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Chicken and lentil meatball tacos recipe

Chicken and lentil meatball tacos recipe

3 ratings

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)
If you haven't got any white bread, try using brown instead

Each serving contains

  • Energy

    2425kj
    581kcal
    29%
  • Fat

    32g 46%
  • Saturates

    5g 26%
  • Sugars

    7g 7%
  • Salt

    1.7g 29%

of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 37.6g Protein 31.3g Fibre 9.2g

Method

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

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.

See more Mexican recipes

For top tips on protecting you and your family when preparing raw meat and poultry, visit Food Safety in the Home.

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