Why You’ll Love Them
They taste amazing. This taco meat has all the flavor you’ve come to expect from traditional recipes. They are made with lean ground beef, but also pack nearly a pound of cooked lentils inside! They are budget-friendly. By adding affordable lentils to the ground beef, you’ll get double the amount of taco meat from this recipe, without doubling the price of your ingredients. They are kid-friendly. This is a recipe my 6-year-old requests weekly! When I say you can’t tell that there are lentils inside… I’m not kidding. They are quick to prepare. When you rely on canned lentils for convenience, this meal is ready to eat in just about 15 minutes. It’s the perfect weeknight meal, and also makes a delicious topping for nachos if you want to add this to a pile of tortilla chips with queso. They are easy to customize. Taco night is perfect for picky eaters, because you can set out the toppings and fillings “family style.” When you set out options like lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, and avocado, everyone can add what they like on top.
Ingredients You’ll Need
These tacos are made with lean ground beef, so that they taste like traditional beef tacos, but you can use any other ground meat you prefer, such as ground turkey or chicken. If you prefer a shredded chicken taco, try my Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos, which are also lightened up with added plants. (Though, it’s hard to tell!)
How to Make The Best Healthy Tacos
- Brown the meat. Add the ground beef to a skillet over medium-high heat, and add in 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt. Break the meat up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Stir often, until the meat is browned and is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
- Add the rest of the ingredients. Next, add in the drained and rinsed lentils, as well as the spices. At this point, I usually add in another 1/4 teaspoon of salt, but you can adjust that to your liking. Stir well, until the lentils blend in with the meat. They will be visibly noticeable at first, and they will start to blend in as everything cooks together. This should take 3 to 5 minutes.
- Enjoy! Once you’ve adjusted any seasoning to taste, serve the taco meat in your favorite tortillas, or over a bed of greens for a taco salad. Use corn tortillas, cassava flour tortillas, or a lettuce wrap for a gluten-free option. Set out bowls of toppings, like salsa, guacamole, sour cream, chopped romaine lettuce, and cheddar cheese, then let your family or friends pick what they’d like to add on top for an easy taco night. Leftover taco meat can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can reheat the leftovers quickly in a skillet. Looking for more healthy taco recipes? Try Black Bean Tacos, Jackfruit Tacos, or Cauliflower Tacos with Cilantro Slaw. If you try this healthy taco recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it!
