7 Delicious & Healthy Taco Ideas
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7 Delicious & Healthy Taco Ideas

Endlessly versatile, tacos are the mealtime equivalent of ‘one size fits all’. To help you make the most of them, here are some of our favourite healthy recipes – from crispy chilli cauliflower tacos to tortillas topped with eggs, avocado and smoky beans…
By Heather Steele /

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Chicken Tacos With Roasted Sweet Potato & Guacamole

Serves
4
Total Time
40 Minutes
Ingredients
3 medium sweet potatoes (about 400g), scrubbed clean and cut into thin wedges
2 tbsp of olive oil
½ tsp of sweet smoked paprika
½ tsp of mild chilli powder
4 Waitrose British Chicken Breast Fillets (fed on an omega 3 enriched diet)
Zest & juice of 1 lime
2 garlic cloves, crushed
8-10 dashes of Tabasco
1 large avocado, stone removed
Handful coriander, leaves roughly chopped
8 corn tortillas
Natural yogurt & sliced red chilli, to serve
Method
Step 1

Preheat the oven to 200°C, Gas Mark 6. Toss the potato wedges in a tray with 1 tablespoon of oil, the paprika and chilli powder, then season and roast for 30 minutes until tender. Meanwhile, line a large chopping board with cling film, spread the chicken breasts on top and cover with another sheet of cling film. Bash with a rolling pin until 1cm thick all over.

Step 2

Put the flattened chicken in a medium resealable food bag with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, the lime zest, garlic and Tabasco. Season and massage through the bag to coat the chicken evenly; set aside for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, roughly mash the avocado and lime juice together; season and stir through the coriander.

Step 3

Heat a large griddle or frying pan over a high heat. Cook the chicken for 4 minutes on each side, until cooked through, then set aside. Heat the tortillas, then serve with the wedges, guacamole and sliced chicken, plus natural yogurt and a scattering of sliced red chilli.

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Fish Tacos

Serves
8
Total Time
40 Minutes
Ingredients
600g of cod fillets
300ml of water
1 egg
180g of plain flour
1 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp of lemon pepper seasoning or lemon zest
Salt & pepper, to taste
For The Sauce
6 tbsp of light mayo
3 tbsp of Greek yogurt
2 tbsp of sriracha
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp of paprika
1 tsp of garlic powder
To Serve
Soft or hard-shell tacos
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Red onion
Coriander
Guacamole
Method
Step 1

Season the cod fillets with salt and pepper. In a bowl, beat the water, egg, flour, baking powder and lemon flavouring.

Step 2

Coat the fish in the batter, then cook in a preheated air fryer at 200°C for 14-16 minutes – it’s important that the air fryer is piping hot as the fish goes in. Check after 10 minutes to ensure nothing burns.

Step 3

While the fish is frying, combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and prep your filling ingredients. Assemble the tacos with the fish, salad and guacamole and top with the sauce.

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Crispy Chilli Cauliflower Tacos

Serves
2
Total Time
40 Minutes
Ingredients
1 small cauliflower head, cut into florets
A handful of fresh corn
4 small tortillas
A handful of chopped parsley
Aioli to dress
For The Marinade
100ml of Califia Oat Drink
4 tbsp of plain flour
1 tbsp of brown sugar
1 tbsp of smoked paprika
¼ tsp of cumin
¼ tsp of turmeric
¼ tsp of cracked black pepper
½ tsp of chilli flakes
½ tsp of sea salt
Method
Step 1

Heat the oven to 200°C.

Step 2

Whisk all of the marinade ingredients together in a bowl then add the chopped cauliflower florets and coat.

Step 3

Bake the cauliflower in the oven on a tray for around 35 minutes.

Step 4

Toast the tortillas and shape into the taco while hot.

Step 5

Load your tacos with the cooked cauliflower, the top with corn, aioli, parsley and any other crunchy salad of choice.

Pink Lady Fish Tacos

Serves
4
Total Time
20 Minutes
Ingredients
2 tbsp of plain yogurt
2 tbsp of red wine vinegar
¼ white cabbage finely sliced
1 large carrot, grated
½ red onion, thinly sliced
1 bunch coriander, finely chopped
Pinch of salt & pepper
1 Pink Lady apple, cubed
1 avocado, cubed
1 red chilli, finely chopped
3 radishes, thinly sliced
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 zest & juice of a lime
8 small corn (taco) tortillas
½ lemon
2 tbsp of tabasco
1 tbsp of rapeseed oil for coating the tortillas
2 fillets of cod, cubed
2 tbsp of cajun spice
1 tbsp of rapeseed oil
1 lime
Method
Step 1

To make the crunchy salad, combine the shredded cabbage, carrot, red onion and chopped coriander into a mixing bowl. Combine the red wine vinegar with the plain yogurt and mix. Stir the yogurt mix into the salad and thoroughly combine, then set aside to let the vinegar cook out the red onions and take the rawness out of them. Season the salad with salt and pepper.

Step 2

For the salsa, combine the cubed Pink Lady apple, avocado, chopped chili, sliced radishes and place into a bowl. Zest and juice a lime into the olive oil and mix. Pour the lime and olive oil onto the salsa and coat all the ingredients. Set aside.

Step 3

Heat a griddle pan until very hot. Lightly coat one side of the corn tortillas with some olive oil and lay onto the hot griddle pan. Leave for about 20 seconds or until there are griddle marks, then take off the heat and lay onto a rolling pin and leave to cool to create the taco shape. Repeat with all the tortillas.

