Crispy Potato Tacos with Smoky Chipotle Lentils
Hearty Crispy Potato Tacos paired with some Smoky Chipotle Lentils for an easy budget-friendly vegan meal that’s ready in 30 minutes.
I made these tacos after being inspired by Mely of Mexico in My Kitchen. In her post about Mexican Potatoes I was reminded that sometimes the most comforting meals don’t always have to be expensive. In fact, many cultural dishes are budget-friendly and use everyday ingredients you might already have at home.
One ingredient you might always have on hand are potatoes. More nutritious than we often give them credit for and really cheap. And adding them to tacos is magical. So I paired them with some lentils to make the most delicious and hearty budget-friendly tacos.
Why You’ll Love These Hearty Tacos
- The texture of these tacos is so satisfying. Having the chunks of crispy potatoes and the meatier texture of the smoky lentils stuffed in one taco is a match made in heaven.
- Budget friendly tacos are the best tacos. Not only is this recipe delicious, but I wanted to make it inexpensive with easy to find ingredients and substitutions if needed.
- Can be made in less than 30 minutes. The lentils can be made at the same time the potatoes are roasting. Just assemble everything together and you are ready to enjoy.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Potatoes: I used yellow potatoes. You can also use Yukon gold potatoes, or red potatoes as they tend to crisp up pretty easily in the oven.
- Lentils: You can use canned lentils or pre-cooked lentils for this recipe. I generally batch cook some legumes or lentils in advance for the week to make meal prep during the week easier. You can swap the lentils with some black or red kidney beans.
- Garlic: Use finely minced or crushed garlic for both flavoring the potatoes and lentils.
- Chipotle Peppers: I really love the heat these peppers provide. Look for the ones canned in adobo sauce not the dried out peppers. If you are not a fan of chipotle peppers, use 1 tbsp of smoked paprika and a tbsp of water to help provide some extra moisture to the lentils.
- Spices and Herbs: We are using a variety of seasonings to help elevate the flavor of these tacos, which includes smoked paprika, garlic, cumin, coriander and dry basil.
- Corn Tortillas: To make this recipe gluten-free, make sure to use corn tortillas. You can absolutely use alternative tacos made of regular flour too.
How to Make Crispy Potato Tacos
To start out, make sure to clean your potatoes well. You can absolutely leave the skin on, just make sure to cube into 1/2 inch pieces.
Place your potatoes in a bowl with some high heat oil and your spices and herbs. Give everything a good toss and then mix the spiced potatoes with some crushed garlic. Spread the potatoes out on a baking sheet and roast them in the oven until golden and crisp around the edges.
As the potatoes roast, sauté your lentils. Add some sliced bell peppers to a sauté pan with some salt and sauté until the peppers soften. Stir in your garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add in the lentils and cumin, then sauté them for a few minutes before adding in the chipotle peppers. Stir to coat and then set aside.
Warm up your tortillas, and then serve them topped with the lentils, potatoes and any extras you enjoy.
Expert Tips
- For even crispier potatoes, consider steaming them first before roasting. While it is an extra step, it does improve the texture. Steam the potatoes for 10-12 minutes to soften, then coat with the spices and oil then roast. You will need to bake them longer. This is one of the reasons I don’t always do this step, but if you have the time, it makes for awesome potatoes.
- If cooking your lentils from scratch, I recommend cooking them in vegetable broth or adding a vegetable bouillon cube to them to add more flavor. I also like to simmer them with a bay leaf as well.
- Save time and don’t peel your potatoes. It’s not just a time saver either, you get more fiber leaving the skin on. Just make sure to scrub the potatoes really well before prepping.
- If you are not a fan of spice, remove the seeds from your chipotle peppers. You can also swap the peppers out for some smoked paprika.
- Change up your seasonings based on preference. You can always increase, add or subtract spices and herbs based on preference.
