Healthy Tacos with Chicken

These healthy chicken tacos are quick, easy and so full of flavour. Warmed tortillas are loaded with juicy, seasoned chicken, fresh tomato salsa and creamy avocado sauce for the perfect balance of flavour and texture. They are the ultimate fresh and healthy weeknight dinner!

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Quick and easy – the salsa and sauce are prepared while the chicken cooks, meaning everything comes together in less than 25 minutes.
• Healthy – made with lean chicken and loaded with fresh, colourful ingredients. These tacos can also be adapted to add any of your favourite veggies, Mexican-inspired taco toppings and salads.
• Customisable – the chicken is coated in a homemade seasoning blend which can be adjusted to control the salt (and heat) levels.
• Meal-prep friendly – the chicken and salad can be prepped ahead for a quick weeknight dinner. They are also perfect for an easy packed lunch!
• Stores well – the chicken keeps well in the fridge or freezer. And they reheat beautifully, so you can enjoy some healthy tacos at a moment’s notice.

If you love these flavours, you’ll also love these homemade beef tacos and Mexican chicken soup!

Ingredients you will need

** This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. This photo is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!

• Chicken – boneless, skinless chicken breast is recommended. But chicken thighs will work too. In this recipe, the chicken breasts are cooked whole, keeping them juicy and tender on the inside. You can also use leftover chicken or a BBQ rotisserie chicken from the supermarket, for an even faster dinner!
• Tortillas – use your favourite flour or corn tortillas, or swap for low-carb wraps, if preferred. Look for tortillas that are low in sodium and saturated fats. Alternatively, you can make your own at home so you know exactly what’s in them.
• Chipotle sauce – a rich and smoky tomato-based sauce that is used to add flavour and warmth to Mexican dishes. In Australia, I recommend La Costena or La Morena chipotle sauce, which can be found in most supermarkets in the international foods section (near the taco kits). I don’t recommend skipping this ingredient, as it adds so much flavour to the dish. But you can swap for tomato paste, mild salsa or taco sauce, if required.
• Avocado – for the creamy avocado sauce. Make sure the avocado is ripe and soft. Hard/underripe avocados won’t mash properly and will affect the taste and texture of the sauce. Mash the avocado before blending, for a smooth sauce.
• Mexican spices – made in just minutes with a combination of garlic, ground cumin, chilli, lime, paprika, salt, pepper and Chipotle sauce. Use sweet Hungarian paprika, rather than hot or smoked paprika for best results.
• Lime – fresh lime juice is used to coat the chicken and flavour the salsa and avocado sauce. I recommend using fresh limes for best results. And serve the tacos with some additional lime wedges for extra freshness.
• Sour cream – for the avocado sauce. Either regular or light/low fat sour cream will work, depending on preference. Alternatively, natural unsweetened yoghurt can be used in equal quantities.

Step by step instructions

Full ingredient notes and quantities can be found in the detailed recipe card below. But here is a brief overview of what you can expect;

1. Coat the chicken. Place the chicken into a Ziploc bag (or bowl) and add the chicken coating ingredients. Massage the chicken until completely covered. This step can be prepared ahead of time and the chicken kept in the fridge until ready to cook.
2. Cook the chicken. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken breasts and cook 5-6 minutes each side, or until completely cooked through. Rest the chicken on a board for 5 minutes before dicing into bite-sized pieces.
3. Make the salsa – while the chicken is cooking, mix the chopped tomatoes, onion, coriander, jalapenos and lime juice together in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
4. Blend the sauce – place the mashed avocado, sour cream and lime juice into a high-powered blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth. Season with salt, to taste.
5. Assemble – serve the chicken in warm tortillas, topped with the salsa, avocado sauce and your choice of additional toppings.

Tip: Cooking the chicken breasts whole keeps them deliciously moist and tender on the inside. Wait until after they are cooked through to chop into smaller, bite-sized pieces. Chicken breasts that are on the larger side can be sliced in half before coating in the marinade, to ensure they cook through easily.

Expert tips

• The chicken can be marinated ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to a day, ready to cook.
• Cook the chicken fillets whole and then dice them into bite-sized pieces when you are ready to serve. Preparing them this way keeps them nice and tender. I recommend using 3-4 small chicken breasts so that they cook through evenly.
• If your chicken fillets are on the larger side, I recommend slicing them in half lengthways before coating them in the marinade, so that they cook through in the middle without overcooking the outside.
• For an easy and casual dinner, make a taco bar! Cook the chicken and place the salsa, sauces and a platter of your favourite salads and sides to the table. That way, everyone can build their own tacos to their liking.
• Add more heat by adding adjusting the chilli powder or adding Cayenne powder or chilli flakes to taste. To keep it mild, leave the chilli powder out entirely.
• If you don’t have a food processor, the avocado sauce can be made by thoroughly mashing the avocado and then mixing in the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. The sauce will have a slightly different consistency, but will taste the same.
• Add your favourite veggies. While the salsa and sauce make deliciously fresh toppings, you can also add any fresh sides that you love. Try some char-grilled zucchini slices, grilled corn, spinach leaves, freshly sliced chillies, black beans or some crumbled feta.
• For extra smoky flavour and texture, toast your tortillas! Simply heat the tortillas according to the package instructions before adding them to a frying pan. Heat them in the pan coated with light oil spray over medium-high heat for about 30 seconds per side. Alternatively, the tortillas can be charred directly over an open flame on a gas stovetop. Carefully move them over the flame for a few seconds, until char marks appear on the edges.
• For a lower-carb version; use low-carb tortillas or wraps. Or swap the tortillas for large iceberg lettuce leaves. Alternatively, skip the wraps and make taco bowls with the diced chicken, salsa, sauce and your favourite salads.

