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Make Taco Tuesday even better with these Healthy Chicken Tacos with salsa verde! You can make these low-calorie, protein-packed tacos in either the Instant Pot or the slow cooker.
These healthy chicken tacos are a great low-effort dinner that fits into a healthy lifestyle! Each serving contains 211 calories and 32 grams of protein and when paired with a complex carbohydrate that’s high in fiber will help you feel fuller in between meals.
You only need a few simple ingredients like seasonings, lime juice, and salsa verde. This chicken taco recipe is sure to be your new favorite dinner. It’s easy and delicious!
If you like healthy taco-inspired recipes, you will love my Zucchini Taco Boats and Taco Pasta!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Low Effort Cooking: These shredded chicken tacos are a great, easy dinner because they are made in either the Instant Pot or the slow cooker. They take less than 30-minutes to make in the Instant Pot or over the course of hours in the crockpot.
- Bursting with Flavors: These tacos are bursting with flavor from the salsa verde, which is a green salsa made with roasted tomatillos, cumin, and zesty lime juice.
- Low Calorie and Macronutrients: These tacos are only 211 calories, but have 32 grams of protein! The chicken is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free.
Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are the best option for making these tacos. You could also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but they’re naturally more fatty, so they will change the calories and nutritional information.
- Salsa Verde: This green salsa is made with roasted tomatillos, green chiles, onion, garlic, and cilantro.
- Lime Juice: Use freshly squeezed lime juice or bottled juice to add a bit of acidity. It also helps tenderize the chicken as it cooks.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations & Dietary Modifications
- Swap for Red Salsa: If you don’t like salsa verde or just want to switch up the flavors in your chicken tacos, try using your favorite red salsa instead.
- Try It with Turkey: This recipe also works well with turkey breasts or turkey thighs. The lean protein has similar nutrition and flavor to chicken.
- Add Veggies: You can never go wrong with adding more vegetables to dinner! Try adding zucchini, bell peppers, corn, or beans to your taco filling. If you’re using the slow cooker, you should wait and add the vegetables in the last hour of cooking time, like in my slow cooker chicken taco bowls.
- Versatile for Serving: Serve on corn tortillas (a great higher fiber food), a higher fiber wrap, salad, baked potato, with beans, corn or rice for a complete meal.
How to Make Healthy Chicken Tacos
The best part of this healthy chicken taco recipe is how easy they are to make! You can cook them within minutes in the Instant Pot or use the slow cooker so you can get some work done while dinner cooks. Then just add your favorite toppings and enjoy your taco night.
Step 1: Add Ingredients to the Instant Pot. Add the chicken, seasonings, lime juice, and salsa verde to the bottom of the Instant Pot in a single layer. Cover the pot and seal the valve. Cook on High Pressure for 28 minutes. Turn the valve to release the pressure right away. Don’t use Natural Release, as the chicken will continue to cook. Remove the lid after all the pressure has been released.
Step 2: Shred the Chicken. Remove the cooked chicken breasts from the Instant Pot and shred them to your desired consistency. Mix the shredded chicken back into the sauce and then serve on cauliflower tortillas with all your favorite taco toppings.
Expert Tips
- Don’t Overcrowd the Cooker: Whether you use the Instant Pot or a slow cooker, it’s important that you don’t crowd the chicken in the cooker. It should be arranged in a single layer at the bottom of the cooker with limited overlap to ensure even and thorough cooking.
- Use a Hand Mixer for Quick Shredding: Save time and use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer to shred your hot chicken. Remove the chicken from the cooker and add it to your stand mixer, then use the paddle attachment on low to shred the chicken. You could also use a hand mixer on low in a mixing bowl if you don’t have a stand mixer.
- Use Low-Sodium Salsa: If high sodium is a concern for you, be sure to use a low-sodium salsa verde and skip the additional salt in the recipe.
- Storing & Reheating: Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the chicken for up to 2 months. Reheat your taco chicken in the microwave in 60-second increments or on the stove over medium heat with a splash of broth or salsa. Be sure to thaw frozen chicken for 24 hours in the refrigerator before reheating it.
