Healthy Chicken Tacos with Avocado Sauce

Perfect for Taco Tuesday (or any other night!), these healthy chicken tacos are a great choice for easy midweek dinners or for feeding a hungry crowd. Soft flour tortillas, filled with crispy seasoned chicken and topped with creamy avocado sauce, sriracha, lime and your favourite crunchy salads. Cook them in the oven, stove top or air fryer for a family dinner that everyone is sure to love!

We have tacos at least once a week in our home, because they are so easy to make and packed full of flavour! The added bonus is that our kids will make their own and always get a great serve of vegetables!


Perfectly seasoned meats, fresh zesty toppings and punchy sauces make tacos the ultimate family dinner. And along with these char siu pork tacos and crunchy beef tacos, these healthy chicken tacos with sriracha and creamy avocado sauce are our favourites! They are bright and fresh and have the perfect flavour combination that guarantee you won’t be able to stop at one.

Give them a try for your next taco night!

Ingredients you will need

The chicken for these tacos can be cooked in 3 different ways. For a healthier option, the chicken can be oven baked or cooked in an air fryer. Or, shallow fry the chicken on the stove top. All three cooking methods can be found below.

To make these healthy chicken tacos at home, you’ll need;

• Chicken breast, cut into strips
• Buttermilk makes the chicken extra tender. While it has a lot of uses, buttermilk is not an ingredient that I always have on hand. If you don’t have buttermilk, that’s ok! Instead, stir 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice into 1 cup of milk and stir. Let it sit for ten minutes and, voila! Instant buttermilk.
• Sriracha sauce. This ingredient can be skipped if feeding kids or those who don’t like heat. Adding a little sriracha into the buttermilk mixture won’t make the crispy chicken too spicy.
• Eggs.
• Flour. Plain, all purpose flour for coating the chicken.
• Spices; salt, pepper, paprika, garlic and onion powder.
• Canola oil, for frying.

For the creamy avocado sauce;

• Soft avocados. Hard, under-ripe avocados won’t work in creamy avocado sauce! They won’t blend and will leave the sauce lumpy. Use avocados that yield to a firm, gentle squeeze. Hard avocados can be added to a paper or plastic bag that is sealed for 1-2 days, to speed up the ripening process.
• Sour cream.
• Salt.

What goes with tacos?

Feel free to assemble your tacos with your favourite salads and add-ins! I’ve included some popular serving suggestions below so that you can mix and match to suit your tastes.

Healthy salad and topping ideas;

• Iceberg lettuce
• Chopped tomatoes
• Crumbled feta
• Shredded cheese
• Sriracha chilli sauce, to taste
• Red onion
• Spring onion
• Lime wedges
• Coriander/cilantro

This recipe makes 10 soft tacos, but the ingredients can be easily doubled or tripled to feed a larger crowd. Simply place the chopped salad add-ins onto the table and let everyone build their own, suited to their tastes. Serving them taco-bar style is particularly suited for those who have fussy eaters!

These crispy chicken tacos are easy to put together and can be meal prepped ahead of time. The avocado sauce can be made the day before and the salads cut and stored, ready for use. The chicken can be soaked in buttermilk overnight, if required. The flour coating can also be made ahead and stored in an airtight container.

Healthy tortilla and wrap options

For convenience, I often use store bought flour or corn tortillas for tacos. And sometimes I make my own homemade tortillas or flatbread. When it comes to choosing the best option to suit your needs, not all wraps are created equal!

Like most products that come in a packet, wraps and tortillas found in supermarkets can often be highly processed, containing high amounts of salt, sugar, oils and preservatives to retain their freshness.

The right wrap with a nutritious filling makes a great, healthy meal option. If you are searching for a healthier wrap for your tacos, there are a few things to look for.

Here’s what to look for (and to avoid) when shopping for tortillas or wrap alternatives;

1. Fibre. Look for the words “wholegrain” or “wholemeal“. This generally means that the wrap will be higher in fibre. Aim for 6 grams or more per 100 grams.
2. Low sodium. Often, bread and tortilla products contain high amounts of salt. Look for anything that has a sodium content of less than 300 mg per 100 grams (120 mg per 100 grams is a low sodium option).
3. Saturated fats of less than 4 grams per 100 grams.
4. Less than 30 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams.

Organic spinach, quinoa wraps or Mountain Bread make a healthy, low carb and high fibre option for wraps and tacos. In Australia, Mountain Bread has different ranges including barley, oat, corn, spelt, rye and chia. The ingredient lists are short and they contain higher amounts of fibre (and less additives), making them a healthier tortilla alternative.

For an even healthier option, try wrapping the chicken and salad in large lettuce cups!

Firecracker chicken wraps

For those that prefer a little more heat, try making spicy chicken tacos! Simply follow the recipe below, but add extra sriracha and chilli powder (to desired taste) to the buttermilk mixture before soaking the chicken.


Serve with jalapenos and extra sriracha or hot sauce.

More midweek meal ideas

Try these easy family meals that will keep even the fussiest eaters happy!

• Mexican chicken and vegetable soup
• Crispy chicken parmigiana
• Homemade pizza
• Chicken and sweet corn soup

Or try this collection of easy “takeaway” recipes that you can make at home!