FAQs

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Healthy Chicken Tacos

These healthy chicken tacos are quick, easy and so full of flavour. Warmed tortillas are loaded with juicy, seasoned chicken, fresh tomato salsa and creamy avocado sauce for the perfect balance of flavour and texture. They are the ultimate fresh and healthy weeknight dinner!

5 from 7 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Australian, Mexican

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 10 tacos

Calories: 138kcal

Author: Andrea Geddes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients 

Metric – US Customary

 

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For the chicken

• ▢ 500 grams chicken breast 3-4 small fillets, whole (or 2 larger fillets, sliced in half lengthways)
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic crushed
• ▢ 2 teaspoons paprika sweet Hungarian paprika
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon chilli powder or to taste (leave it out for a milder version)
• ▢ ¼ – ½ teaspoon salt to taste
• ▢ 1 pinch ground black pepper
• ▢ 2 tablespoons lime juice freshly squeezed
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ 2 tablespoons chipotle sauce I use La Costena or La Morena chipotle sauce

For cooking

• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the salsa

• ▢ ¾ cup cherry tomatoes finely chopped
• ▢ ½ cup red onion finely diced
• ▢ juice of ½ lime
• ▢ 3 tablespoons coriander fresh, chopped
• ▢ ½ – 1 jalapeno (optional). Very finely chopped.
• ▢ salt and pepper to taste

For the avocado sauce

• ▢ 1 avocado soft, finely mashed
• ▢ ¼ cup sour cream or plain, natural yoghurt
• ▢ juice of ½ lime or more, to taste
• ▢ 1 pinch salt to season

To serve

• ▢ 10 small tortillas flour or corn, or other wrap of choice
• ▢ lime wedges
• ▢ fresh coriander chopped

Instructions

For the chicken

• Place the whole chicken breasts in a large Ziploc bag (or bowl) and add the marinade ingredients (garlic, paprika, chilli, salt, pepper, lime juice, cumin and Chipotle sauce).

  *If your chicken breasts are on the larger side, slice them in half lengthways before adding them to the bag. This will ensure they cook evenly without overcooking on the outside.
• Seal the bag and massage the sauce into the chicken, until even and combined. (If using a bowl, stir until completely coated).
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Cook the chicken 5-6 minutes per side, or until completely cooked through with an internal temperature of 75°C.
• Remove the chicken from the pan and leave it to rest for 5 minutes before cutting the chicken into small, bite-sized pieces.

For the salsa

• While the chicken is cooking, place the salsa ingredients (tomato, onion, lime juice, coriander and jalapeno) into a bowl and stir to combine. Taste, and season with salt and pepper to your liking.

For the avocado sauce

• While the chicken is cooking, prepare the avocado sauce.
• Mash the avocado and add it to a high powered food processor or blender. Add the sour cream and lime juice and blend until smooth.
• Taste the sauce and add a pinch of salt to season (or to your liking).

Assemble

• Warm the tortillas according to their packet instructions.
• Pile the chicken onto the tortillas and top with the salsa, avocado sauce and fresh coriander. Serve warm with fresh lime wedges and any of your other chosen toppings or sides.

Video

Notes

1. The chicken can be marinated ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to a day.
2. Cook the chicken fillets whole and then dice them into bite-sized pieces when you are ready to serve. Preparing them this way keeps them lovely and tender. I recommend using 3-4 small chicken breasts so that they cook through evenly.
3. If your chicken fillets are on the larger side, I recommend slicing them in half lengthways before coating them in the marinade, so that they cook through in the middle without overcooking the outside.
4. For an easy and casual dinner, make a taco bar! Cook the chicken and place the salsa, sauces and a platter of your favourite salads and sides to the table. That way, everyone can build their own to their liking.
5. Add more heat by adding adjusting the chilli powder or adding Cayenne powder or chilli flakes to taste. To keep it mild, leave the chilli powder out entirely.
6. If you don’t have a food processor, the avocado sauce can be made by thoroughly mashing the avocado and then mixing in the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. The sauce will have a slightly different consistency, but will taste the same.
7. Add your favourite veggies. While the salsa and sauce make deliciously fresh toppings, you can also add any fresh sides that you love. Try some char-grilled zucchini slices, grilled corn, spinach leaves, freshly sliced chillies, black beans or some crumbled feta.
8. For extra smoky flavour and texture, toast your tortillas! Simply heat the tortillas according to the package instructions and then heat them in a pan coated with light oil spray over medium-high heat for about 30 seconds per side. Alternatively, they can be charred directly over an open flame on a gas stovetop for a few seconds, until char marks appear on the edges.
9. For a lower-carb version, use low-carb tortillas or wraps, or swap the tortillas for large iceberg lettuce leaves. Alternatively, make taco bowls with the diced chicken, salsa, sauce and your favourite salads.
10. Storage; leftovers can be stored in separate, airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. I recommend only heating the tortillas and assembling the tacos when you are ready to eat them, to prevent them from going soggy. The chicken can be frozen for up to 2 months. I recommend placing it into a freezer-safe bag inside an airtight container to keep it as fresh as possible.
11. Reheating; reheat the tortillas by placing them into a hot frying pan, about 30 seconds each side. To reheat the chicken taco meat, add the chicken to a frying pan with 1-2 tablespoons of water and heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until steaming hot all the way through.
12. The nutrition information is based on the recipe being made into 10 tacos, with one taco being one serve. The nutritional information is an estimate only and does not take into account any additional toppings or sides served with the tacos.
13. This recipe is made using Australian metric cup and spoon measurements. Due to cup sizes varying from country to country, I advise adjusting if necessary. 

Nutrition

Calories: 138kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 127mg | Potassium: 371mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 392IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg

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Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in May 2019, but was re-published with new information and photos in September 2023.