31 Healthy Mexican Recipes for a Mexican Night Made Light

By Karla Walsh
Updated April 12, 2019
Blaine Moats
Host a flavor fiesta filled with healthy Mexican food all month long. We’re adding veggies and cutting down on sodium in quesadillas, tacos, fajitas, and nachos so you can enjoy a variety of healthy Mexican recipes. Each of these low-calorie Mexican food options has less than 400 calories per serving!
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Pressure Cooker Chicken Salsa Tortas

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Carbs don't have to be off limits in healthy Mexican recipes. Take these speedy chicken sandwiches (that call for only 15 minutes under pressure). Each serving of the salsa-infused chicken is stuffed inside a hoagie bun and the whole torta has only 397 calories.

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Mexican Fried Veggie Rice with Radishes and Avocado

Brie Passano
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We’re taking fried rice on a vacation! To create this low-calorie Mexican food, substitute broccoli and cauliflower rice for white rice. Stir in flavor-packed ingredients such as chili powder, cumin, lime juice, avocado, and cilantro for a Mexican twist on this popular Asian creation.

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Pork al Pastor

Andy Lyons Cameraworks LTD
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Meet one of our most prized meat entrées. We’ve won over countless folks with this succulent, tender pork tenderloin. Grill pineapple slices alongside the pork and stuff both inside grilled corn or flour tortillas.

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Sweet Potato Burrito Bowls with Cashew Cream

Jason Donnelly
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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 separate component in a bowl for a build-your-own supper.

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Cheesy Taco-Stuffed Peppers

Blaine Moats
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Pep up dinner by utilizing bell pepper halves as low-cal, high-nutrition “taco shells.” Mounded with rice, beans, veggies, spices, and cheese, one vegetarian stuffed pepper makes for a healthy Mexican side dish. Or try two for a satisfying dinner that sneaks in 20 grams of protein.

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Chili Verde Soup

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Dump dinners for the win! Pork shoulder braises to craveable perfection in the slow cooker next to beans, chicken broth, chile peppers, and spinach. Amp up this healthy Mexican food meal in a bowl with a dollop of sour cream and healthy handful of cilantro.

Buy It: 4-Quart Slow Cooker, $34.99, Bed Bath & Beyond

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Vegan Chorizo Tacos

Jason Donnelly
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Seeking a vegan Mexican meal with less fat? These surprisingly beef-like vegan tacos are stuffed with seasoned mushrooms, chickpeas, and walnuts. The finished product: Several street taco-servings with less than 400 calories each!

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Green Bean, Corn, and Tomato Salad with Jalapeño Vinaigrette

Jason Donnelly
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Three jalapeños add plenty of kick to the dressing for this zesty vegetarian salad! While the green beans blanch, blend the vinaigrette. Then toss everything together, top with a handful of cheese, and if desired, finish with a grilled protein of choice.

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Burrito Bowls

Blaine Moats
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We made this low-calorie Mexican recipe with 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.

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Shrimp Ceviche Tostada with Fennel and Grapefruit

Blaine Moats
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Impress guests with this showstopping shrimp ceviche. This restaurant-like creation features Mexico's bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Low-fat, high-protein shrimp is drenched in a citrus marinade, then sprinkled onto tostada shells along with fennel, red onion, grapefruit, orange, and avocado.

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Fall Vegetable Fajitas

Blaine Moats
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These fresh and flavorful grilled fajitas get their spunky flavor from a chile-lime marinade. Serve with a boatload of veggies for a healthy Mexican dinner recipe.

Buy It: Stainless Grill Basket, $21.99, Walmart

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Chicken in Peanut Sauce (Pollo Encacahuatado)

Jason Donnelly
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Tender, juicy chicken thighs in a spicy peanut sauce at less than 400 calories per serving? Yes, please! (Psst, you can discard the chicken skin to save additional fat and calories.) Pair this delicious and healthy Mexican recipe with a side salad or crisp-tender steamed veggies for a filling and flavorful meal.

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Slow Cooker Taco Salad

Jacob Fox
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This fabulous slow cooker meal is a triple treat: nutritious, Mexican, 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 opt for authentic ground beef or leaner ground turkey in this healthy Mexican recipe is up to you. (Either is delish!)

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Tlayuda con Chorizo (Mexican Pizza with Chorizo)

Andy Lyons
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Put a spicy spin on pizza night. This low-calorie Mexican food fix, a twist on a popular street snack, will be a hit with adults and kids. Grill flour tortillas as crusts for these crispy pizzas, then pile them high with chorizo, Oaxaca cheese, salsa, and all your favorite toppings.

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Pumpkin, Bean, and Chicken Enchiladas

Blaine Moats
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Squash hunger pangs with high-fiber, satisfying pumpkin. Here, we've given traditional chicken enchiladas a fall twist with a savory use for the popular pie ingredient. Part-skim mozzarella cheese keeps this healthy Mexican food dish low in fat, while jalapeño adds tongue-tingling heat.