Step 4

Lastly season the cubed fish with the Cajun spice. Heat a non-stick pan and add 1 tablespoon of the rapeseed oil. Once the pan is hot, add the fish. Fry for a couple of minutes until the fish is cooked and crispy on the outside, before you turn off the heat add a squeeze of lemon to the pan to sizzle and steam. Remove the fish from the pan and place onto a serving plate. Fill your tacos with the crunchy salad, Pink Lady salsa and fried fish. If you want extra heat, top with Tabasco sauce and a squeeze of lime for more tang.

Black Bean & Butternut Squash Tacos

Serves
4
Total Time
45 Minutes
Ingredients
2 tbsp of The Groovy Food Company Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
650g of butternut squash or pumpkin, peeled, deseeded & cut into 2cm chunks
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp of ground cumin
1 tsp of sweet smoked paprika
1 x 400g tin of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tsp of The Groovy Food Company Organic Agave Nectar, Light Amber & Mild
For the guacamole
2 ripe avocados
150g of frozen peas, defrosted
½ small bunch of mint, leaves roughly chopped
1 small bunch of coriander, leaves roughly chopped
Zest of 1 lime and juice of ½
To Serve
2 baby gem lettuces, shredded
1 lime, cut into wedges
8-12 small soft flour tortillas
Method
Step 1

Heat oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas 6. Spoon the coconut oil into a large roasting tray and heat in the oven. Add the squash to the tray along with the cumin, smoked paprika, garlic and plenty of seasoning. Mix well and roast for 20 minutes. Tip in the black beans, drizzle over the agave, then toss everything together and roast for another 15 minutes.

Step 2

Meanwhile make the guacamole. Mash the avocado, peas, lime zest and juice in a bowl, then stir through most of the herbs and some seasoning.

Step 3

Wrap the tortillas in foil and pop in the oven with the squash for the last 5 minutes, to heat through.

Step 4

To serve, let everyone dig in and make their own tacos – spread a generous spoonful of guacamole over a tortilla, then top with lettuce, 1-2 tablespoons of the black bean mix, a crumbling of feta, a sprinkling of herbs and a squeeze of lime.

Vegan Black Bean Tacos

Serves
4
Total Time
40 Minutes
Ingredients
For The Filling
1 tbsp of olive oil
2 shallots, diced
1 clove of garlic, chopped
300g of Jersey Royal potatoes, diced
300g of tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 tsp of chipotle paste
120g of black beans, drained & rinsed
For The Pickles
75ml of red wine vinegar
1 tbsp of sugar
Pinch of salt
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
6 radishes, thinly sliced
To Serve
Little gem lettuce leaves
2 avocados, peeled & sliced
Edible flowers & tiger pink lemons to serve
Method
Step 1

Warm the vinegar with the sugar and salt and stir until dissolved. Bring up to the boil
then pour over the onions and radishes. Leave to steep and cool for at least 15
minutes.

Step 2

To make the filling, heat the oil in a pan, add the shallot and cook gently for five
minutes until completely softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute,
then add the Jersey Royal potatoes, tomatoes, and chipotle paste with 100ml water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the beans and cook uncovered for another five minutes. Cool slightly.

Step 3

To serve, spoon the potato mixture into the lettuce leaves, top with avocado slices,
a few pickles and a lemon wedge for squeezing over. Garnish with edible flowers
and extra lemon wedges.

Crispy Vegan Tacos With Sweetcorn & Radish Salsa

Serves
4-6
Total Time
1 Hour
Ingredients
For The Filling
750g of salad potatoes, halved lengthways & cut into 5mm thick slices
1½ tsp of ground cinnamon, plus extra to serve
½ tsp of cumin seeds
¼ tsp of ground coriander
1 tbsp of maple syrup
3 tbsp of olive or rapeseed oil
Large handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
Grated zest of 1 lime
Sea salt flakes & black pepper
For the lime & jalapeño soured cream
150g of cashews, soaked & drained
100ml of water
Grated zest & juice of 1 lime
1 tsp of cider vinegar
1 tbsp of pickled jalapeños
Sea salt flakes & black pepper
For the sweetcorn & radish salsa
100g of sweetcorn kernels, preferably raw
4 radishes, finely chopped
1 celery stick, finely chopped
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped
Grated zest & juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp of roughly chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp of roughly chopped dill
Sea salt flakes & black pepper
To Serve
10-12 taco-sized tortillas
200g of rocket leaves
Lime juice
Method
Step 1

Preheat the oven to 220°C.

Step 2

To make the soured cream, place the cashews in a blender with the measured water, lime juice, vinegar and jalapeños. Season and blend for at least ten minutes, or until completely smooth. Scrape down the sides with a spatula every few minutes, bearing in mind that the cream will go through several stages until you achieve the desired smooth consistency. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until needed.

Step 3

Place the potatoes in an ovenproof dish and sprinkle over the cinnamon, cumin and coriander, then drizzle with the maple syrup and two tablespoons of the oil. Season generously and toss to combine. Roast in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until golden and crisp, shaking the pan from time to time. Remove from the oven, season and toss through the chopped coriander and lime zest.

Step 4

To make the salsa, place the sweetcorn kernels in a large bowl with the chopped radish, celery, spring onion and chilli. Add the lime zest and juice, season generously and stir to combine. Add the parsley and dill, stir and set aside until needed.

Step 5

Heat the tortillas on a lightly oiled griddle pan and keep warm in a clean tea towel.

Step 6

Spread each tortilla with a light smear of soured cream, then top with some rocket leaves. Followed by crispy potatoes, sweetcorn salsa and some more soured cream. Finish with a squeeze of lime juice, dust with cinnamon and serve.

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