Switch it up this taco Tuesday with these healthy Ground Chicken Tacos!
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Tacos have been a staple meal for as long as I can remember. I’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy authentic tacos in Mexico, but I actually prefer the Tex-Mex, American style. These ground chicken tacos are the best of both worlds—filled with ground meat, and topped with cheddar cheese, crisp shredded lettuce, and tomatoes. I guess you could say that they’ve been “Americanized.” However, the tacos are served on soft corn tortillas, which is how they’re eaten in Mexico.
Tacos are a Mexican street food brought to Los Angeles in the early 1900s. By the 1920s, they evolved to a milder, palatable meal, and within a few more decades, we had premade taco shells. Chicken and beef are the most common fillings for tacos, but have also evolved over the years. I’m not sure why the beef is ground, and the chicken is usually diced or shredded, but today, we’re switching it up with ground chicken tacos.
Just recently, I’ve been skipping the flour tortillas and hard taco shells and making taco salad or taco bowls in an attempt for a healthier taco night. Why not just switch the main ingredient to a lean, high-quality protein, like ground chicken? While ground chicken is not as juicy as beef, taco seasoning mixed with water and onions adds moisture—and flavor. The corn tortillas are also a nice break from the old-school taco kits and have the authentic Mexican street taste.
These ground chicken tacos are super easy and tasty. Even picky eaters ask for more. I find that kids (and grownups!) love the autonomy of adding various toppings themselves. This also gives you, the home chef, a break in the kitchen. Make taco night something fun you all look forward to!
Are Ground Chicken Tacos Healthy?
Yes, ground chicken tacos are healthy. Ground chicken is a more nutritious option than beef since it has fewer calories and is lower in fat and cholesterol. You’ll also find more of a variety of essential vitamins in chicken. Ground chicken tacos have garlic, onions, lettuce, and tomato, which are all rich in antioxidants. This dish is low carb but not technically keto or paleo because of the corn tortillas. However, you can omit them and enjoy this dish as a bowl or salad to make them acceptable to your diet.
DIY Taco Seasoning For Better Health
It is simple to buy premade taco seasoning for these ground chicken tacos, but I’m not kidding when I tell you it’s almost just as easy to make your own! You may not be aware, but most store-bought taco seasoning contains sugar and other additives like maltodextrin, a ground carb, and silicon dioxide, which is pretty much sand. There’s no need to freak out if you have been eating these; they are safe but should not be consumed too much. Anyway! You can totally avoid them by making this simple, additive-free Whole30 Taco Seasoning for your ground chicken tacos with ingredients you likely already have.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1/4 cup water
- 8 small corn tortillas
- 1/2 cup shredded lettuce
- 1/4 cup diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- Lime wedges for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
Sauté
Cook onions, garlic, and chicken.
Season
Add taco seasoning and simmer.
Assemble
Prepare tortillas and add toppings.
Devour!
FAQs & Tips
To make ground chicken tacos ahead, pre-chop and refrigerate your veggies, and keep the chicken and onion mixture in a crockpot, saucepan, or slow cooker until ready to serve. Store chicken, veggies, cheese, and tortillas separately, then assemble when ready to eat and enjoy.
Since we add water and taco seasoning, you don’t have to worry so much about the dry chicken. Chicken is a lean meat and takes little time to cook, maybe 5 minutes on medium heat.
To make vegetarian tacos, I use chickpeas and black beans mixed with onions, garlic, and taco seasoning. They are hearty and delicious!
Serving Suggestions
Go all out and have a fiesta with these ground chicken tacos! Every great taco dinner needs to start with the BEST guacamole. If you want to keep it interesting, add a side of this zesty grilled pineapple mango salsa and Mexican brown rice. Along with your ground chicken tacos, you will find options like these gluten-free twice-baked Mexican sweet potatoes, Mexican grilled corn salad, and chile con queso with fresh veggies. Of course, no fiesta is complete without the perfect margarita. Try this refreshing watermelon margarita for a good time!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1/4 cup water
- 8 small corn tortillas
- 1/2 cup shredded lettuce
- 1/4 cup diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, sauté until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Add ground chicken to the skillet. Cook, breaking it apart with a spatula, until no pink remains, about 7 minutes.
- Stir in taco seasoning and water. Reduce heat and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
- Warm tortillas according to package instructions.
- Assemble tacos by placing chicken on tortillas, topping with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.
Nutrition Info:
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
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