Crockpot Barbecue Lentils – Vegetarian and Nut Free
Looking for a delicious barbecue recipe for the herbivores in your life? Look no further. This barbecue lentils recipe is easy, delicious, and ultra versatile.
My daughter became a vegetarian about three years ago. And while she might have been content to live on past and macaroni and cheese, it was important to me to recreate many of our favorite recipes in vegetarian form. I didn’t want her to miss out all those delicious flavors. And, although ‘m not a vegetarian, I don’t love meat. So, often, I opt for the vegetarian option too.
Why You’ll Love It:
These barbecue lentils are easy and delicious. Which, when you think about it, are the two most important qualities in a recipe. #amiright?
I make these lentils in the crockpot. Why? Because then I can just set it and forget it. To be fair, cooking lentils on the stovetop is pretty easy too. And it only takes 25 minutes. But I love having this recipe almost ready to eat as soon as I walk in the door. So, if you also like dinner waiting for you, you’ll love crockpot barbecue lentils.
Of course, what make these particular barbecue lentils super delicious is the sauce. I am partial to my homemade smoky barbecue sauce. I mean, that sauce is so good I could eat it off the spoon. I don’t (although others in my family might), but I could.
Try my recipe or use your favorite barbecue sauce and I promise this is a dish you will love. Even if you usually order meat.
How to Make Crockpot Barbecue Lentils
Basically, you just dump everything (except the barbecue sauce) in the crockpot. And, if you want to make clean up super easy, line your crockpot with a crockpot liner.
This is my new time-saving secret. Although I guess it’s not much of a secret since I am sharing it with all of you. But this information is too good to keep secret. Last Christmas I made Christmas dinner for twelve people WITHOUT A KITCHEN. I used multiple crockpots, a toaster oven, my air fryer, and the grill. And, dinner was delicious, if I do say so myself.
Luckily, before the holiday I discovered these slow cooker liners. And don’t be alarmed when you see that they are plastic. They don’t melt and they really do reduce the clean up time!
But, in case you like more detailed instructions, here’s the steps. Rinse you lentils and pick through them. Sometimes there are tiny pebbles mixed in with the lentils, and nobody wants to chomp down on a pebble.
Then add the lentils to a large crock pot (I think mine is 6.5 quarts) with the veggie broth, onions, garlic, peppers, carrots, salt, and pepper. You can sub water for the veggie broth. Or, if you aren’t worried about making a vegetarian dish, chicken or beef broth work great too.
Cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-6 hours. The lentils will be tender when they are done, but they will hold their shape. Every crock pot is different, so cooking times vary. You may need to drain your lentils if liquid remains in the crock pot.
Add barbecue sauce to cooked lentils, stir, and cook on low for about 30 minutes.
Enjoy!
There are so many ways to enjoy these barbecue lentils. They are delicious on a sandwich. If you’re making pulled pork or barbecue chicken sandwiches, add these to the menu for your plant-based friends. Add some fries and cole slaw for a delicious barbecue dinner.
You could also serve the barbecue lentils as a side dish along some roasted chicken or a pork roast.
You cans also serve them alongside mashed potatoes–there’s just something I LOVE about mashed potatoes and barbecue sauce–and Brussel sprouts. (I know, I know, Brussel sprouts are kind of controversial. Feel free to sub your favorite green vegetable.)
I also love these barbecue lentils over baked sweet potatoes. I love to add some sautéed spinach and shredded cheddar cheese. This makes a quick, satisfying, and healthy meal. And it’s a great way to use up leftover barbecue lentils.
Ingredients
- 2 cup brown or green lentils picked over and rinsed
- 6 cups veggie broth
- 1/2 cup diced onions
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 3/4 cup diced carrots
- 3/4 cup diced red pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Place rinsed lentils in your slow cooker. Mix in vegetable. Add 6 cups of broth and give a quick stir.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours or on LOW for 4-6 hours. Actually cooking time depends on your individual slow cooker.
- Drain if necessary.
- Stir in barbecue sauce and continue heating for about 30 minutes.
- Enjoy or let cool and store in fridge for up to 5 days.