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Fajita-Style Quesadillas

Blaine Moats
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Feeling cheesy? Serve wedges of these surprisingly light quesadillas as an appetizer at your next fiesta. Stuffed with fresh, colorful vegetables and enough gooey melted cheese, these fajita-style quesadillas have just 60 calories per serving!

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Zesty Fajita Bites

Andy Lyons
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These colorful fajita wraps are an appetizing and low-calorie Mexican recipe for your next taco party. Add a zesty fiesta-lime seasoning to succulent chicken thighs, 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 220 calories each.

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Chicken Chilaquiles

Kritsada Panichgul
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Say hola to this traditional Mexican breakfast recipe. 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!

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Baked Tilapia Veracruz

Blaine Moats
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Reel in a really delicious low-calorie Mexican food option. Brighten baked tilapia with green olives, golden raisins, capers, and cherry tomatoes, then finish with fresh herbs to complete this 300-calorie dish. Tilapia not your favorite fish? Red snapper works equally well in this yummy low-calorie Mexican recipe.

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Chile Flank Steak with Grilled-Corn Pico de Gallo

Blaine Moats
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Steak for dinner on a healthy diet? You bet! Lean cuts of beef, such as the flank steak in this healthy Mexican recipe are delicious additions to a well-balanced meal plan. Grill with chipotle seasonings and serve with bright homemade pico de gallo for fun Southwestern flair.

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Tequila Shrimp Nachos

Adam Lyons
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Cheers! Cook with spirits to add an unexpected depth of flavor to your dishes. Jam-packed with grilled tomatoes, shrimp, and chile peppers, these tequila-infused nachos are a low-calorie Mexican recipe alternative to the cheesy Mexican classic.

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Mango-Chicken Tinga

Karla Conrad
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Tango 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 cubes of sweet mango (a vitamin C powerhouse) to temper the heat in this low-calorie Mexican recipe. Serve over cauliflower rice instead of white rice if you’d like to lighten up this meal even more.

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Green Chile Chicken Tortilla Casserole

Blaine Moats
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Go green and go south of the border all at once with this healthy Mexican chicken casserole. Tomatillos—small, tart, tomato-like fruits—infuse this comfort food creation with a hint of vibrant lime. Blended with onion, chile peppers, cilantro, and layered with tortillas, salsa, and chicken, this flavorful one-dish dinner recipe is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Buy It: 2-Quart Square Baking Dish, $39.99, Bed Bath & Beyond

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Spicy Buffalo Tacos

Jason Donnelly
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Where’s the beef? Well, it can be in this low-calorie 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 that’s balanced with fresh tomatoes, lettuce, and green onions in this easy make-ahead meal.

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Chicken and Green Chili Tamales

Jacob Fox
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Think chicken tamales won't fit into a healthy eating plan? Think again! Each of these spicy, low-fat tamales stands at just a smidgen over 100 calories. Dip the healthy Mexican recipe in zippy pico de gallo or fresh salsa for even more flavor.

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Enchilada Pizzas

Jason Donnelly
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Who knew a whole pizza could clock in at just 167 calories? These corn tortilla-crusted 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.

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Edamame, Black Bean, and Corn Quesadillas with Lime Crema

Scott Little
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Skip the meat and still snag plenty of protein (18 grams) with these colorful quesadillas. Two types of legumes, edamame and black beans, are a natural source of the aforementioned muscle-building macronutrient, plus antioxidants and fiber. Partner with a tangy lime-sour cream sauce for a delicious healthy Mexican recipe with only 341 calories per serving.

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Pork Empanadas with Jicama Pico de Gallo

Blaine Moats
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Why fry it? These pork-stuffed whole-wheat empanadas are baked instead of cooked in oil so they have just 4 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 (we’re obsessed with this Fresh Taco Salad) for a well-rounded meal.

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Spicy Seafood Tacos

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Crabmeat and snapper fillets add protein to these spicy seafood tacos, while light sour cream and fresh fruits and veggies keep this handheld entrée surprisingly low-cal. Watching your carb count? Pile the nicely-spiced seafood atop the cabbage salad and skip the tortillas.

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Crusted Tuna with Chile-Tomato Adobo and Spicy Mango

Blaine Moats
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Top cumin-crusted tuna with homemade adobo sauce to give your dinner a little kick. The sweet taste of cilantro-infused mango relish counters the heat in this healthy Mexican meal. With a whopping 43 grams of protein per plate, these tuna steaks will keep you satisfied for hours.

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Mini Cornmeal Sopes with Chicken Salad

Jason Donnelly
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Full of color, fiber, and protein, this Mexican twist on a chicken salad sandwich has only 309 calories per serving. (Picky eaters have a tough time guessing there are chia seeds and whole-wheat bread crumbs hiding in the sopes!) Polenta squares provide a simple base for a nutritious south-of-the-border low-calorie Mexican lunch.

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