Best 4 Lighter Chicken Tacos Recipes

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Chicken tacos are a delicious and versatile meal that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. However, traditional chicken tacos can often be high in calories and fat, making them less than ideal for those looking for a healthier option. This article will provide you with a recipe for "lighter chicken tacos" that are just as flavorful and satisfying as traditional tacos, but without all the extra calories and fat. These tacos are made with lean chicken, fresh vegetables, and light Greek yogurt, making them a healthier choice that you can feel good about eating.

Here are our top 4 tried and tested recipes!

SHREDDED CHICKEN TACOS RECIPE BY TASTY



Shredded Chicken Tacos Recipe by Tasty image

Here's what you need: boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chili powder, ground cumin, pepper, garlic, salsa, tortilla, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream

Provided by Tiffany Lo

Categories     Lunch

Time 30m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups salsa, or 1 16 oz jar
tortilla, to serve
pico de gallo, to serve
guacamole, to serve
sour cream, to serve

Steps:

  • Place chicken breasts inside the Instant Pot.
  • Add the chili powder, ground cumin, pepper, and garlic and toss until the chicken is coated on both sides. Add the salsa.
  • Seal the lid in place until you hear the beep. Tip: Closing the lid can be tricky. Have the pressure knob at 11 o'clock and turn right.
  • Press "Poultry" and set time to 13 minutes. Set pressure knob to "Sealing".
  • Steam will release and the screen will say "On" before it starts counting down.
  • Once the timer goes off, carefully turn the pressure knob to "Venting". Let all of the stream release before opening the lid.
  • Shred the chicken with two forks.
  • Serve with tortillas, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, or other desired toppings.
  • Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts : Calories 223 calories, Carbohydrate 8 grams, Fat 4 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 36 grams, Sugar 4 grams

LIGHTER CHICKEN TACOS



Lighter chicken tacos image

The same tasty Mexican dish with half the fat of standard tacos. Pile on the chicken, salsa and guacamole, and build yourself a delicious dinner

Provided by Angela Nilsen

Categories     Dinner, Lunch, Main course, Supper

Time 1h

Number Of Ingredients 21

2 tsp rapeseed oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
450g skinless chicken breasts, preferably organic
4 medium tomatoes, preferably on the vine, halved
1 red pepper, quartered
1 small red onion, cut into 8 wedges
¼ tsp rapeseed oil
2 tsp lime juice
¼ tsp ground cumin
good pinch of chilli flakes
2 medium-sized ripe avocados, stoned, peeled and roughly chopped
4 tsp lime juice
2 spring onions, ends trimmed, finely chopped
3 tbsp chopped coriander
good pinch of chilli flakes
8 corn tacos shells
8 tsp 0% Greek yogurt
2 Little Gem lettuces, shredded
chopped coriander
lime wedges, for squeezing over

Steps:

  • Mix the oil with the cumin and paprika on a large plate. Sit the chicken on the plate and rub the spiced oil all over it. Season with pepper and a pinch of salt, then cover and set aside while you prepare the salsa.
  • Heat the grill to high for 10 mins. Meanwhile, line a large baking tray with foil and lay the tomatoes (cut-side up) on it, along with the pepper and red onion. Brush the oil over the onion, and season the tomatoes and onion with pepper. Grill for 12-15 mins, turning the tomatoes and onion halfway through, until well charred. Remove (leaving the grill on) and set aside to cool - put the pepper in a bowl and cover with cling film so that it's easier to skin later.
  • For the guacamole, put the avocado in a bowl and briefly mash with a fork, leaving some chunky pieces for texture. Gently mix in the lime juice, spring onions, coriander and chilli flakes. Season with pepper and a pinch of salt.
  • Re-line the baking tray with foil and lay the chicken on it, plump-side up. Grill for about 10 mins until cooked - there is no need to turn it. Meanwhile, scoop out and discard as much of the seeds and juice from the tomatoes as you can (so the salsa isn't too wet), leaving the pulp and charred skin. When the pepper is cool enough to handle, peel off and discard the skin. Chop the tomatoes and onion, and dice the pepper. Combine in a bowl with the lime juice, cumin, chilli flakes, some pepper and a pinch of salt.
  • When the chicken is cooked, remove from the grill, cover loosely with foil and set aside for 5 mins.
  • Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Cut the chicken into chunky slices and spoon over the juices. When ready to serve, lay the taco shells on a baking sheet and warm through for 2-3 mins. Serve the chicken, taco shells, yogurt, lettuce, coriander and lime wedges in separate bowls, so that everyone can build their own tacos.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 477 calories, Fat 24.1 grams fat, SaturatedFat 5.4 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 26.2 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 9.1 grams sugar, Fiber 9.5 grams fiber, Protein 34.1 grams protein, Sodium 0.6 milligram of sodium

