Simple three-ingredient Lentil and Refried Bean Taquitos that are protein-packed, vegan, and gluten-free.
I thought I had hit the jackpot back in August when I made taquitos with refried beans and hummus. Don’t get me wrong. The refried beans and hummus combination is delicious! But this time I made us all something even better.
A couple of months back, I was eating plain ‘ole taquitos made with refried beans. They were delicious, but they got me thinking about what else I could use to make tasty taquitos. When I looked down at the corn tortillas, I was almost instantly reminded of my favorite enchiladas ever from Alexis. I started wondering how I could combine the delicousness of the enchiladas with the simplicity of the taquitos. And then it hit me. Lentils. Duh!
So I did it. I made three-ingredient taquitos with lentils, and they were the most delicious taquitos I have ever eaten.
If you are looking for simplicity in the kitchen, these have your name written all over them. Even if you “can’t cook,” you can definitely make these!
Lentil and Refried Bean Taquitos
Vegan + Gluten-Free
Makes 12
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups water (or vegetable broth for more flavor <– this is my preference)
1 cup uncooked brown lentils
15 oz can vegetarian refried beans
12 corn tortillas
*You can also use pre-cooked lentils, if desired.
Directions
1. Boil water or broth in a medium saucepan. Once boiling, stir in lentils. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for approximately 40 to 45 minutes, or until the lentils are soft and the liquid is absorbed. Remove the lentils from the heat and set aside to cool.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
3. Combine cooked and cooled lentils with refried beans in a medium bowl. Stir to mix well.
4. Heat corn tortillas in the microwave, oven, or on the stovetop until they are soft enough to roll. This step is important in order to ensure that the taquitos stay together.
5. Spread the lentil and bean filling evenly amongst the 12 corn tortillas.
6. Roll the tortilla shells tightly into the shape of taquitos. Place seam-side down on a nonstick baking sheet.
7. Bake the taquitos for approximately 15 to 20 minutes, flipping once halfway through. If you like your taquitos extra crispy, you will be closer to the 20 minute side of the cooking time.
8. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 5 to 10 minutes. Trust me, you do not want to bite into these when they are piping hot! I may or may not have learned this from experience.
I served my taquitos with a side of taco-seasoned veggies and dipped everything in salsa verde.
I think I could make and eat these every single week. I was even craving them for breakfast one of the days. Heck, I bet these would be delicious early in the a.m. I need to make that happen.
What is your favorite super-easy dinner idea that you cook often?
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Yum! I will have to try these
I hope you enjoy them, Autumn! Let me know if you do 🙂
YUM! I would top these with some cheese and guacamole and call this one delicious meal!
Oh yes… you can never EVER go wrong with adding guac!!
that’s the truth! and i love hearty lentils in there!
Lots of yummy protein, fiber, and good fats! What could be better? 🙂
Looks great! I agree with Erin, cheese and guac on these, and it would be fantastic!
You can never go wrong with adding those, right? Guac is definitely a favorite of mine. I’m surprised I did not think to dip these in it when I made them. Next time!
Yummy and easy, jackpot!
You cannot go wrong with either of those, right? It’s even better when a recipe is both. It’s like two for the price of one 😉
Yum I haven’t had refried beans in awhile, I actually forgot about them!! I’ll have to try this!
Sometimes we forget about the simplest, most delicious ingredients. I’m happy to have reminded you 😉 Let me know if you give these a try!
Lovin’ the lentils AND the beans!!! So easy and perfect!
They are a super delicious combo, that’s for sure!
I used to LOVE the frozen taquitos from Trader Joe’s. I’ll have to try this vegetarian version!
I honestly thing homemade is better than the frozen ones, so I hope you give these a try! 🙂
More lentils. Yummy! My husband loves corn tortillas. I like the flour ones. They I’m sure are not as healthy though.
Haha, probably not quite as healthy, but you can’t help what you like!! It’s important to listen to you body, so I say go for it! I bet you could even make these with flour tortillas, and they would be delicious.
These look delicious, so easy, and healthy! I think I’ll try making a big batch for lunches sometime. Have you tried freezing and/or reheating them?
Good thinking! I have not tried freezing them (probably because I ate them too quickly), but I imagine they would reheat in the oven really well! The microwave might turn them soggy 🙁
I *love* taquitos!!! Especially with fresh salsa from harris teeter 🙂
I used jar salsa, but I imgine these would be EVEN BETTER with fresh salsa. Maybe I’ll get crazy and make my own this summer… maybe 😉
Yay for super simple recipes + any ideas on how to use up the lentils I have hanging out in my pantry! 😀 These look delicious!
Haha!! I could probably write a whole cookbook with lentil recipes 😉
I could eat these every single week, too! Love how easy they are to make, and how they’re filled w/ deliciousness!
I’m so glad you agree, Patricia! Sometimes the simplest meals are the most delicious ones 🙂
Are green lentils any different from brown? I have a half bag of green in my cupboard I want to use up. =) And these sound awesome!
Nope!! Actually “brown” lentils generally look quite green. I just think of green lentils and brown lentils as the same thing. Yours should do the trick!
Yay for taquitos! Considering I love all the ingredients … I think I would love these! 🙂 Hope you had a good monday!
I’m quite certain you would! What’s not to love, right? 🙂
This looks great! Love that it’s gluten free!!
You and me both!! Gotta love corn tortillas. It is amazing what you can make GF with them 😉
Lentils for the win!! Why do they make everythang SO much better. That is the question!
I don’t know why, but I LOVE it!!
These look awesome, my kids love baked taquitos so I can’t wait to give your version a try. Pinned!
You have some smart kiddos! I hope they (and you!) enjoy them! Thanks for pinning 🙂
I love this recipe and your blog!!
Barbara
Thanks Barbara! And thank you for stopping by!
Ahhhh I’ve been waiting for you to put this recipe up ever seen I saw you post a photo on your what you ate Wednesday post one day! I love the lentil idea. Much easier for me to source than beans in Chiang Mai, for some weird reason. Now… to try and find tortillas!!!
Gosh, that would be SO difficult living somewhere that does not have the simplest food products that we have here in the U.S. Good luck to you! I hope you can find them so that you can enjoy the taquito goodness 🙂
These delicious beauties are in the oven as I type! I added a bit of seasoning to the bean mixture and almost ate it plain before getting them into the tortillas
Yay! I hope you love them! I had the same problem with the bean/lentil mixture 😉 It’s just so darn good all on its own.
I’ve never tried taquitos out on my family, but this recipe looks like something they’d eat.
I hope you give them a try, Kim! And hey, even if they don’t like them you can at least freeze them and keep them all for yourself 😉
These sound so tasty. And I love the idea of incorporating lentils, I’m not a huge fan of them, but they’re so good for you I make myself eat them from time to time. But this sounds like a really yummy way to add them in!
If you don’t love lentils, these taquitos would be a great way to eat them. The taste is completely balanced out with the yummy refried beans!
The Microwave oven 2023 to buy for your countertop or for small spaces, perfect for defrosting and popping popcorn, and some microwave air fryer combos too.
This recipe sounds absolutely delicious! I love how you combined lentils and refried beans for a hearty, protein-packed filling—it’s such a creative twist on traditional taquitos. Were there any particular toppings or dips you found paired perfectly with them?