Here's a super easy, comforting, and nutritious One pot Mexican lentils recipe for the whole family! Made with pantry staples like lentils, black beans, frozen corn, and sweet potatoes, this hearty vegetarian meal is sure to become your next go-to busy weeknight meal.

A Healthy Pantry Meal
There are a TON of Mexican skillet recipes online that involve rice. Delish! But we've been eating a lot of rice during this time when we're encouraged to stay home as an act of love and obedience, to make our communities and this world a safer place once again.
So I knew I was feeling Mexican food, and as I was staring into my pantry trying to get my creative juices running, my eyes landed on several bags of lentils that were begging to see the light. And there were also plenty of canned black beans and tomato products. Hello, vegetarian Mexican lentils.

I'm telling you. I think even after all this is said and done and we are able to go to the stores freely (or anywhere for that matter!), I don't think I'll be making as frequent visits as I once did. I'm en route to becoming the queen of resourceful and scrappy cooking ;).
Ingredients

- Broth: you really can use whatever you have on hand. I always recommend low-sodium. If you don't have any, water will work too, although not as flavorful.
- Lentils: Any variety will work besides red lentils. It will disintegrate too much and turn into mush.
- Cheese: I personally LOVE cheddar cheese in this dish, especially the ones from Cabot Creamery. Don't do dairy? Feel free to swap out with nutritional yeast or vegan cheese.
Lentils for babies and toddlers
Step By Step Instructions

You won't believe how something so flavorful could be this easy to whip up!
- Cook the onion, garlic, sweet potatoes in chili powder, cumin, and tomato paste.
- Add the rest of the ingredients - lentils, canned beans, corn, broth (or water) and bring to a boil. Simmer (covered) for 30 minutes or so, until lentils are cooked through.
- The liquid should be absorbed and lentils cooked through.
- Top with cheese!
Crazy simple, right? You'll most definitely appreciate the minimal dishes you'll end up with too!

Serving Tips for Babies
This dish is PERFECT to serve to your baby because it is:
- Soft textured (if you're nervous about the corn kernels, even though they do get really soft, you can take them out).
- A great source of iron, which is SUPER important during this age.
- Bursting with flavor! Baby's food doesn't have to be bland! Introduce them to herbs, spices, etc. from early on, which is important for the development of food preferences.
Because you want to be mindful of their sodium intake, once the lentils are done cooking, set aside a portion for your baby and then add the cheese to the rest. It's fine to add a little bit to your baby's plate. Just not a lot.
Cook's Tips
- Skillet size: a 10 to 12 inch deep skillet will work best (linked my favorite below). You can also use a dutch oven.
- Don't rush cooking the vegetables. It's important for flavor development.
- You can use another grain, like rice, farro, barley. Just be sure to adjust the amount of liquid and the cooking time accordingly.
- If your child is able to handle some heat, try adding more chili powder or some green chiles.
- If you want to add extra protein and iron to this dish, cook some ground beef, chicken, or turkey along with onion and garlic. Then add the sweet potatoes and follow the rest of the instructions. You can also fold in whatever cooked protein you have on hand (meat, poultry, seafood, tofu, tempeh) towards the end.
- To make this vegan, leave out the cheese or use nutritional yeast or vegan cheese.
Best Iron-Rich Foods for Babies and Toddlers
Serving Suggestions

This meal would be really yummy with some avocado, fresh cilantro, lime juice...we don't have any of those at the moment. BUT we have tortilla chips! YASSSS nachos! Alas, all is well with the world ;).
You can also enjoy on a bed of salad greens or as a filling for tacos, burritos, burgers, potatoes....what else would you add to this list?
Storage Suggestions
Fridge: transfer to a closed container for 3-5 days.
Freezer: I recommend not adding the cheese if you know you're going to freeze all or some (e.g. add cheese to ½ of the dish). Fresh cheese is ALWAYS best! Transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. Will keep for up to 3 months.
Here's everything you need to know to safely store leftovers!
Other Baby-Friendly Pantry Meals
- Vegan African Peanut Stew
- Slow Cooker Chickpea Lentil Chili
- Tofu Veggie Scramble
- Iron rich baby pasta
- Kid-Friendly One Pot Meals Ecookbook (with 27 recipes)
- Healthy Family Pantry Meals

One Pot Vegetarian Mexican Lentils
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (can use 2 teaspoon garlic powder)
- 1 cup (165g) diced sweet potatoes (½ inch pieces)
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup (195g) brown lentils, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15 ounce) can no-salt-added black beans
- 1 (15 ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 2 cups broth of choice
- cheddar cheese (amount to your liking)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and sweet potatoes and cook for 5-7 minutes, until softened.
- Add the seasonings (if using garlic powder, add it here) and cook for 1-2 minutes
- Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30-35 minutes, until lentils are cooked through
- Add cheese (See note) and cover with a lid until the cheese has melted.
Notes
- Skillet size: a deep 10-12 inch skillet will work best. You can also use a dutch oven.
- Don't rush cooking the vegetables. It's important for flavor development.
- You can use another grain, like rice, farro, barley. Just be sure to adjust the amount of liquid and the cooking time accordingly.
- If your child is able to handle some heat, try adding more chili powder or some green chiles.
- If you want to add extra protein to this dish, cook some ground beef, chicken, or turkey along with onion and garlic. Then add the sweet potatoes and follow the rest of the instructions. You can also fold in whatever cooked protein you have on hand (meat, poultry, seafood, tofu, tempeh) towards the end.
- To make this vegan, leave out the cheese or use nutritional yeast or vegan cheese.
Jenny says
So simple - This turned out to be a great weeknight meal for the whole family and the spice load is just right for my little eater. I gave this to my 1 year old for dinner and he ate every bite. Next time I'll add extra sweet potato. Thanks!
Min says
Yay!!! This is one of my go-to weeknight meals too!!
Rhi says
Perfect flavor! All the ingredients worked well together. First time trying lentils and giving them to my 1 year old. She didn't protest which is a huge win! And thank God because there's a lot so mama will be freezing for nights when I don't have time to make anything! Love it! And thank you for sharing 🩷
Min says
This is such a heartwarming feedback!! Thank you for taking the time to share :).
King says
Superb! I love it as a side for my mexican entrees, because it combines so many super healthy ingredients into a single skillet. I added extra sweet potato and garlic and it worked great. Sprinkled the top with cilantro, green onions and diced avocado. And finally, I love that is comes together so fast and easy. Thanks!
Min says
Yay!! This is one of our favs too! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hope says
A family favorite that we come back to over and over. The flavors are just so delicious! We sometimes like to turn any leftovers into burritos, quesadillas, or taquitos. Delicious!
Min says
Yay!! We love to enjoy this as a filling for burritos too!
Rachel says
My husband, toddler, and infant all enjoy this meal! That's a major win for me! Thank you so much!
Min says
Yay!!! I'm so glad!! Thanks for sharing 😉
Valerie Birkey says
This is absolutely delicious! Love that it is vegetarian but so hearty you don’t miss the meat!
Min says
My hubby isn't too fond of lentils but he loves this one too!
Vivian says
This Mexican lentil one pot meal has been a life saver. Never fails and thermos from school is always empty if this is for lunch. Thanks Min!!!
Min says
So awesome!! thanks for sharing!
Ali says
This one was so tasty. Loved how many veggies it included and how I could make it with things from my pantry!
María B says
This was delicious!! Our whole family loved it!
Min says
yay!! I'm so glad you guys enjoyed this meal!!
Christina says
Hi Min,
I only have red lentils on hand..
Is there reason why I cant use red ?
Min says
Red lentils tend to become mushy when cooked through so they're best for curries and thickening soups and such. You can try if that's all you have. I would decrease the cooking time
Christina says
Okay! Good to know! Thank you! ☺️
Dee says
Hi Min,
This looks delicious. Can I use fresh diced tomatoes instead of canned? Thank you!
Min says
Sure but you'll have to add a bit more liquid to ensure the lentils will cook through
Sylvia says
Ok thank you
Amy says
Will I need to adjust the cooking time or amount of broth added if I use red lentils? Looking forward to trying out this recipe!
Min says
Most definitely red lentils cook up so much faster. I honestly wouldn't recommend as texture gets really mushy but might work. Let me know if you try.
Sylvia says
Please what can I use in place of black beans and sweet potato, I don't really have does now. The dish looks yumme
Min says
You can try other beans and carrots, if you have those. Any root veggies will work!
Sylvia says
Ok thank you