Chicken Chalupa: A Keto Conundrum?

The chicken chalupa is a popular dish at Taco Bell, but can it be made keto-friendly? The answer is yes, and there are several recipes available online that offer a keto twist on the classic chalupa. A chalupa is a little snack that originated as street food in Mexico and is typically a boat-shaped corn shell filled with meat and toppings. The keto-friendly version of the chalupa replaces the corn shell with a chicken breast, which is then stuffed with toppings such as cheese, avocado, lettuce, and tomato.

Chicken breast as a taco shell

Ingredients:

• Chicken Breasts: Look for thin-sliced chicken breasts or slice them yourself. You'll need about 16 ounces of chicken, which should yield around 3 taco shells per breast.
• Breadcrumbs: For a keto-friendly option, use crushed pork rinds as breadcrumbs. You'll need about 2.5 ounces, crushed in a food processor.
• Flour: Use almond flour or coconut flour for a keto-friendly option. You'll need about 1/2 cup.
• Eggs: Whisk a few eggs in a bowl to create an egg wash for coating the chicken.
• Seasonings: Feel free to get creative with seasonings. You can use garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper to taste.
• Toppings: Shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese, avocado, sour cream, salsa, and any other toppings of your choice.

Instructions:

• Preheat your oven to a temperature between 350-400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Prepare the chicken breasts by butterflying or slicing them open to create a thin, even layer. Pound the chicken between two pieces of parchment or wax paper until it's about 1/4 inch thick.
• Create a breading station with three plates or bowls. Place the flour on one plate, whisk the eggs in a bowl, and mix the crushed pork rinds and seasonings on another plate.
• Dip each chicken breast first in the flour, then the egg wash, and finally, coat it with the pork rind mixture.
• To form the taco shell shape, you can use a springform pan or create an aluminium foil structure. Drape the coated chicken over it, forming a chalupa-like shape.
• Bake the chicken for around 25-30 minutes, or until cooked through.
• While the chicken is baking, prepare your toppings and sauce. You can make a creamy sauce by blending avocado, sour cream, and ranch seasoning.
• Once the chicken is done, let it cool slightly. Then, spread the sauce on the inside of each chicken shell.
• Fill the shells with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and any other toppings of your choice.
• Enjoy your delicious chicken breast taco shells!

Tips and Variations:

• For a spicier kick, increase the amount of chili powder and cayenne pepper in the seasoning mixture.
• If you prefer a crispier texture, try frying the chicken shells in coconut oil instead of baking them.
• You can also use canned chicken breast and form it into tortilla-sized circles on a baking sheet.
• Get creative with your toppings! Try different combinations of vegetables, cheeses, and sauces to find your favorite flavor profiles.

Keto-friendly toppings

The beauty of keto-friendly meals is that you can be adventurous with toppings and ingredients. Here are some ideas for keto-friendly toppings to go with your chicken chalupa:

Lettuce

Shredded lettuce is a great keto-friendly topping. It adds a nice crunchy texture to your chalupa and is a good way to increase your vegetable intake. You can use iceberg lettuce or go for a mix of different types of lettuce for added flavour.

Cheese

Cheese is always a good option for keto-friendly meals. You can use shredded cheddar cheese or go for a Mexican blend of shredded cheeses. Cheese adds a nice creamy texture and a burst of flavour to your chalupa.

Avocado

Avocado is a great keto-friendly topping as it is high in healthy fats and adds a nice creamy texture to your chalupa. You can use sliced avocado or make an avocado ranch sauce by blending avocado with ranch dressing or sour cream.

Sour cream

Sour cream is another keto-friendly topping option that will add a nice creamy texture to your chalupa. You can use it as a topping on its own or blend it with avocado and ranch seasoning to make a sauce.

Tomatoes

While tomatoes do contain some carbohydrates, you can still include them in your keto chicken chalupa in moderation. Dice a Roma tomato and add it to your chalupa for some extra flavour and colour.

Spices

You can also experiment with different spices to add extra flavour to your chicken chalupa. Some options include garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper.

Oven-baked vs. fried chalupa

Chalupas are a specialty dish of south-central Mexico. Traditional chalupas are small, thick, boat-shaped fried dough topped with salsa, cheese, and shredded lettuce. The dough is typically made with flour, baking powder, salt, and butter, and fried in oil. This creates a chalupa that is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Oven-baked chalupas offer a healthier alternative to the traditional fried version. To make oven-baked chalupas, you can follow a similar recipe as the fried version but instead of frying the dough, you can bake it in the oven. Here are the steps to make oven-baked chalupas:

Oven-Baked Chalupas:

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Prepare the chalupa dough by mixing flour, baking powder, salt, and butter, and kneading it into a soft dough.
• Divide the dough into equal-sized balls, depending on how many chalupas you want to make.
• Roll out each ball of dough into a circle, about 5-6 inches in diameter.
• Place the rolled-out dough onto a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until cooked through.
• Once baked, remove from the oven and let cool before filling.
• Fill the chalupas with your desired toppings, such as shredded lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, and salsa.

Fried Chalupas:

Fried chalupas are made by frying the dough in oil, which gives them a crispy and soft texture. Here are the steps to make fried chalupas:

• Prepare the chalupa dough by mixing flour, baking powder, salt, and butter, and kneading it into a soft dough.
• Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.
• Roll out the dough into circles, about 5-6 inches in diameter.
• Carefully place the rolled-out dough into the hot oil and fry for 30 seconds on each side, or until golden brown.
• Remove the fried chalupa shell from the oil and place it on a paper towel to drain the excess oil.
• Repeat this process for the remaining dough.
• Fill the fried chalupa shells with your desired toppings.

Both oven-baked and fried chalupas can be made keto-friendly by using alternative ingredients such as almond flour, pork rind crumbs, and avocado, as seen in some keto-friendly chalupa recipes.

Nutritional information

The nutritional information for any food item is important, especially when you are on a specific diet like keto. The keto diet is a low-carbohydrate method of eating, and it is important to know the number of carbs in a food item before consuming it.

The Naked Chicken Chalupa from Taco Bell has 22g of total carbs, 19g of net carbs, 30g of fat, 20g of protein, and 440 calories. The breaded chicken shell alone contributes 17g of carbs. The chalupa also has 350 calories without any sauce or tomatoes.

A keto-friendly version of the Naked Chicken Chalupa can be made at home. This recipe has 564 calories, 36.4g of fat, 5.3g of total carbs, 2.4g of fiber, 1.8g of sugar, 57.9g of protein, and 2.9g of net carbs per serving.

Another keto-friendly recipe for the Naked Chicken Chalupa has 549 calories, 6g of net carbs, and 26g of protein per serving.

A different variation of the chicken chalupa is the Keto Fried Chicken Taco Shell, which has 245 calories, 6g of saturated fat, 114mg of cholesterol, 347mg of sodium, 5g of carbohydrates, 3g of fiber, and 26g of protein.

Recipe inspiration

If you're looking for a keto-friendly chicken chalupa, you can make a few adjustments to the traditional recipe. Here are some ideas and variations to inspire your next keto-friendly meal:

Keto Chicken Chalupa

This version of the chicken chalupa uses a chicken breast as the "shell" instead of a corn or flour shell. The chicken is butterflied, coated in a flavourful breading, and baked to crispy perfection. This method reduces the carb count significantly while still providing a satisfying crunch.

Ingredients:

• Chicken breasts
• Almond flour
• Pork rind crumbs
• Garlic powder
• Chili powder
• Cumin
• Paprika
• Oregano
• Salt and pepper
• Roma tomato
• Shredded lettuce
• Mexican blend shredded cheese
• Avocado
• Sour cream
• Ranch seasoning

Directions:

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Butterfly the chicken breasts and place them between two pieces of parchment paper. Pound the chicken until thin.
• In a shallow bowl, whisk an egg.
• In a separate plate or shallow bowl, mix together the pork rind crumbs, almond flour, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Dip the chicken into the egg, then coat it in the crumb mixture.
• Drape the chicken over a tall springform pan or a structure made out of aluminium foil to create the chalupa shape.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until cooked through.
• While the chicken bakes, make a sauce by blending avocado, sour cream, and ranch seasoning until smooth.
• Once the chicken is cooked and slightly cooled, spread the sauce over the inside of each piece.
• Layer shredded lettuce and diced tomato inside each piece of chicken.
• Top with shredded cheese and additional sour cream, if desired.

Keto Fried Chicken Taco Shell

For a more indulgent option, you can try this fried chicken taco shell. This recipe uses coconut flour and crushed pork rinds as a coating for the chicken, giving it a crispy texture.

Ingredients:

• Pork rinds, crushed
• Coconut flour
• Chicken breasts, sliced into 1/2-inch thick pieces
• Coconut oil, for frying
• Veggie toppings of your choice

Directions:

• Set up three plates or bowls: one with crushed pork rinds, one with whisked eggs and water, and one with coconut flour.
• Slice the chicken breasts into 1/2-inch thick pieces and pound them to create "taco shells."
• Heat coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat.
• Coat each chicken "taco shell" with coconut flour, then egg wash, and finally the pork rind crumbs.
• Fry the coated chicken in the hot coconut oil for 4-6 minutes per side until golden brown.
• Remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining chicken.
• Fold the fried chicken taco shells and fill them with your favourite veggie toppings.

Tips and Variations:

• You can adjust the spices and seasonings to your taste preferences. Add more chili powder and paprika if you like it spicier.
• If you're short on time, look for pre-ground pork rind crumbs online or in stores.
• For a completely keto-friendly meal, be mindful of the toppings you choose. Avoid high-carb options like corn, beans, or starchy vegetables.
• To make ahead or meal prep, store the cooked chicken shells separately from the toppings. The chicken can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Frequently asked questions