Shrimp or Chicken and Lentil Tacos

Easy and healthy shrimp or chicken and lentil tacos are bursting with savory, spicy flavors and topped with a creamy chipotle sauce.

This post is in partnership with USA Pulses & Pulse Canada.

Just about every day is Taco Tuesday at my house because I LIVE for tacos. Hands down my favorite food ever ever. But not the ground beef variety of taco, I’ve never liked those even when I was a kid. I like real, hearty fillings in my tacos. Steak, shrimp, chicken, salmon, anything paired with beans, cheese, cilantro, tomatoes, or salsa. And if it’s got a creamy sauce to drizzle on top I’m sold.

I am trying to raise my kids to love tacos as much as I do, since I plan to continue making them approximately 3.5 times a week for the rest of my life. So far I’ve gotten my little boy to take a few bites of a steak taco and my girl keeps turning up her nose. We are working on it! Persistence is key right? We’ll get there.

I recently tried swapping out black beans for black lentils in my tacos and I am obsessed now! If you didn’t already know, lentils are classified as a Pulse, just like beans, chickpeas, and split peas. This year I’m helping to spread the love of pulses in partnership with USA Pulses and Pulse Canada.  Pulses are budget-friendly, versatile, tasty, and completely sustainable.

Looking for ways to eat healthier? Just add pulses! Sign up for the Half-Cup Habit, and see how easy it can be to add ½ cup serving of pulses to your diet 3x per week. No go ahead and eat up! These tacos are so delicious you’ll want to put them on your regular menu rotation.

Shrimp or Chicken and Lentil Tacos

Easy and healthy shrimp or chicken and lentil tacos are bursting with savory, spicy flavors and topped with a creamy chipotle sauce. 

• 8 6-inch corn or flour tortillas

For the Lentils

• 3/4 cup black or brown lentils
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers packed in adobo sauce
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 cups vegetable broth or water

For the Shrimp OR Chicken

• 2-3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts OR, see below for shrimp option
• 1/2 pound large white shrimp peeled and tails removed
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Toppings

• 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon cotija cheese
• 1/3 cup reduced fat mayo
• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers packed in adobo
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• juice of 1/2 lime about 1 tablespoon

Lentils

1. In a large sauce pan over medium heat saute oil, mushrooms, minced garlic, chili powder, onion powder, and adobo sauce for 1 minute. Stir in lentils and add broth or water. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 20-30 minutes until lentils are fork-tender. Drain any excess liquid, cover and set aside until ready to use. 

Chicken or Shrimp

1. Season chicken or shrimp with salt and pepper to taste, chili powder, and garlic powder. For the shrimp, saute in a large skillet over medium-high heat 6-8 minutes until cooked through. For chicken, grill over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until cooked through, then dice. 

Assembly

1. Stir together mayo, garlic powder, lime juice, and adobo sauce. To assemble your tacos, fill tortillas with lentils, chicken or shrimp, and top with cilantro, tomatoes, and drizzle with chipotle sauce. Serve immediately.