Serving Suggestions
One of the best parts about healthy taco recipes is how versatile they are! Serve them on your favorite corn or flour tortillas, over chips, or on a bed of rice. You can add as many different toppings as you like, from avocado and lettuce to hot sauce and jalapenos. This is a versatile and lazy meal prep recipe, a crowd-pleaser during parties or tailgates, or just a simple weeknight dinner.
- Make taco bowls and serve your salsa verde chicken over white rice or cauliflower rice for a low-carb option. Beans, corn, baked potatoes are great options too. Drizzle sour cream or Greek yogurt and your favorite taco toppings over the top!
- For a more traditional taco night, use corn tortillas, a high fiber wrap or give my gluten-free tortilla recipe a try. A healthy taco salad is a great idea too!
- Use leftover chicken from your tacos and make a healthy chicken tortilla soup to get 2 dinners out of the meat!
Healthy Chicken Tacos Recipe FAQs
If you don’t have an Instant Pot or don’t feel like using your slow cooker, you can absolutely make this chicken on the stove. You can add shredded chicken to a skillet with the seasonings and salsa verde and cook over medium heat until it’s warmed through. You could also cut your chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, marinate them in the salsa verde, and then cook them over medium heat in a large skillet until the chicken is cooked through.
The most common reasons for dry chicken are overcooking or a lack of moisture. Be sure to monitor the temperature of your chicken and stop cooking once it reaches 165°F internally. You could also add more salsa. Also, add the shredded chicken back into the sauce in your cooker and coat it to add more moisture.
If your chicken doesn’t shred easily, it’s probably not cooked thoroughly or may have cooled for too long. Be sure to check the temperature of the chicken to be sure it’s done, and shred the chicken while it’s hot because it’s much easier.
Yes, you sure can! Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker and top with the seasonings, lime juice, and salsa verde. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on Low for 5-6 hours or for 2-3 hours on High.
More Healthy Slow Cooker and Instant Pot Recipes
If you tried this Healthy Chicken Tacos recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below.
Healthy Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Chicken Breast, boneless, skinless
- ½ teaspoon Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 tablespoon Lime Juice
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 16 oz Salsa Verde
Instructions
Healthy Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
- Place the chicken in the Instant Pot. Add the seasoning, lime juice and salsa verde.
- Cover the pot and set the valve to sealing. Pressure cook on hight for 28 minutes. Turn the valve to release to let the pressure out (no natural release). Remove the lid after the pressure has been released.
- Remove the chicken breasts from the crockpot and shred using two forks or by placing in a bowl and mixing with an electric mixer or hand mixer. Mix the shredded chicken in with the juices.
- Assemble the tacos with shredded chicken, salsa, romaine lettuce, cilantro, avocado slices, quest fresco on corn tortillas or you can assemble in a bowl.
Healthy Crockpot Chicken Tacos
- Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Top with the seasonings, lime juice and salsa.
- Cover the slow cooker with a lid and cook 5-6 hours on low or 2-3 hours on high.
- Remove the chicken breasts from the crockpot and shred using two forks or by placing in a bowl and mixing with an electric mixer or hand mixer.
- Place the shredded chicken back in the slow cooker. Stir it together with the sauce then assemble into tacos or bowls.
Notes
- Arrange the chicken in a single even layer along the bottom of your cooker of choice to ensure it cooks evenly and thoroughly.
- Use a hand mixer on low to shred the chicken quickly in a mixing bowl. You can also use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on low to shred your chicken.
- If sodium is a concern, be sure to use a low-sodium salsa verde and omit any additional salt in the recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So easy! I meal prepped this a few days ago and I can’t believe how simple this recipe was and delicious. Thank you!
These healthy chicken tacos are great for prepping a protein ahead of time that’s delicious and versatile. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
I am a bariatric patient and your recipes have really gotten me through my post op days. Everything is so flavorful yet healthy. This recipe was very good. My husband enjoyed it as well.
Great to hear!
What makes the sodium content so high in this recipe my Verde was very low in sodium and you don’t add salt so I’m wondering where the sodium content comes from
The salsa verde that the database is pulling from is higher sodium. That is what is causing the higher sodium, but if you are using one that is low sodium then you will be able to control that.
This was easy to make and very flavorful!