Healthy Chicken Taco Recipe with Veggies

So, today is Taco Tuesday! Or Wednesday. Or Thursday. You get the idea. I can eat tacos any day, so I'm not locked into a Tuesday for Taco Night. I love tacos, but like to eat well too - so a healthy chicken taco recipe is perfect. Easy to make, and my family loves 'em.

When deciding what to do for dinners on my meal plan, tacos an easy sell to start with. But one night I realized that as fun and delicious as tacos are - how can we make this a truly healthy chicken taco dinner? I mean - make it a square meal.

I have a simple yet remarkably delicious solution. Let’s pack a wallop of healthy and nutritious vegetables along with the low-fat chicken into the tacos. The flavors of the taco somewhat "hide" the veggies, so it doesn't seem like something out of the ordinary.

Even kids who are veggie haters will eat them! If you DO have kids who avoid vegetables, just cover the taco filling with shredded cheese (and sour cream if they'll eat that). Leave off all of the lettuce, tomatoes, and other scary stuff. Doing this will "sneakily" fill them up with lean protein and a serving of veggies!

But remember, these ARE tacos. That means they also need to have a Mexican flair and sharp flavor. By cooking the chicken and veggies in the right mix of spices, you will create a flavor that will remind you of Mexican taco stands and fiestas. And your kids will be chowing down these chicken tacos with sneaky veggies and yelling “OLE” (hopefully not yelling that at the dog) as if they can’t get enough of them.

YOU WILL LOVE THIS HEALTHY CHICKEN TACO RECIPE

• The flavor is incredible – Let’s see, we have sauteed chicken and veggies, bold seasoning, savory toppings such as cheddar cheese, lettuce, green onions, and sour cream, then finished with salsa or hot sauce all wrapped up in a crispy, warm corn tortilla. How could it get any better than that?

• The sneaky veggies are a winner – We get our protein from the chicken, our carbs from the tortilla, and (best of all!) our vitamins, minerals, and extra protein from the hidden veggies. Dice up the veggies small enough and kids usually won't even notice them. This is especially great for picky kids. It's a balanced meal in every BITE.

• Easy and fun to make – It's a good meal to make on a weeknight. Whether you are making this for yourself, your family, or a handful of kids, only a few simple steps are required to get to the finish line and start devouring. And, of course, once you have filled the tortillas with the sauteed chicken and veggies, the fun part comes as each person stuffs their own taco with the toppings of their choice.

• Remarkably economical and easy to find ingredients – All ingredients for chicken tacos with sneaky veggies are easily found at your local grocery store, and you may already have some of them in your refrigerator or pantry. Best of all, the ingredients are very economical and won’t put a large bite into your wallet to feed a lot of hungry kids!

NOTES FOR COOKING HEALTHY CHICKEN TACOS WITH VEGGIES

• Chopping the right size chicken and veggies – As you chop the chicken and veggies to be sauteed, remember that they will need to fit into a taco. You don’t want them too big, or they will fall out of the taco, or too small either, or they will cook down to nothing. So, a medium-sized dice (as shown in the ingredients photograph) will do just fine. But if you have kids are who are very veggie-averse, then go ahead with a super fine dice on the veggies.

• The taco seasoning adds so much flavor to the sauteed chicken and veggies – You can make your own healthy chicken taco seasoning (I have included a recipe below) or simply buy packaged taco seasoning from your grocery store. I prefer making my own though - there's less chemical junk in it.
  
  Either way you choose to do this, be sure to adjust the amount of taco seasoning to suit your taste. Start with a smaller amount of taco seasoning, and taste and add more if necessary as you sauté the chicken and veggies.  

• This recipe makes eight healthy chicken tacos – This recipe is designed to make eight tacos (2 per person) That said, fewer tacos if you like to stuff your tortilla, or more tacos if you go light with the filling.

• You may have leftovers – And this is a good thing! The leftovers make a fabulous filling for a savory omelet, egg scramble, or even great in a bowl for a protein-packed, low-calorie lunch (add it on top of some lettuce for a power-packed chicken taco salad).

