Recipes & Cooking International Recipes Mexican Recipes 18 Heart-Healthy Mexican Recipes for Lightened-Up Favorites You can enjoy burritos, tacos and more without loading up on calories. These 18 recipes are light and delicious. By Karla Walsh Karla Walsh Karla Walsh began her career at FITNESS magazine in 2010. Since, she's worked at a wide variety of publications full-time, including BHG.com, Recipe.com and as a cross-brand social media specialist. From search engine optimization to features for print to video strategy, she has a diverse background in all things magazines. At the start of 2019, Karla chose to pursue full-time freelance writing and has contributed to more than 3 dozen brands. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on April 27, 2023 Fact checked by Marcus Reeves Fact checked by Marcus Reeves Marcus Reeves is an experienced writer, publisher, and fact-checker. He began his writing career reporting for The Source magazine. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, Playboy, The Washington Post, and Rolling Stone, among other publications. His book Somebody Scream: Rap Music's Rise to Prominence in the Aftershock of Black Power was nominated for a Zora Neale Hurston Award. He is an adjunct instructor at New York University, where he teaches writing and communications. Marcus received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Learn about BHG's Fact Checking Process Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Blaine Moats Host a flavor fiesta with healthy Mexican recipes that don't pile on the calories. We're adding veggies and reducing sodium in healthy quesadillas, tacos, fajitas, and burritos so that you can enjoy a variety of heart-healthy Mexican recipe faves right at home. Each recipe has fewer than 450 calories per serving while packing in fiber and protein—oh yes, and plenty of flavor. 19 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes That Make Nutritious Eating Easy 01 of 18 Sweet Potato Burrito Bowls with Cashew Cream View Recipe Jason Donnelly Score a fast food fix at home—and in a way more balanced fashion—with this healthy Mexican recipe. Our pinto bean, sweet potato, and brown rice burrito bowls are full of flavor and fiber (almost half your daily quota). Prep them on Sunday for grab-and-go weekday lunches, or set out each component in a bowl for a build-your-own supper. 11 DIY Grain Bowl Recipes That Are Complete Meals in One Dish 02 of 18 Cheesy Taco-Stuffed Peppers View Recipe Blaine Moats Pep up dinner using bell pepper halves as low-cal, high-nutrition "taco shells." Mounded with rice, beans, veggies, spices, and cheese, one vegetarian stuffed pepper is a healthy Mexican recipe to serve as a side. Or try two for a satisfying dinner that sneaks in 10 grams of protein. 03 of 18 Chili Verde Soup View Recipe Scott Little Dump dinners for the win! Pork shoulder braises to craveable perfection in the slow cooker next to beans, chicken broth, chili peppers, and spinach. Amp up this healthy Mexican recipe in a bowl with a dollop of sour cream and a handful of cilantro. Buy It: Cuisinart 3.5-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker ($60, Target) 04 of 18 Chicken Chilaquiles View Recipe Kritsada Panichgul Say "hola!" to this traditional Mexican dish that sure doesn't taste like a low-calorie Mexican food option. Queso fresco and sour cream balance the heat of chipotle-spiced chicken and tomatoes. This skillet casserole will inspire you to jump out of bed to speed up the time between your alarm and the first bite of this morning meal! The 9 Best Nonstick Pans of 2024 05 of 18 Baked Tilapia Veracruz View Recipe Blaine Moats Reel in a really delicious heart-healthy Mexican recipe. Brighten baked tilapia with green olives, golden raisins, capers, and cherry tomatoes, then finish with fresh herbs to complete this 264-calorie dish. Test Kitchen Tip Tilapia not your favorite fish? Red snapper works equally well in this yummy, low-calorie Mexican-inspired recipe. 06 of 18 Burrito Bowls View Recipe Blaine Moats Healthy burrito recipes can be tough to find if you're searching for them on fast-food menus. (Psst—the burrito's tortilla alone often adds about 334 calories to your meal!) For this low-calorie Mexican recipe, we ditch that tortilla and use high-fiber cauliflower rice, fresh pico, and a variety of crunchy, delicious veggies. Finish it off with your favorite protein—pork, chicken, shrimp, or beans would all work wonderfully—and you won't feel like you're missing a thing. 