If you try this healthy chicken tacos recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Feel free to leave a comment or review below, or send me a message. For more food inspiration, tips and to share your own recipes and creations, head over to my Facebook Recipe Group. 

Healthy Chicken Tacos

Perfect for Taco Tuesday (or any other night!), these healthy chicken tacos are a great choice for easy midweek dinners or for feeding a hungry crowd. Soft flour tortillas, filled with crispy seasoned chicken and topped with creamy avocado sauce, sriracha, lime and your favourite crunchy salads. Cook them in the oven, stove top or air fryer for a family dinner that everyone is sure to love!

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Australian

Keyword: Healthy chicken tacos

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Soaking time (optional): 2 hours

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 10 tacos

Calories: 353kcal

Ingredients

• 2-3 chicken breast around 600 grams, cut into strips
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tbsp sriracha
• 3 eggs lightly beaten
• 2 tbsp olive oil or 1 cup canola oil, for shallow frying

For the chicken coating

• 2 cups plain flour
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 – 2 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder

For the avocado sauce

• 2 soft avocados
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• pinch salt
• lemon juice to taste

Salad

• 2 cups lettuce chopped
• 2 tomatoes diced
• 1/3 cup feta crumbled
• 1 red onion sliced
• 2 spring onions chopped

To serve

• 10 small flour tortillas or other wrap of choice
• sriracha chilli sauce
• lime wedges
• 1 bunch fresh coriander chopped

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

For the chicken

• Coat the chicken in the buttermilk, stir through the sriracha and set aside to soak. For best results, the chicken can be soaked overnight.
• Once the chicken has soaked for the desired time (1-2 hours minimum is best, but not essential if you are short on time), mix the chicken coating ingredients together in a bowl.
• Set up the beaten eggs in one bowl, the flour coating in another and a clean plate to place the chicken.
• Remove each piece from the buttermilk (one at a time) and coat it in the flour mixture. Then, dredge each piece through the eggs and coat in the flour mix a second time.
• Set the chicken on the clean plate as you coat the other pieces.

For oven baking

• Pre-heat the oven to 220 °C/428 F.
• Place the coated chicken strips on an oven tray, with room between each piece. Use two trays, if needed. Drizzle the chicken with the oil, or evenly coat with an oil spray.
• Bake for 10 minutes, before carefully turning the chicken pieces and baking for a further 5-10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. *Cooking times will vary depending on the size of the chicken pieces. Tenderloin sized pieces will need around 15-20 minutes, smaller pieces around 10-15 minutes.

For air frying

• In batches, place the chicken strips into the air fryer tray and coat with the oil or an oil spray.
• Cook at 200 °C (390 F) for 5 minutes. Open the tray and turn the chicken. Cook for a further 5-7 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. *Cooking times will vary depending on the size of the chicken pieces. Tenderloin sized pieces will need around 10-12 minutes, smaller pieces around 8-10 minutes.

For stove top

• In a large frying pan, heat the oil (1 cup for shallow frying) over medium-high heat.
• Shallow fry the chicken pieces for 3-4 minutes, before turning and cooking for a further 3-4 minutes, or until the chicken is crispy and cooked through.
• Remove from the pan and place the pieces on a plate with paper towel, to drain the excess oil.

For the avocado sauce

• Place the soft avocados, sour cream and salt into a food processor and blend until completely smooth. Add lemon juice to taste and refrigerate until required.

To serve

• Layer the crispy chicken pieces, salads and avocado sauce over warm tortillas. Top with crumbled feta, sriracha, coriander and lime juice.

Notes

1. Buttermilk is used to tenderise and flavour the chicken all the way through. Soaking the chicken for as long as possible results in juicy, super tender strips! For best results, soak the chicken in buttermilk overnight, if possible. Otherwise, at least 1-2 hours is recommended, but not essential if you are short on time. 
2. If air frying or oven baking, covering the chicken pieces evenly with oil spray prevents them from being ‘floury’ when cooked. 
3. All of the elements can be made ahead, to save time. Soak the chicken ahead of time in an airtight container. The salads can all be pre-chopped and the avocado sauce made the day before.
4. The crispy chicken can be shallow fried on the stove top for crispiest results. For a healthier option, oven baking or air frying reduces the fat content and still allows for a crispy coating.
5. Soft, ripe avocados are best for the avocado sauce. Under-ripe, hard avocados will not blend into the sauce and will create lumps. You can speed up the ripening process by placing hard avocados in a sealed paper or plastic bag for 1-2 days.
6. For extra spicy chicken tacos, add extra sriracha sauce and a 1/4 tsp chilli powder to the buttermilk before soaking the chicken. Top with jalapenos and extra sriracha or hot sauce!
7. For healthier wraps, switch the flour tortillas for mountain or pita bread. Or, use lettuce cup wraps instead!
8. This recipe makes 10 tacos, but the quantities can be multiplied to feed more. 
9. The chicken coating can be skipped and the chicken seasoned with salt, pepper and paprika and grilled instead.

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Nutrition

Calories: 353kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 1507mg | Potassium: 514mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 627IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 145mg | Iron: 3mg

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