These Loaded Lentil Nachos are layered with melty Monterey Jack cheese, fiery jalapeños, and a quick homemade salsa. An easy-to-make and cheap meatless nacho recipe made with cooked lentils and mushrooms, each bite is flavorful, meaty, and the perfect appetizer for game day or sharing with friends.
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When it's game day the menu is just as important as which team is playing, at least to us. Our lineup of recipes to eat while watching sports usually includes Roasted Jalapeño Poppers, Big Mac Pizza, Oven Baked Fries, and a plate of loaded nachos.
The ultimate Super Bowl Recipe or recipe for sharing with friends, nachos are always a good idea. And whether you're a meat eater or vegetarian, these loaded lentil nachos will have you screaming touchdown, or whatever sports lingo you're watching, long before your team scores.
Why You’ll Love This Lentil Nacho Recipe
- It tastes meaty: Not that we're trying to trick anyone, but no one would know these are meatless nachos. Lentils are nutty and have a meaty texture but are also seasoned with chili powder, cumin, and paprika and layered with mushrooms which add more of a meat texture. It's a great way to add even more goodness to your nachos including fiber, protein, and minerals like folate and iron.
- It's cheap and easy: Another benefit of cooking with lentils is how quickly they cook and how cheap you can make them. For this nacho recipe, you don't need to soak the lentils. Add them to a pan with onions, spices, and stock, and let them cook. Also, this recipe calls for a cup of green lentils, which is probably 10 cents worth – it doesn't get cheaper than that.
- It's a crowd-pleaser: We're pretty sure any kind of nachos are a crowd-pleaser but these vegetarian nachos are usually the first appetizer recipe to disappear. Cheesy, spicy, and loaded with yummy toppings like jalapeño, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa, we guarantee any meat lover or vegetarian will love these lentil nachos.
Serve these Lentil Nachos alongside our Warm Olives with Citrus and a Splash of Gin, Spicy Meatballs Baked in Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella, or our Mezze Board.
Ingredient List
- Onions: both red and yellow onions are used for the recipe, yellow onions for cooking, red onions for topping and homemade salsa.
- Garlic: fresh garlic for flavoring the lentils.
- Mushrooms: cremini mushrooms help provide a meaty flavor and texture to the lentils, helping them resemble ground beef.
- Green lentils: the main ingredient as a replacement for meat. They are high in protein and other vitamins and minerals. Green lentils hold their shape when cooking, making them a good ground beef substitute.
- Chili powder: use Mexican chili powder if available, but any chili powder available at your grocery store will work.
- Cumin: freshly ground if possible, but preground is completely acceptable.
- Paprika: look for smoked paprika to give a smokey flavor, however, any paprika available at the store is acceptable.
- Vegetable Stock: used to soften the green lentils during cooking while also adding flavor.
- Olive oil: extra virgin olive oil, or your preferred cooking oil.
- Tortilla chips: use your favorite brand of tortilla chips.
- Cheese: Monterey jack, marble, or medium cheddar are the best cheeses to use for melting on nachos.
- Jalapeño peppers: fresh green jalapenos, remove the seeds if you prefer less heat.
- Tomatoes: used to make a quick salsa.
- Lime: fresh limes are used in making the salsa and guacamole.
- Green onions: optional, used as garnish.
- Cilantro: freshly chopped, optional, for garnish.
- Avocado: optional, mash with lime juice for a simple guacamole.
- Sour cream: optional, for dipping. Greek or skyr yogurt are also great options.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Recipe variations and modifications
Salsa and guacamole: we included steps to make quick versions of salsa and guac below, but both can be purchased pre-made at the store.
Non-vegetarian: if you prefer meat, the lentils can be replaced with 1lb of medium ground beef, and the stock can be reduced to ¼ cup.
Recipe Steps: How to Make Lentil Nachos
1. Flavor the lentils.
Heat a deep skillet on medium-high with olive oil. Add onions and saute until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add garlic, saute for 30 seconds, then add the mushrooms, cook for 5 minutes, then stir in the lentils.
2. Season the lentils.
Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, and salt. Mix to coat the ingredients in the spices, continuing to stir until the spices are fragrant.
3. Cook the lentils.
Pour in the vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 25-30 minutes, until the lentils are tender and liquid has been absorbed.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F.
4. Make homemade salsa and guacamole (optional).
While the lentils are simmering, make the salsa. Combine tomatoes, red onion, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, and lime juice in a small bowl. Season it with salt and set aside.
To make the guacamole, add avocado, lime juice, and salt to a small bowl. Mash it with the back of a fork or masher. Set it aside until serving.
4. Assemble the lentil nachos.
In a cast-iron skillet layer tortilla chips then add a handful of grated cheese. Top with your lentil meat mixture and salsa. Then you repeat until you reach the top of the skillet, sprinkle another generous handful of cheese over the top and a few more jalapeños.
6. Bake and Serve.
Bake the nachos for 20 minutes, until all the cheese is melted and starting to bubble on top.
To serve, place a large dollop of guacamole, salsa, and sour cream directly on the nachos for dipping. Sprinkle with green onions, sliced jalapeno, and cilantro.
Chef's Tips
Serve them right away: These nachos are best right out of the oven. Don't wait too long to serve them, or they can become soggy from any moisture left in the lentils and the salsa, guac, and sour cream on top.
Top every chip: Don't rush assembly. Ensure that every chip is topped so that you don't get any naked chips. There is nothing worse than a dry chip in a pile of nachos.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, lentils are interchangeable, however, red lentils will not hold their shape the way that green lentils will.
Melty, mild-flavored cheese is best for nachos, such as cheddar, Monterey jack, or colby for American cheeses, and Queso blanco, Chihuahua or Oaxaca cheese for Mexican cheeses.
Yes, while we defintely prefer the flavor and texture of tortilla chips, you could also use ridged potato chips or root vegetable chips.
Yes, an air-fryer would be the best alternative to the oven, but a microwave will work also. For either, cook the nachos until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Did you make these Lentil Nachos? Please leave a ⭐️ star rating and let us know what you loved about it in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for cooking with us!
Recipe Card
Lentil Nachos (Vegetarian Nachos)
Ingredients
Nachos
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 cup mushrooms finely chopped
- 1 cup green lentils
- 1 ½ tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 bag tortilla chips
- 2 cups Monterey jack or cheddar cheese grated
Salsa
- 3 tomatoes diced
- 1 small red onion diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon cilantro fresh chopped
- 1 lime juiced
- ½ teaspoon salt
Guacamole
- 1 large avocado
- 1 lime juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
For Serving
- ½ cup sour cream for dipping
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeds removed and thinly sliced
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
Instructions
- Heat a deep skillet to medium high heat with olive oil. Add onions and saute until they start to become translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, saute for 30 seconds then add the mushrooms and continue to cook for 5 minutes, until mushrooms have released their liquid.
- Stir in the lentils, then add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, and salt. Mix to coat the ingredients in the spices, continuing to stir until the spices are fragrant. Pour in the vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 25-30 minutes, until the lentils are tender and liquid has been absorbed.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°.
- While the lentils are simmering, make the salsa. Combine tomatoes, red onion, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, and lime juice in a medium bowl. Season it with salt and set aside.To make the guacamole, add avocado, lime juice, and salt to a small bowl. Mash it with the back of a fork or masher. Set it aside until serving.
- To assemble the nachos, place a layer of nacho chips on a sheet pan or skillet. Sprinkle the cheese so the nachos are evenly covered, then spread the lentils and salsa over the cheese (reserve some salsa for serving). If doing multiple layers, add another layer of cheese, then lentils, and salsa. Top the final layer with a light sprinkling of cheese, jalapeno slices, and green onion.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until all the cheese is melted and starting to bubble on top.
- To serve, place a large dollop of guacamole, salsa, and sour cream directly on the nachos for dipping. Sprinkle with green onions, sliced jalapeno, and cilantro.Scro
Recipe Notes
- Serve them right away: These nachos are best right out of the oven. Don't wait too long to serve them, or they can become soggy from any moisture left in the lentils and the salsa, guac, and sour cream on top.
- Top every chip: Don't rush assembly. Ensure that every chip is topped so that you don't get any naked chips. There is nothing worse than a dry chip in a pile of nachos.
Savannah says
This was so so good. The texture of the mushrooms was perfect with the lentils and really made it feel like we were eating meat. We’re keeping this recipe on hand for sure! 👌
Philip + Mystique says
Thrilled you enjoyed the recipe Savannah! We love using mushrooms for a meaty texture and flavour. Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂
clarseach says
This looks like a nice recipe and I'll be trying it out for dinner tonight but as a vegetarian, I'll have to make one change. Just to point out the obvious: How is this meatless if it uses BEEF stock? It's no problem to use vegetable stock instead, but beef stock does actually contain...you know...beef.
Chef Sous Chef says
Thanks so much for the comment. The recipe works great with vegetable stock as well (you can even add a splash of soy sauce to add a meaty flavour). We used beef stock in the recipe to provide an authentic beef flavour without the actual meat. We know that beef bones and scraps are used to make stock, which is why we don't mention it being vegetarian, but understand if you don't consider the recipe meatless. Thanks again for the comment and please let us know how it turns out with the vegetable stock.
Manda says
Lots of beef stock doesn’t contain beef
Chef Sous Chef says
Hi Manda. Thanks for the comment. There are definitely a lot of products out there that aren't what they claim, but we prefer to be on the safe side. 🙂
Jennifer says
Delicious nachos!
Chef Sous Chef says
Thanks Jennifer!
Kyle says
Great recipe! I love the use of lentils in place of beef. I didn't expect to like this as much as I did.
Chef Sous Chef says
Thanks Kyle. We agree, the lentils are a nice change.