Chicken & Avocado Tacos

These chicken and avocado tacos are the answer when you want a Tex-Mex meal that won’t weigh you down. The trick is using mashed avocado blended with yogurt as the dressing, which gives you a guacamole-style creaminess with the lightness of a sauce.

Lemon juice in the avocado mash does double duty: it brightens the flavor and keeps the avocado from browning while you assemble the tacos. Low-fat yogurt replaces sour cream and cuts the richness without losing the cool, tangy element you want against the warm shell and chicken.

Warming the taco shells under the grill for a couple of minutes before filling is small but worth it. They turn crisper, develop a faint toasted edge, and stand up to the wet fillings instead of going soggy halfway through eating.

Pro Tips

• Use a fully ripe avocado that yields to gentle thumb pressure. Hard avocados won’t mash smooth.
• Layer the salad mixture in the shells first, then chicken on top. The lettuce acts as a moisture barrier from the dressing.
• Slice the chicken thin against the grain. Thick slices crowd the shell and make tacos hard to bite.
• Serve immediately. The shells soften within 10 minutes once filled.

Variations

• Add a squeeze of lime and chopped cilantro to the avocado dressing for a more authentic Mexican note.
• Swap chicken for shredded poached fish or grilled shrimp for a coastal version.
• Use soft corn tortillas instead of crisp shells for a softer street-taco feel.