CHICKEN TACOS



Chicken Tacos image

Provided by Food Network

Categories     appetizer

Yield 12 tacos

Number Of Ingredients 23

1 recipe Achiote Citrus Marinade (recipe follows)
1 1/2 pounds chicken legs and thighs
24 small corn tortillas (recipe follows), or use store-bought
1 recipe Salsa Fresca (recipe follows)
2 avocados, peeled and sliced
1/2 bunch cilantro, leaves only, chopped
2/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup achiote paste
2 to 3 jalapeno chiles stemmed and seeded if desired
7 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon salt
1 bunch cilantro, stems and leaves
4 cups finely ground deep yellow masa harina
2 3/4 cups cold water
1 teaspoon salt
4 medium ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded, and finely diced
1/4 red onion, minced
2 jalapeno chiles, stemmed, seeded and minced
1 bunch cilantro, leaves only chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Steps:

  • Rub the marinade all over the chicken pieces. Place in a bowl, cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or as long as overnight. Preheat the oven to 350/. Lift the chicken pieces from the marinade and transfer to a roasting pan. Roast for about 40 minutes, or until the meat easily pulls away from the bone. Set the chicken aside to cool and pour the cooking juices from the pan into a bowl or cup.
  • Refrigerate the juices so that the fat rises to the top. When the chicken is cool, remove and discard the skin, if desired, and bones and cut or shred the meat into bitesized pieces. Refrigerate the chicken if you do not plan to use it right away. When you are ready to make the tacos, skim off and discard the fat which has risen from the cooking juices, and use the brown cooking liquid which remains to reheat the chicken in a low oven.
  • Dip a corn tortilla in some water and shake off the excess. Toast one at a time in a nonstick pan over medium heat for about 1 minute on each side. Wrap in a towel to keep warm while you dip and heat the remaining tortillas.
  • For each taco, stack 2 tortillas. Divide the warm chicken and place on top. Top with Salsa Fresca, sliced avocado, and chopped cilantro.
  • Combine 1/3 cup of the orange juice, the achiote paste, jalapenos, garlic, peppercorns and salt in a blender or food processor. Puree until the peppercorns are completely crushed. Add the cilantro and the remaining 1/3 cup orange juice and puree until smooth.
  • In large bowl combine all ingredients and stir until smooth. The dough should be slightly sticky and form a ball when pressed together. To test, flatten a small piece of dough between your palms. If the edges crack, add water to the dough, a tablespoon at a time, until a test piece does not crack.
  • Divide the dough into 24 golf ball size pieces for tacos and 12 large balls for quesadillas. Place on a platter and cover with a damp towel. Line a tortilla press with 2 sheets of plastic cut from a plastic freezer bag or other heavy duty plastic bag.
  • Heat a dry cast iron skillet, or non-stick pan until moderately hot. Flatten each ball of dough in the tortilla press, then remove the plastic from the top and, holding the tortilla with your fingertips, peel off the bottom sheet. Lay the tortillas one by one on the skillet and cook about 30 to 45 seconds per side, pressing the top of each tortilla with your fingertips to make it puff. Place the hot tortillas on a towel.
  • When they are still warm but not hot, stack and wrap in a towel. Serve immediately or let cool, wrap well in plastic or a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator up to a week.
  • In a mixing bowl combine all the ingredients. Stir and toss well. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator no more than 1 day.

EASY SHREDDED CHICKEN TACOS



Easy Shredded Chicken Tacos image

This is a great recipe for easy shredded chicken tacos that I've been using for years. Great for a weeknight or a weekend meal!

Provided by SMJ0724

Categories     World Cuisine Recipes     Latin American     Mexican

Time 55m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 11

¼ cup water
1 (1 ounce) packet taco seasoning mix
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 teaspoons white distilled vinegar
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons ground oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon white sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
8 taco shells, warmed

Steps:

  • Mix water and taco seasoning in a large bowl. Add tomato sauce, vinegar, garlic, oregano, cumin, and sugar; mix well.
  • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Add tomato sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
  • Remove chicken breasts from the pan and shred meat with 2 forks when cool enough to handle. Return shredded chicken to the pan with the tomato sauce. Cook and stir until chicken is coated with sauce and sauce reduces a bit, about 5 minutes.
  • Transfer chicken and sauce to a serving bowl and spoon onto taco shells.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 244.3 calories, Carbohydrate 15.7 g, Cholesterol 58.5 mg, Fat 9 g, Fiber 1.7 g, Protein 24 g, SaturatedFat 1.8 g, Sodium 658.8 mg, Sugar 3.3 g

Tips:

  • Use a flavorful marinade: Marinating the chicken in a mixture of spices, herbs, and citrus juice will infuse it with flavor and make it more tender.
  • Cook the chicken over high heat: This will help to create a crispy outer layer while keeping the inside moist and juicy.
  • Use a variety of toppings: The toppings are what really make tacos special, so don't be afraid to experiment with different combinations. Some popular options include salsa, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes.
  • Serve the tacos immediately: Tacos are best enjoyed fresh, so serve them as soon as they are made.

Conclusion:

These lighter chicken tacos are a delicious and healthy alternative to traditional tacos. They are packed with flavor and can be customized to your liking. Whether you are looking for a quick and easy weeknight meal or a fun party appetizer, these tacos are sure to be a hit.

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