These vegan slow cooker lentil tacos are a super easy dinner! Flavorful, family-friendly, and beloved by all kinds of eaters, this is the perfect healthy dinner recipe to make again and again.

Vegan slow cooker lentil tacos on a plate in tortillas. They have onion, avocado and cilantro sprinkled on top. A jalapeño and avocado are on the plate too.

Slow Cooker Lentil Tacos

I try to love all of my kitchen appliances equally, but my slow cooker has won a special place in my heart. It is, after all, the only appliance in the house that offers to spend the whole day cooking dinner for me.  It really goes above and beyond and I just love it so.

Now that I have found a way to make lentil tacos with my beloved kitchen contraption, I love it even more.

Why these lentil slow cooker tacos are awesome!

Tacos are one of those classic dinners I think many of us grew up eating. I loved taco night in my house as a kid. All the toppings! The wonderful flavor of the filling! It was just a great dinner that everyone in the family looked forward to.

These slow cooker lentil tacos are a little extra special in my book because…

  • Super flavorful. You will be amazed by how satisfying these vegan tacos taste! Even my friends and followers who swear they don’t like lentils love this taco filling.
  • Easy to make. Throw it together in a few minutes and into your slow cooker or crockpot to cook to perfection while you are busy lifing.
  • Family-friendly. These are mellow on the spice, so kids and spice-iffy people will enjoy them. You can also pump up the spice level if that is something you enjoy!
  • Adaptable! As always, be sure to check out the suggested adaptations portion of the post below.
  • Plant based. If you have been trying to get more plant-focused meals into your meal plan or are vegan, these tacos are a delicious and easy dinner to add to your rotation.
Ingredients for vegan slow cooker lentil tacos in the slow cooker before being mixed or cooked.

Lentils are great because…

If you aren’t already good friends with lentils, allow me to introduce the two of you. Lentils are a protein-rich legume that can soak up whatever flavors you dump onto them. They are also part of the legume family, right there with beans, and come in lots of different colors. For this taco recipe, I used brown and/or green lentils since they are cheap, easy to find, and work in lots of different recipes.

Lentils taste great, but they are also inexpensive and versatile! Perfect for when you are on a budget and/or feeding a crowd.

Lentils are packed with some serious nutrition like… (source)

  • B vitamins
  • magnesium
  • zinc
  • potassium
  • protein
  • fiber
  • iron
Slow cooker lentil tacos after being cooked, still in the slow cooker. There is a white spatula in the slow cooker.

Suggested Adaptations

  • Pump up the spice. I use a mild salsa to keep these tacos kid-friendly, but buy a medium or hot salsa to add extra spice. Or toss in some chopped jalapeños when these tacos are cooking.
  • Veggie-load them! Add some grated carrot, finely chopped spinach, minced mushrooms or diced bell pepper to this taco recipe before cooking and you have instantly added veggies to dinner!
  • Enjoy them outside a tortilla. Use this taco filling as part of a bowl with rice or quinoa, in a taco salad or even on nachos!
  • Make these lentil tacos in your Instant Pot. Combine all ingredients, stir and place IP lid on, locking it in place. Cook on HIGH pressure for 10 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes for your Instant Pot to come up to pressure. Once cooking is done, let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes before carefully quick releasing the remaining pressure. Carefully lift lid off of your pressure cooker, stir and enjoy.

Other lentil recipes you are going to love

Loving this slow cooker recipe and are hungry for more?

Sign up so that my newsletter is delivered straight to your inbox. And be sure to follow me on FacebookPinterest and Instagram for all kinds of veggie-loaded and healthy living ideas!

Vegan slow cooker lentil tacos on a plate in tortillas. They have onion, avocado and cilantro sprinkled on top. A jalapeño and avocado are on the plate too.
Vegan Slow Cooker Lentil Tacos served with peppers and avocado on the side of the plate.
5 from 43 votes

Vegan Slow Cooker Lentil Tacos

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Course: Main Course
These vegan slow cooker lentil tacos are a super easy dinner! Flavorful, family-friendly, and beloved by all kinds of eaters, this is the perfect healthy dinner recipe to make again and again.

Ingredients
 

  • 1 ½ cups green or brown dry lentils, picked over and rinsed
  • 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • ½ cup finely chopped onion
  • 1 ¼ cup salsa
  • 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
  • 3 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley, or 1/4 cup fresh
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon coconut aminos, or sub soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 8 medium tortillas
  • taco toppings

Equipment

  • slow cooker

Instructions
 

  • Combine ingredients in your slow cooker. Stir a few times and cover.
  • Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or on LOW for 7-8 hours. Each slow cooker cooks a little differently, so exact time will depend on your unique slow cooker or crockpot. Cook until lentils are tender and most of the liquid has cooked off.
  • Use a slotted spoon to portion out lentil taco filling into tortillas, over rice, greens or however you opt to enjoy this taco filling. Top with sliced avocado, extra red onion, cilantro or whatever your favorite taco toppings are.
  • Let leftovers cool and store in air-tight container in fridge for up to 3 days.

Notes

To make in Instant Pot:
Combine all ingredients, stir and place IP lid on, locking it in place. Cook on HIGH pressure for 10 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes for your Instant Pot to come up to pressure. Once cooking is done, let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes before carefully quick releasing the remaining pressure. 
Carefully lift lid off of your pressure cooker, stir and enjoy.
Serving: 0.75cup, Calories: 135kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 823mg, Potassium: 183mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 233IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 72mg, Iron: 2mg