The Best Ground Beef Substitute

In mains and sauces

The swap: Lentils

1:1 cooked

Brown or green lentils work best. Cook until just tender so they hold their shape in the sauce.

Other options

Mushrooms + walnuts

Ratio: 1/2 cup each per 1 lb beef

Pulse in a food processor until crumbly, then saute until deeply browned. The richest, meatiest flavor of any whole-food swap — outstanding in bolognese and tacos.

Crumbled tempeh

Ratio: 1:1

Steam for 10 minutes first to remove bitterness, then crumble and brown. Firm texture that holds up in chili and sloppy joes.

Plant-based ground (Beyond, Impossible)

Ratio: 1:1

The zero-learning-curve option — browns, crumbles, and tastes closest to beef. Use it anywhere the recipe's technique matters more than whole foods.

Overview

Ground beef shows up in the most forgiving recipes in the canon — chili, tacos, bolognese, shepherd's pie — where it is browned, crumbled, and simmered in assertive sauce. That makes it one of the easiest meats to replace well.

Cooked lentils handle weeknight duty; a mushroom-walnut crumble handles the dishes where richness is the point.

Why it works

Lentils bring protein, a satisfying crumble, and their own earthy savoriness, and they drink up the surrounding sauce the way beef does. Brown and green varieties hold their shape through simmering.

Mushrooms and walnuts attack the problem from the flavor side: mushrooms are loaded with glutamates, and walnuts supply the fat that beef would have rendered into the pan.

How to make it

For lentils: simmer brown or green lentils in salted water 18–22 minutes until just tender, drain, and add where the recipe calls for browned beef. For the crumble: pulse equal parts mushrooms and walnuts to a coarse mince, then saute in oil until the mushroom liquid cooks off and the mixture browns.

Either way, season at the browning stage — that is where beef would have built its flavor.

What you lose

Beef's rendered fat and its particular browned-meat depth. Lentils are lean, so a bolognese made with them tastes slightly lighter and brighter than the original.

You also lose the way beef firms a sauce as it simmers; lentil sauces stay a touch looser.

Adjustments that matter

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil while browning lentils to replace beef's fat. Deepen the savoriness with a teaspoon of soy sauce, miso, or tomato paste caramelized in the pan.

For tacos, season the lentils aggressively — cumin, smoked paprika, chipotle — exactly as you would beef.

Common mistakes

Using red lentils, which collapse into mush — save them for dal. Undercooking the mushrooms so the crumble steams instead of browning. Skipping the added fat, which leaves the dish tasting lean and worthy. And under-salting: beef is seasoned from within, lentils are not.

Questions people ask

What is the best ground beef substitute for tacos?

The mushroom-walnut crumble for flavor, or seasoned lentils for ease. Both take taco seasoning beautifully.

Do lentils work in bolognese?

Yes — use brown or green lentils, add a spoon of tomato paste and a splash of soy sauce, and simmer as usual. The sauce will be slightly lighter but deeply savory.

Is plant-based ground beef healthy?

Products like Beyond and Impossible match beef's protein with no cholesterol, though they are processed foods. Lentils and mushroom-walnut crumbles are the whole-food route.