3 Ways to Make Cauliflower Rice for Lots of Recipes 07 of 18 Chicken in Peanut Sauce (Pollo Encacahuatado) View Recipe Jason Donnelly Tender, juicy chicken thighs in a spicy peanut sauce at fewer than 400 calories per serving? Yes, please! (FYI, you can discard the chicken skin to save additional fat and calories.) Pair this delicious and heart-healthy Mexican dish with a side salad or crisp-tender steamed veggies for a filling and flavorful meal. 08 of 18 Slow Cooker Taco Salad View Recipe Jacob Fox This fabulous slow cooker meal is a triple treat: nutritious, Mexican-inspired, and convenient. Load up your slow cooker with ground meat and four more kitchen staples, then scoop the spicy meat mixture onto a bed of greens and top it off with corn, avocado, and cherry tomatoes. Whether you choose ground beef or leaner ground turkey in this healthy taco salad is up to you. (Either is delish!) Buy It: Crock-Pot 4-Quart Cook & Carry Slow Cooker ($50, Bed Bath & Beyond) 24 Main Dish Salad Recipes Perfect for Fresh Weeknight Meals 09 of 18 Pumpkin, Bean, and Chicken Enchiladas View Recipe Blaine Moats Squash hunger pangs with one high-fiber pantry staple: canned pumpkin. For this healthy enchilada casserole, we've given traditional chicken enchiladas a makeover with a savory use for the popular pie ingredient. Part-skim mozzarella cheese keeps these crowd-pleasing enchiladas low in fat, while jalapeño adds tongue-tingling heat. 10 of 18 Fajita-Style Quesadillas View Recipe Blaine Moats Feeling cheesy? Serve wedges of these surprisingly healthy quesadillas as an appetizer at your next fiesta. Stuffed with fresh, colorful vegetables and gooey melted cheese, a whole fajita-style quesadilla has just 61 calories per serving. Test Kitchen Tip If you're craving more protein, toss in two to four ounces of grilled shrimp, chicken, or cooked beans with the veggies as the filling. 11 of 18 Zesty Fajita Bites View Recipe Andy Lyons Add these colorful fajita wraps as a low-calorie, heart-healthy, Mexican recipe option for your next taco party. Slow-cook succulent chicken thighs with a zesty fiesta lime seasoning, then wrap them in flour tortillas with an array of bright peppers. For a full meal, skip the slicing step and enjoy a whole tortilla wrap for just 44 calories each. 12 of 18 Mango-Chicken Tinga View Recipe Karla Conrad Make your way to the table for a hearty yet healthy bowl of tinga, a shredded-meat stew with smoky-hot flavor from chipotle peppers. Toss in sweet mango cubes (a vitamin C powerhouse) to temper the heat in this low-calorie Mexican recipe. Test Kitchen Tip Serve the healthy Mexican chicken recipe over cauliflower rice instead of white rice if you'd like to lighten up this meal even more. How to Cut a Mango in 3 Easy Steps 13 of 18 Green Chile-Chicken Tortilla Casserole View Recipe Blaine Moats Go green and go south of the border at the same time with this healthy Mexican recipe riff on the classic chicken casserole. Tomatillos—tiny, tart, tomato-like fruit—infuse this comfort food with a hint of vibrant lime. Blended with onion, chili peppers, and cilantro and layered with tortillas, salsa, and chicken, this flavorful one-dish dinner recipe will surely be a crowd-pleaser. 14 of 18 Spicy Buffalo Tacos View Recipe Jason Donnelly Where's the beef? It can be in this low-fat, healthy Mexican recipe if you can't find its leaner red meat alternative, buffalo. Use either as the base for the slow-simmered, fiery taco meat balanced with fresh tomatoes, lettuce, and green onions in this easy make-ahead meal. Pollo Dorado Chicken Tacos 15 of 18 Chicken and Green Chile Tamales View Recipe Jacob Fox If you think cozy and comforting chicken tamales don't fit into a well-balanced eating plan, this dish will make you reconsider. Each spicy, healthy tamale stands at just a smidgen over 200 calories. Top each bite with zippy pico de gallo or fresh salsa for even more flavor. 16 of 18 Enchilada Pizzas View Recipe Jason Donnelly Who knew a whole pizza could clock in at just 167 calories? These corn tortilla-crusted healthy enchilada pizzas put a fiery spin on the classic Italian dish with chili powder, cayenne pepper, enchilada sauce, and more. Piles of fresh herbs and vegetables keep these pizzas in healthy Mexican food territory. 17 Healthy Italian Recipes That Don't Skimp on Flavor 17 of 18 Pork Empanadas with Jicama Pico de Gallo View Recipe Blaine Moats Why fry it? These pork-stuffed whole wheat empanadas are baked on a sheet pan instead of cooking in oil, so they have just eight grams of fat per serving. Pico de gallo blended with jicama—a turnip-like veggie native to Mexico—serves as a fresh dipping sauce for these savory pockets. Enjoy one as a healthy Mexican side dish, or pair two with a Mexican salad for a well-rounded meal. 18 of 18 Spicy Seafood Tacos View Recipe Jason Donnelly Crabmeat and snapper fillets add protein to these spicy seafood tacos, while light sour cream, fresh fruits, and veggies keep this handheld entrée surprisingly light. So if you are counting carbs or seeking a keto diet-friendly meal, pile the nicely spiced seafood atop the cabbage salad and skip the tortillas for a low-carb and low-calorie Mexican food fix. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit