Lentil & Beef Smashburger Tacos

Lentils and beef are the perfect partners in these yummy and easy-to-make tacos! Lentils add fibre and additional protein and iron. And we’ve included the recipe for a homemade burger sauce!

Course Dinner & Main Course

Key Ingredient Lentils

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings tacos

Calories 231

Ingredients

Homemade Burger Sauce

1/4 cup (60 mL) mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp (15 mL) sweet relish (or 2 Tbsp (30 mL) finely chopped dill pickles)
2 tsp (10 mL) yellow mustard
2 tsp (10 mL) ketchup
2 tsp (10 mL) white vinegar
1/4 tsp (1 mL) smoked paprika
1/4 tsp (1 mL) onion powder

Smashburger Tacos

2 cups (500 mL) or 1 can (19 oz/540 mL) lentils, drained & rinsed
1 lb (454 g) lean ground beef
1/2 tsp (2 mL) garlic powder
1/2 tsp (2 mL) onion powder
1/4 tsp (1 mL) smoked paprika
salt & pepper, to taste
2 tsp (10 mL) canola oil
12 small (4-inch/10 cm) flour tortillas
8 oz (240 g) cheddar cheese, thinly sliced or shredded

For serving

shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes

Instructions

To make the burger sauce, whisk together mayonnaise, garlic, relish, mustard, ketchup, vinegar, smoked paprika, and onion powder in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Place lentils in a medium bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher until semi smooth. Add beef, remaining smoked paprika, garlic powder and onion powder. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Use your hands to mix well, then divide the mixture into 12 balls and place on a plate.
Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, coat with a thin layer of oil. Working in batches, place a meatball in the skillet, top with a tortilla, and press down with the back of a spatula, until the beef-lentil mixture is about a ½-inch thick. If using a 12-inch skillet, you should be able to fit four tacos at a time but adjust according to your skillet size. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the meat is crispy. Flip the taco, top with cheese, then lower the heat, cover, and continue to cook, 2-3 minutes more, until beef is no longer pink. Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm, then repeat with remaining ingredients.
To serve, top with lettuce, tomatoes and homemade burger sauce. Enjoy!

Nutrition