Chicken and lentil meatball tacos recipe
This tasty Mexican-inspired tacos recipe is made with chicken mince and nutritious green lentils. Ready in just over half an hour and freezable, it would make a lovely lunch or speedy dinner and everyone will love loading their taco shells with all the trimmings!
See method- Serves 4
- 15 mins to prepare and 20 mins to cook
- 581 calories / serving
- Freezable
Ingredients
- 390g tin green lentils in water, drained
- 500g pack chicken mince
- 15g taco seasoning (from a 30g sachet)
- 3 tbsp dried white breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1 large, ripe avocado
- ½ lime, juiced
- 8 crunchy taco shells
- 150g chargrilled peppers (from a 285g jar), cut into strips
- 200g pot fresh salsa
- soured cream, to serve (optional)
Each serving contains
- Energy
- 2425kJ 581.0kcal
- Fat
- 32g
- Saturates
- 5g
- Salt
- 1.7g
- Sugars
- 7g
of the Reference intake
Carbohydrate 37.6gProtein 31.3gFibre 9.2g
Method
- Pat dry the lentils with kitchen paper, then add to a large bowl with the mince, taco seasoning and breadcrumbs; mix well to combine. Use slightly wet hands to shape into 16 golf ball-sized meatballs.
- Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. Heat 1 tbsp oil in large nonstick frying pan over a medium heat. Cook half the meatballs for 6-8 mins, turning frequently, until browned all over (see Cook's tip). Transfer to a lined baking tray, then repeat with the remaining oil and meatballs. Bake for 10-12 mins until cooked through.
- Meanwhile, mash the avocado with the lime juice and a little black pepper. Serve the meatballs in the taco shells with the roasted peppers, avocado, a spoonful of salsa and a dollop of soured cream, if you like.
- Tip: To avoid frying, preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. Put the meatballs on a lined baking tray and bake for 18-20 mins.
- See more Mexican recipes
Freezing and defrosting guidelines
Freeze meatballs only. In order to enjoy optimum flavour and quality, frozen items are best used within 3 months of their freezing date. For more tips on freezing and defrosting food, read our article Love Your Freezer.
- For top tips on protecting you and your family when preparing raw meat and poultry, visit Food Safety in the Home.