Frequently Asked Questions
People often times get very caught up in single macronutrients (ie. that’s too much fat, that’s not enough protein, etc.). We often times forget that meals like this have many nutrients to offer beyond carbohydrates. The lentils, potatoes and corn tortillas all lend protein to this dish, and additional nutrients I don’t hear many people talk about: healthy fats, fiber, iron, and folate. Let’s also not discredit cultures who have long survived on similar ingredients with minimal to no chronic disease.
You can, but when cutting your potatoes, I would recommend soaking them in cold water first to help remove some excess starchiness. This will also help them crisp up more as they roast.
They can definitely work. You may need to cook your potatoes a little longer. If you want specific instructions, you can try out my Black Bean Tacos and Roasted Sweet Potato Recipe instead.
How to Serve
These tacos are best served fresh. I love serving the potatoes and lentils in tacos, but you can add them to a wrap or bowl as desired. Serve topped with some pickled onions, avocado slices, vegan sour cream, and/or cilantro.
You can add more vegetables by serving the tacos with a side salad or coleslaw. If you’d like a taco with more plant-protein, you can use soy curls or add in some additional rehydrated TVP to sauté with the lentils.
How to Store
If you have extra lentils and potatoes, I like to store them in separate containers once they are fully cooled. Place them in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can crisp them back up on the stove top, or place on a lined baking tray with parchment paper to bake in the oven for a few minutes before using.
More Vegan Taco Recipes to Try
Crispy Potato Tacos with Smoky Chipotle Lentils
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 Tacos 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican Inspired
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Hearty Crispy Potato Tacos paired with some Smoky Chipotle Lentils for an easy budget-friendly vegan meal that’s ready in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cubed yellow potatoes, about 2 medium potatoes cut into small 1 inch chunks
- 1 tbsp plus 2 tsp avocado oil
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp dry basil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 1 1/2 cups cooked green lentils
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce, diced
For Serving
- Romaine Lettuce
- Avocado
- 8 corn tortillas
- Lime wedges
- Pickled Onions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F. To a medium sized bowl, add the cubed potatoes along with 1 tablespoon of oil, coriander, paprika, garlic, cumin, basil and salt and toss to coat. Add in half the minced garlic and toss again to coat.
- Place the seasoned potatoes on a parchment lined baking sheet and place in the oven to roast for 20-30 minutes or until golden with crispy edges.
- While the potatoes roast, prepare the lentils. Start by adding the remaining oil to a pan and sauteing your peppers with a pinch of salt until they soften.
- Add in the remaining garlic and continue to sauté until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the lentils and sauté along with the pepper and garlic mixture for about 1-2 minutes. Then stir in the cumin, and chipotle peppers and sauté again for 2-3 minutes.
- To assemble the tacos, warm up your tortillas in the oven wrapped in foil for 4 minutes or heat over an open flame like a gas stove for a few seconds on each side (you can also heat them in a heated non-stick skillet). Once warm, set them aside and top with lettuce, then the lentils, some crispy potatoes, avocado and pickled onions then enjoy.
Notes
For even crispier potatoes, consider steaming them first before roasting. While it is an extra step, it does improve the texture. Steam the potatoes for 10-12 minutes to soften, then coat with the spices and oil then roast. You will need to bake them longer. This is one of the reasons I don’t always do this step, but if you have the time, it makes for awesome potatoes.
If cooking your lentils from scratch, I recommend cooking them in vegetable broth or adding a vegetable bouillon cube to them to add more flavor. I also like to simmer them with a bay leaf as well.
Save time and don’t peel your potatoes. It’s not just a time saver either, you get more fiber leaving the skin on. Just make sure to scrub the potatoes really well before prepping.
If you are not a fan of spice, remove the seeds from your chipotle peppers. You can also swap the peppers out for some smoked paprika.
Change up your seasonings based on preference. You can always increase, add or subtract spices and herbs based on preference.
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
★ Catherine
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These are delicious.. I make a similar cauliflower-lentil taco recipe. It’s amazing how a few simple ingredients can be so tasty & satisfying.
So happy you enjoyed these Cathy! Thank you so much for making these tacos! 🙂