Sixty Healthy Taco Recipes

By Kristen Mccaffrey on Aug 26, 2017

Healthy taco recipes make for a delicious taco night without the guilt. Healthy taco recipes for beef, chicken, pork, seafood, bean, veggie tacos and more.

Healthy taco recipes for the win! Everyone loves a good taco and luckily with these tasty recipes there is a healthy taco for everyone!

As a kid in New England, our idea of tacos was ground beef, taco seasoning, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and dill pickles. Usually stuffed into a crispy, store bought taco shell. And while they are delicious and something I still crave sometimes, my definition of what makes a delicious taco has evolved quite a bit. Initially when I moved to Los Angeles, the land of amazing tacos, my first experiences with street tacos was far from healthy. However over the years I have learned to take all my favorite street tacos and turn them into homemade healthy tacos filled with a huge variety of toppings.

Before we did into the list, let's talk about some general strategies for making healthy taco recipes at home.

Tortillas: To keep things light, your best bet is to stay away from any type of fried or store bought taco shell. Instead opt for minimally processed corn or flour tortillas. Enjoy them soft or toss them in a 400 degree oven to make your own baked crispy taco shells. For a lower carb option, you can look for store bought low carb tortillas or opt for lettuce wraps, thinly sliced jicama, or cauliflower tortillas. There are also some good Paleo tortillas out there that can normally be found in specialty markets or online.
Protein: Traditionally many tacos are made with fattier cuts of meat that tend to be high in calories. Instead of reaching for those proteins, replace them with lower calorie options like lean ground beef, boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, lean sirloin beef, ground turkey, pork tenderloin, or fish. Beans also make a great healthy taco filling that are low in calories and high in fiber.
Toppings: It's easy to get carried away with the taco toppings and we are all guilty of piling on an absurd amount of sour cream or cheese from time to time. However there are so many healthy taco toppings out there, it's relatively easy to make healthy choices. Start with veggies. You can use lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, onions, cabbage, or sauteed vegetables like peppers and onions. Then move to the salsa. Salsa is packed with flavor and most salsas are really low calorie and good for you. Finish things off with avocado or guacamole (in moderation) and a small helping of cheese. And if you need sour cream on your tacos, try using Greek yogurt instead.

Healthy Chicken Taco Recipes

Chicken is one of the easiest proteins to use for healthy tacos. You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs to keep things light. If you use bone-in chicken, remove the skin before using it in the tacos to lower the calories and fat. In terms of cooking chicken for tacos, there are so many options. You can grill it, use your slow cooker, or quickly cook it on the stove top. And if you are pressed for time, you can always use a store bough rotisserie chicken for a quick and easy healthy taco filling.

Healthy Taco recipes with chicken like this stove top shredded chicken taco.

Healthy Beef Taco Recipes

I am always shocked when someone tells me they shy away from red meat completely when they are trying to eat healthier. Although some red meat is really high in calories and fat, there are also tons of lean options that make for excellent tacos. Classic tacos with lean ground beef are always an option but there are so many more incredible options. Try making carne asada at home on the grill, slow cooker beef for amazing shredded beef tacos, and use lean sirloin steak to make quick stove top beef tacos.

Healthy Taco Recipes with a slow cooker beef in dried chilis for a delicious filling.

Healthy Pork Taco Recipes

The most popular of all pork tacos is probably carnitas but since the traditional version is pork shoulder cooked in its own fat, it's definitely not the healthiest option around. And most of the other popular pork options are equally high calorie since they use fattier cuts of pork. Luckily by making a few easy swaps, you can make some seriously good and healthy pork tacos at home. Most use either pork tenderloin or lean boneless pork chops. And you can even use a pork shoulder if you make sure to trip off most of the fat.

Healthy Taco Recipes using lean pork tenderloin in a chorizo spiced taco.

Healthy Seafood Taco Recipes

When it comes to making healthy tacos, seafood is one of my all time favorite options. Throwing grilled fish into a warm corn tortilla and loading it up with cabbage, guacamole, and salsa is one of the best things around. Plus since most seafood is naturally low in calories, it's always a smart option for a healthy taco. Make sure to think about variety when it comes to seafood tacos. Shrimp, scallops, squid, crab, and almost any type of fish are all fair game and delicious.

Healthy taco recipes for seafood tacos with fish, shrimp, and more.

Healthy Vegetarian Taco Recipes

Before we finish sharing our favorite healthy taco recipes, we have to share some amazing vegetarian tacos. These tacos are naturally healthy featuring loads of fresh veggies and beans. Many can be made in under 15 minutes on the stove and there are also some delicious grilled and slow cooker options. Plus many of these are really versatile - change out the veggies, add your favorite beans, and as always - go crazy with all your favorite healthy taco toppings.

Healthy taco recipes using lots of veggies and beans for vegetarian tacos.