dietitian, I empower vegans to live a balanced life and gain confidence in the kitchen.

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