Four healthy and tasty taco recipes

Show us someone who doesn’t like tacos, and we’ll show you someone who has never had one. Tacos have always been versatile, and these days you can use just about anything as a filling.

Whether you’re a taco connoisseur or haven’t yet tried any, these four recipes offer delicious options for just about everyone from meat lovers to vegetarians. The No. 1 guideline about tacos is to make them the way you like them. Is this the tastiest rule you’ve ever heard or what?

Vegetarian Tacos

Let’s start with something simple, a fajita veggies taco. To keep it healthy, opt for multigrain or wheat tortillas.

Ingredients (4 servings)

• Olive or canola oil
• 1 medium white onion, halved and sliced
• 1 large green bell pepper (or use red, orange, or yellow bell pepper), sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 to 2 Anaheim peppers, sliced
• ½ serrano pepper, finely diced (optional, if you like heat)
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander (optional)
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 8 tortillas or taco shells, warmed

Topping options

• Avocado, peeled and diced
• Black beans, low-sodium (canned), warmed and drained
• Cilantro (fresh), chopped
• Guacamole
• Jicama, julienned
• Lettuce, shredded
• Pico de gallo (may be found ready-made in the produce section)
• Roma tomato, diced
• Salsa, low-sodium
• White onion, finely diced

Instructions

1. Heat oil in sauté pan on medium high; add onion, then bell pepper, then garlic, then Anaheim pepper and serrano pepper (if using). Sauté until onions are nearly translucent.
2. Add chili powder, cumin, and coriander (if using). Sauté another 2 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Taste veggies; add salt and pepper and adjust other seasonings as desired.
4. Assemble veggies in tortillas or taco shells.
5. Add desired toppings.

Fish Tacos

Want to add some tasty, healthy protein? Check out this recipe for Grilled Fish Tacos with Chipotle-Lime Dressing.¹ (Quick tip: The fish can be baked in the oven instead of grilled.) You can also substitute another firm-fleshed fish for the tilapia.

As with the veggie tacos, the key with this recipe is to season the ingredients according to your personal taste, add toppings that you and your family enjoy, and use the tortillas or taco shells that you prefer. You can even mix and match a batch of corn and flour shells!

Chicken or Beef Street Tacos

The street taco is one of the simplest and most delicious styles. Placed on palm-sized tortillas (corn or flour), they’re usually filled with well-seasoned meat, topped with finely diced white onion and chopped cilantro, and finished with a lime wedge and salsa of varying heat levels. Try these fillings:

Shredded chicken ingredients²

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 1-½ teaspoon paprika
• 1-½ teaspoon cumin
• 1-½ teaspoon chipotle powder
• ½ teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium white onion, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Wash chicken thighs, slice into tenders and place in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Combine paprika, cumin, chipotle powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Mix spices with oil, garlic, and onion.
4. Pour spice/oil mixture over the chicken tenders and mix together thoroughly. Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer.
5. Bake chicken in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until completely cooked (chicken juices must run clear).
6. Remove chicken from oven, place in a large bowl. Shred chicken using two forks. (Quick tip: A hand mixer can be used to shred the chicken too!)
7. Warm tortillas in a hot sauté pan for a few seconds on each side, until they are hot and begin to bubble.
8. Use two tortillas to create each taco (lay one on top of the other, then fold). Fill with chicken and preferred toppings. Squeeze lime wedge on top, drizzle with salsa, and enjoy!

For an authentic, traditional take on the street version, try Beef Picadillo Tacos—courtesy of Hispanic Kitchen—made with a hearty blend of lean ground beef (up it to 90 percent lean instead of 80 percent), diced potatoes, onion, and tomatoes.³ This dish will make your ultimate comfort food list!

Since tacos often call for spicy and high-fiber ingredients such as peppers, chilis, and beans, be sure to adjust the amounts to suit your tummy as well as your palate. If something doesn’t quite agree with you, remember that Teladoc treats a wide variety of non-emergency conditions such as indigestion and acid reflux as well as seasonal allergies, upper respiratory infections, and common general medical concerns. Our board-certified physicians are available by app, web, and phone 24/7 anywhere you are. Now get out there and experience these tantalizing tacos! (Oh, and not to get off topic, but it’s time to get a flu shot.)

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