VEGAN Beef and Pickle Tacos
Learn how to make Vegan Beef and Pickle Tacos with homemade Lentil Taco Meat!
Ingredients
For the Lentil Taco Meat
- 2 tbsp refined coconut oil
- ½ large red onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp steak seasoning
- 1½ tbsp taco seasoning
- 1¼ cup water
- 2¼ cup cooked brown lentils
For Serving
- 1½ cups shredded vegan cheddar cheese
- 1 cup vegan sour cream or plain yogurt
- 2 cups shredded ice burger lettuce
- crunchy taco shells
- dill pickle slices
- hot sauce such as Cholula
Instructions
Prep
- Start by pre-heating the oven to 375 degrees. Then chop the onions, mince the garlic, and finely chop the lettuce. Then set everything aside seperately.
Make the Lentil Taco Meat or "Beef"
- Add the oil to a large frying pan set to medium heat a sauté the onions for 5 minutes. Then add the garlic and continue to cook for 1 more minute.
- Then add the steak seasoning and taco seasoning and cook for 2 minutes to bring the dried spices to life. Then add 1.25 cups of water and add in your cooked lentils. See Notes if you're cooking the lentils from dry.
- Simmer on medium low for 5-7 minutes until most of the water is absorbed and the mixture resembles taco meat. Taste and add a pinch of salt as needed. Tip: The flavor should really POP so if it doesn't, you need more salt.
- Remove from the heat and cover the pan to keep it warm while you heat up your taco shells on a cookie sheet in the oven. This should take around 2 minutes, but keep an eye on them.
Assemble
- Bring the lettuce, vegan cheese, Lentil Taco Meat, and taco shells to the table along with the pickles, vegan sour cream/yogurt, and hot sauce.
- Fill a warm taco shell 1/3 of the way with a generous helping of the Lentil Taco Meat. Top with a thin layer of cheese, then add the shredded lettuce. Place a few sliced pickles on top of that and finish with an extra sprinkle of cheese, a dollop of vegan sour cream, and a drizzle of hot sauce.
Notes
- To save time, you can use canned lentils. Using brown lentils will look more like ground beef, but you can also use green. Avoid split lentils, like red lentils, which will breakdown too much during cooking.
- If using canned or pre-cooked lentils, rinse very well in a colander to remove any excess salt. Then shake to dry.
- If you're cooking your lentils from dry, you'll also want to rinse them well. Then drain the water and then cook according to the package instructions. I recommend cooking until just al dente because they will continue to soften when cooked later on.
- If you're cooking your own lentils like I did, avoid salting the lentils as they will be seasoned later on.
- If you don't have steak rub or steak seasoning, you can season with few good pinches of salt and black pepper, red pepper flakes (optional) if desired and about a 1/2 tsp of dried oregano and 1/4 tsp of dried thyme.
- 1.25 cups of water is enough for the kind of lentils I used, but feel free to adjust and a touch more if you think it needs it. Taste and adjust the seasonings as/if needed.