INGREDIENTS FOR A HEALTHY CHICKEN TACO RECIPE

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, diced (roughly ¼" to ½" chunks)
• 1 zucchini, chopped into a small dice (¼" or smaller - same with the other veggies)
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped into a small dice (any color you have on hand is okay)
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped into a small dice
• 1 small onion (yellow or sweet), chopped into a small dice. If you're using a yellow onion, sometimes even a small onion will produce a lot of diced onion, so feel free to scale back on the amount of onion.
• ¼ cup olive oil, divided
• 6 tablespoons (or to taste) taco seasoning (recipe below) or 1 packet of packaged taco seasoning
• 8 corn tortillas, or small flour tortillas if you prefer.

DIRECTIONS FOR COOKING CHICKEN TACOS

1. Sauté the chicken – Liberally coat the chopped chicken breast with the taco seasoning. In half the olive oil, sauté the chopped chicken breast and stir until golden brown, roughly ten minutes. Don’t overcook the chicken, as we will continue to cook it with the veggies.

2. Sauté the veggies – Add the veggies and the remainder of the olive oil and taco seasoning to the chicken, then mix and stir until the veggies are al dente and soft, about 10 minutes.

3. Heat the tortillas – Add a small coating of olive oil to a flat tortilla skillet or a small sauté pan and place on medium heat. Let the oil come to temperature. Place the tortilla on the hot pan and cook for roughly 3 minutes until the tortilla is golden brown and charred slightly. Turn the tortilla over and cook for another minute.

4. Fill the tortilla and eat – Place a large spoonful of the chicken and hidden veggie mix into the healthy chicken taco. Fill with your favorite toppings (see list below) and salsa or hot sauce (or both), and enjoy!

INGREDIENTS FOR THE TACO SEASONING

• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• Salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl, thoroughly mix all the taco seasoning ingredients together.

SUGGESTED CHICKEN TACO TOPPINGS

Below are 10 scrumptious, traditional, and popular toppings for our chicken tacos with sneaky veggies.

• Bottled hot sauce
• Chopped cilantro
• Chopped green onions
• Chopped lettuce
• Chopped tomatoes
• Diced green chile
• Limes wedges
• Salsa or Pico de Gallo
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Sour cream

TIPS, TRICKS, AND SUBSTITUTIONS FOR HEALTHY CHICKEN TACOS WITH VEGGIES

Substitutions for the chicken breast – With this recipe, we use chopped, skinless, boneless chicken breasts. However, if you prefer, ground chicken will do just as well. You can even use chopped or ground turkey breast for a low-calorie substitution. Shredded chicken is a good option as well, but you'll want to cook the chicken in a crock pot, then shred it, and add to the chicken taco sauté. In a hurry, just grab a rotisserie chicken from your grocery store and chop it up for your chicken and hidden veggie taco filling.

How to warm up a tortilla – There are actually three ways to heat a tortilla: in a microwave, directly on a stovetop burner, or on a tortilla skillet or sauté pan. We don’t recommend using a microwave unless you are in an extreme hurry, as the tortillas come out soggy and bland. Heating them directly on a stovetop burner is very effective and a ton of fun, but watch that they don’t burn. For a convenient and consistently deliciously warm tortilla, heat it on a tortilla skillet or sauté pan with just a tad bit of olive oil. You will find that adding olive oil helps prevent the tortilla from cracking. See the instructions and photographs attached.

How hot do you want your taco? – My taco seasoning ingredients lean more to the savory side than the hot side. If you like a bolder or hotter taco seasoning, simply add more cayenne or chili powder when you mix the taco seasoning. And as the diced chicken and veggies are sautéing, feel free to add some of your favorite hot sauce to the mixture.

Want no carbs in your diet? – If your diet calls for no carbohydrates, simple use a large piece of butter lettuce or red leaf lettuce to wrap the sauteed chicken and veggies in. Be sure to add your favorite toppings to the lettuce wrap for an extra flavor punch, and enjoy!

MAKE IT A MEXICAN FIESTA! PAIR THE TACOS WITH PARTY FOOD

While I think this healthy chicken taco recipe is plenty for a dinner, I sometimes like to put out a Mexican-themed feast. It's a fun way to add to game day, or just have friends over. These tacos go great with:

Dairy Free Nacho Cheese Dip (and chips)

Smoked Queso Dip (from Back Yard Yum)

Healthy Chicken Tinga Tacos (for a variety)

Crock Pot Mexican Meatball Soup (Crock Pots and Flip Flops)

The Best Mangonada (Frozen Mango Margarita)