Family-Requested Quick Soft Tacos with Ground Chicken
Your weeknight dinner rotation just got a lot more satisfying! Whip up these extremely quick and healthy Ground Chicken Soft Tacos (ready in 15 minutes!) for an all-time favorite family-friendly meal. Plus, these tacos have hidden veggies (grated carrots and zucchini) for an added nutritional boost!
Soft Tacos with Ground Chicken
Are you looking for a dinner that the entire family (from baby to adult) will eat, that can be made in 15 minutes, in one pot AND has hidden veggies?
I’ve got you!
We all need those meals that you can whip up in almost no time and everyone loves, and this is my family’s all-time-favorite! My kids add cheese (obviously) and some avocado to theirs, but I love to add some fresh cilantro, cheese, diced onions, and of course, some avocado to mine.
I’m not going to stop you if you:
- top with black beans, sour cream and salsa – love this for you
- sprinkled with cheese and used as a dip for your chips – sounds like heaven
- added to the top of a big salad with fresh veggies and rice – slay
Since we are adding the veggies RIGHT INTO THE DISH(!!), there is no need to try to figure out any additional sides of veggies for your kids when I know you are already short on time, and it’s questionable if they will even eat them if offered. Most of the time, I serve these with a side of black beans that have been heated in the microwave and some chopped fruit to my family, because the clock is ticking, but you do you boo!
And don’t get me started on IF there are leftovers, they are absolutely perfect to add to a quesadilla, as a topper for nachos, a salad or the perfect side for your Friday night girl dinner.
Ground Chicken Taco Video
Ingredients
Make sure to read the full recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and instructions.
- Ground Chicken: you can also sub ground beef or ground turkey
- Carrot & Zucchini: finely shredded carrots and zucchini with the zucchini squeezed in a towel to remove excess moisture. Adding the veggies are optional.
- Seasoning: chili powder, cumin, paprika, ground garlic, ground onion, oregano, salt, pepper
- Tortillas: we used soft flour tortillas but you can also use corn, or any other variety you prefer
- Toppings: in my opinion, these are the best part, see list below
Gluten-Free Recipe Tip: The ingredients in these ground chicken tacos are naturally gluten-free. Serve with yellow corn taco shells or your favorite gluten-free tortillas instead of flour tortillas to keep the whole dish gluten-free.
Let’s Do This!
Toppings
Feel free to mix up these ground chicken tacos based on what you have in the fridge and what your family likes. Here are several add-ins and toppings that go particularly well with these tacos:
- Serve with a side of cilantro rice, brown rice, quinoa, or even Spanish rice
- Top with diced avocado or creamy guacamole
- Shredded lettuce
- Halved or quartered cherry tomatoes
- Sauteed green or red bell peppers and onions
- Shredded Mexican blend cheese or cotija cheese
- Pinto, black, or refried beans
- Sour cream
- Cilantro
- Salsa
- A squeeze of fresh lime juice
- You can also serve these tacos ‘nacho style’ – just use tortilla chips to scoop up the ground chicken and any other toppings
Recipe Tips
- When serving to babies, make sure all fillings are cut into age-appropriate sizes and use soft, corn tortillas, as hard taco shells can be challenging to chew and flour tortillas can get gummy in the mouth, which can pose a choking risk.
- great for baby-led weaning or the finger food stage
- Serve the components of tacos separately or “deconstructed” for picky eaters so that they can choose which and how much of each topping they want to try.
- Kids can also help with age-appropriate meal prep for these tacos, such as cutting soft avocados or tomatoes or putting fillings into bowls.
Get the recipe: Quick Soft Tacos with Ground Chicken
Ingredients
Soft Ground Chicken Tacos
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup finely shredded carrots (optional)
- 1/4 cup finely shredded zucchini, excess moisture squeezed out in towel (optional)
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/4 cup water
Toppings
- tortillas
- shredded lettuce
- shredded cheese
- lime
- avocado slices
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in olive oil and let warm up. Add in ground chicken and let cook for 5-6 minutes or until just golden brown. Break the chicken up into small chunks.
- Add in the shredded carrots and zucchini and let cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Add in all of the seasonings and the water.
- Turn the heat to low. Stir everything together and then let simmer for 5 minutes or until the rest of dinner is ready to serve, stirring occasionally.
Notes
- Serve with a side of brown rice, quinoa, or even Spanish rice
- Top with diced avocado or creamy guacamole
- Shredded lettuce
- Halved or quartered cherry tomatoes
- Sauteed green or red bell peppers and onions
- Shredded Mexican blend cheese or cotija cheese
- Pinto, black, or refried beans
- Sour cream
- Cilantro
- Salsa
- A squeeze of fresh lime juice
Did you make this recipe?
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Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).
