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Vegan Smash Burger Tacos
5 from 18 votes

Vegan Smash Burger Tacos

These Vegan Smash Burger Tacos combine a spiced lentil and mushroom burger mixture with a creamy, coconut-based butter chicken sauce. The lentil paste is formed and cooked on tortillas to create a plant-based taco filling with a malleable texture and warm spices from garam masala and fenugreek. Fresh onion, lettuce, cilantro, and lime add brightness to the finished dish. This recipe is useful for those seeking a vegan taco option with rich flavors and layered textures.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 427 kcal
Course: Main Course, Dinner
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

For the Butter Chicken Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup coconut milk full fat
  • 1 teaspoon fenugreek leaves dried
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste or 3 cloves garlic, 1/2 inch ginger minced
For the Lentil Meat Mixture
  • 2 ounces mushrooms such as white, cremini, or portobello
  • 1/2 red onion cut into big pieces
  • 2 tablespoons hemp seed or use chopped walnuts or sunflower seeds or omit
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek leaves dried
  • 15 ounce lentils drained, or 1 1/2 cups cooked lentils, canned
  • 2 tablespoons butter chicken sauce from above
To Make the Smash Burger Tacos
  • 6 to 8 corn tortillas or other tortillas, small
  • 1/4 cup onion red, chopped
  • lettuce shredded
  • cilantro
  • lime

Instructions

Make the sauce. 
    Cup of Yum
  1. Add all of the butter chicken sauce ingredients, using just 1/2 cup of the coconut milk to a bowl, and mix really well. Press and mix to break down the tomato paste, then mix in the remaining 1/2 cup of coconut milk. Set the sauce aside to sit while you make the tacos. You can also heat the sauce in a skillet or microwave to just bring to a boil. This helps the flavors to meld more.
Make the smash burger tacos.
  1. Add the mushrooms, onion, hemp seeds, and all of the spices to a food processor, and process until the mushrooms and onion are chopped up. Then, add in 2/3 (a scant cup) of the lentils and 2 tablespoons of the butter chicken sauce. Process again, until the lentils break down and the mixture becomes homogeneous, kind of like a pate. Transfer this to a bowl, and mix in the remaining lentils 
  2. Scoop up 3 to 4 tablespoon of the lentil mixture, and spread it onto a tortilla using a spatula, evening out the top. Repeat for all the tortillas. 
  3. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, add a little bit of oil, and place the tortillas on the skillet with the lentil side down. Place as many tortillas as fit on the skillet, but you don't want to overlap them. Continue to cook for a minute, then press the tortillas down with your spatula, because the heat will make the corn tortillas’ edges to start to turn, and you want them to keep sticking to the lentil mixture. Let these tortillas cook for at least 5 to 6 minutes. Press again after a few minutes to flatten the tortillas.
  4. Once the edges of the tortilla start to turn a little golden brown, check if the lentil mixture is also golden brown and crisping up a little bit, then flip the tacos and continue to cook to crisp up the other side of the tortilla, another 2 to 4 minutes. Repeat for all of the remaining tortillas.
  5. Once they are all crisped up, place them on your serving plate, then top with some chopped onion, shredded lettuce, cilantro, a good drizzle of the remaining butter chicken sauce, and a squeeze of lime and serve. You can serve the remaining sauce on the side, and dip the tacos in the sauce to eat. See notes for storage and make ahead.

Notes

  • Prepare the lentil mixture ahead and refrigerate up to 2 days; only spread on tortillas just before cooking to keep them crisp.
  • The butter chicken sauce can be made in advance and kept refrigerated for up to 3 days.
  • If lentils are unavailable, substitute with chickpeas or a blend of chickpeas and vegan meat alternatives like soy curls.
  • These tacos naturally avoid nuts, soy, and gluten; for coconut-free, use a thick non-dairy milk alternative.

Nutrition Information

Calories 427kcal (21%) Carbohydrates 51g (17%) Protein 17g (34%) Fat 19g (29%) Saturated Fat 13g (65%) Polyunsaturated Fat 4g (24%) Monounsaturated Fat 1g (5%) Sodium 531mg (22%) Potassium 780mg (17%) Fiber 13g (52%) Sugar 9g (18%) Vitamin A 224IU (4%) Vitamin C 7mg (8%) Calcium 88mg (9%) Iron 6mg (33%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 427

% Daily Value*

Calories 427kcal 21%
Carbohydrates 51g 17%
Protein 17g 34%
Fat 19g 29%
Saturated Fat 13g 65%
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g 24%
Monounsaturated Fat 1g 5%
Sodium 531mg 22%
Potassium 780mg 17%
Fiber 13g 52%
Sugar 9g 18%
Vitamin A 224IU 4%
Vitamin C 7mg 8%
Calcium 88mg 9%
Iron 6mg 33%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.