This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure Policy.
These paleo chicken tacos are made in the Instant Pot or slow cooker and are served in lettuce wraps for a Whole30 and low carb take on the Mexican recipe favorite. Topped with a rich avocado crema and fresh pico de gallo, these are the best ever low carb and Whole30 chicken tacos. Keto, too!
Let’s see a show of hands real quick:
Who doesn’t like tacos?
OK. You’re excused.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s talk about what really matters. And aren’t you proud I didn’t say let’s taco ’bout it? Because I was really, really tempted to.
I’m not one of those “If I can’t have (whatever unhealthy thing) on a diet, then it ain’t worth it” kind of people at all. I think it was the Whole30 that truly taught me to isolate my emotions from food, pairing them deliberately, later, when the mental addiction was demolished. Or maybe it was going vegan almost a decade ago – wanting steak but choosing not to eat it for myriad reasons.
But tacos? If I can’t have them on whatever diet I’m following, is it really worth it? Especially when you can have chicken paleo tacos like these?! With tender, shredded chicken nestled into soft Bibb lettuce wraps, topped with a rich avocado crema, studded with fresh pico de gallo and taco-truck-inspired radishes?
Any diet that doesn’t allow these paleo tacos: hard pass.
Why these tacos are so good:
- They’re made in the Instant Pot, making them super easy and quick.
- These paleo chicken tacos are wrapped in tender Bibb lettuce leaves, so they’re Whole30 compliant, low carb, and keto, too.
- The shredded chicken is so tender and perfectly spiced, and the avocado crema is rich, easy, and full of flavor.
What else you can do with these Whole30 tacos
- If you’re not actually on a Whole30, try Siete paleo tortillas (I can usually find them at Whole Foods in the refrigerated section) or make your own. Try paleo tortillas or even keto cheese taco shells. Hel-lo.
- Sub 1 pound of ground beef for the chicken breasts. Crumble it in a skillet until browned, stir in the taco seasoning, and omit the salsa.
- Try a mango salsa to top it all off. The mango salsa from my Whole30 fish taco bowls is perfect on these paleo tacos!
So… what makes these tacos Whole30-approved?
On a Whole30, you can’t have any grains or legumes, meaning tortillas are out. Even paleo tortillas like Siete makes are non-compliant since you can’t recreate any baked good or the like. However, lettuce wraps are totally fine! So these paleo chicken tacos in lettuce wraps are totally Whole30 compliant.
They’re keto, too!
Yep, with 14 total grams carbs and 8 grams dietary fiber, these babies are totally keto.
How to make them
Throw your chicken breasts, taco seasoning, salsa, and salt in the Instant Pot. Seal it up and cook on Manual High Pressure for 18 minutes. Quick Release then remove them from the cooking pot. Shred using two forks or your stand or hand mixer. Details below on that method!
To make the avocado crema, you’ll simply blitz everything together in a food processor or blender. Ideally, chill it in the fridge while you make the chicken!
After your chicken and avocado crema are ready, you’ll simply fill your Bibb lettuce wraps with chicken, top with lots of avocado crema, then finish off by garnishing with pico de gallo, fresh sliced radishes, and fresh cilantro.
The avocado crema, though…
It’s so good. A couple of tips:
- It makes a lot. You can half the recipe, but I don’t know why you would. It’s just delish!
- If you can, make it on the front end of the recipe and chill in the fridge while you finish the rest. It’s ideal to let the flavors meld and keep everything thick and super bright tasting.
Making these tacos in the slow cooker or Crockpot
Don’t have an Instant Pot? No stress – add your ingredients to your slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 4-6 hours. Continue on with the recipe as written!
Shred the chicken super quickly with a mixer
To shred the chicken for these paleo tacos super, super quickly, roughly dice them (optional – you can just throw them in whole!) and add to your stand mixer. Use the paddle attachment on low for a couple of minutes. Alternately, try your hand mixer to very quickly shred the chicken. Lifesaver!
Other recipes you’ll love:
- Mexican Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (Whole30, Instant Pot, Paleo)
- Crockpot Carnitas with Pork Tenderloin
- Whole30 Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla-Less Soup
- Whole30 Chipotle Beef & Avocado Bowls
- Best Vegan Queso Blanco
Chicken Tacos in Lettuce Wraps with Avocado Crema (Paleo, Whole30, Low Carb)
Ingredients
For the Shredded Chicken
- 2 chicken breasts
- ⅔ cup salsa
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Avocado Crema
- 2 large avocados peeled and pitted (approximately 5 ½ ounces of avocado meat)
- ½ cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1 clove garlic peeled
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
For the Lettuce Tacos
- 1 head Bibb lettuce
- pico de gallo or fresh salsa to serve
- radishes thinly sliced, to serve
Instructions
For the Shredded Chicken
- Combine all ingredients in the pot of an Instant Pot. Seal and cook on Manual High Pressure for 18 minutes. Quick Release and carefully remove chicken breasts to a cutting board to shred by hand or large bowl to shred with a mixer.
- Shred by hand using two forks. Shred with a mixer using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer or standard attachments on a hand mixer.
- Return shredded chicken to Instant Pot and stir to soak up juices.
- To cook chicken in the slow cooker, see note.
For the Avocado Crema
- Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Chill until ready to serve, ideally at least 30 minutes.
To Assemble Tacos
- Spoon chicken into Bibb lettuce wraps and top with plenty of avocado crema. Finish with fresh pico de gallo and radish slices.
- To cook the chicken in your slow cooker: Add all ingredients to slow cooker and cover. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 4-6 hours. Continue on with the recipe as written!
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tag @40aprons on Instagram and be sure to leave a review on the blog post!
Never Miss A Meal!
New Recipes Straight To Your Inbox
A curated selection of our most recent recipes, delivered straight to your inbox once a week.
Leave A Review
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Easy recipe to make for sure! It’s something I can make when I’m low on time, thank you!