Chicken Lettuce Taco Boats
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These lettuce taco boats are a dinner you’ll feel great about feeding to the family – and they’ll love it, too! Juicy shredded chicken is smothered in a delicious and zesty chipotle, orange, and pineapple sauce and then heaped inside crisp lettuce wraps. Add some fresh toppings and you have a fun take on taco night – with just ten minutes of prep time!
These lettuce taco boats are my go-to when I want all the fun of tacos with a fresh, crunchy twist. I toss the chicken into the slow cooker, let it do all the heavy lifting, and come back to perfectly tender, flavorful meat without any extra effort.
Once the chicken is ready, I spoon it into crisp lettuce leaves and top everything with juicy pineapple and creamy avocado. The mix of warm, savory chicken and cool, crunchy toppings is so satisfying, and the whole dinner comes together with hardly any work at all.
Ingredients needed
These handheld delights are bursting with flavor thanks to these delicious ingredients:
- Pineapple: Mince some up to add to the slow cooker, and use some for a zesty fresh burst on top of the lettuce taco boats!
- Oranges: Orange juice brings a bright citrusy note!
- Garlic: Adds savory depth.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce: Use more or less depending on how spicy you enjoy it!
- Dijon mustard: Adds a little tang to the chicken.
- Chicken: Use boneless and skinless chicken breasts for convenient shredding. Chicken thighs work, too.
- Toppings: Crispy lettuce gives a satisfying crunch. Butter lettuce, bibb, or romaine lettuce works best! Add some pineapple chunks, avocado slices, and fresh cilantro.
Recipe FAQs
Can I substitute the chipotle peppers for something else?
Sure! You can use any ingredient that you prefer. We suggest making your own taco seasoning with pantry staples like chili powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Can I make this with other meat?
Sure! If you use pork in the slow cooker, note that it will take longer to cook – around 7-8 hours on low. You could also use ground beef or ground turkey.
Can I add anything else?
Sure thing! You can add any of your usual favorite taco toppings. Our top picks are halved cherry tomatoes, a dollop of sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, some hot sauce, black beans, and wedges of limes on the side.
How do I store leftovers?
Leftovers can store well, which makes this recipe great for meal prep for work lunches. Store leftover chicken in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days, then keep the lettuce leaves and toppings separate. It’s best to slice the avocado fresh when you reheat the chicken.
Chicken Lettuce Taco Boats Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup minced pineapple
- Juice from 2 large oranges (about ½ cup)
- 6 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2-4 tablespoons minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (depending on how spicy you like it)
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 4 chicken breasts
Toppings
- Crispy lettuce (butter lettuce works the best)
- Sliced avocado
- Pineapple chunks
- Cilantro
Instructions
- In the bowl of your slow cooker, mix the pineapple, orange juice, garlic, chipotle peppers, and dijon mustard. Add the chicken breasts and set your crock pot to high for 3-4 hours or low for 7-8 hours.1 cup minced pineapple, Juice from 2 large oranges, 6 cloves garlic, 2-4 tablespoons minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, 2 tablespoons dijon mustard, 4 chicken breasts
- Shred the chicken using 2 forks right in the crockpot and them mix it around with the sauce in the pot.
- Pile the shredded chicken into the lettuce boats and top with sliced avocado, pineapple, and cilantro.Crispy lettuce, Sliced avocado, Cilantro, Pineapple chunks
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
I’m not a huge fan of Chipotle peppers. Do you have a good suggestion to use instead or omit then? Maybe your taco seasoning?
Yes, I think that taco seasoning would add great flavor!
These turned out great! I served with regular tacos for the kids and mine on lettuce wraps. We all loved the shredded chicken. Made your guac too. Yum!
Would you make any recipe changes if I swapped out the chicken for pork?
Pork would be super delicious in this recipe! I would opt for the cooking it on low option as pork will take longer to cook. It will be excellent in 7-8 hours, but you could leave the pork in longer too if you needed to.
Thank you, Kristen! Love everything you make.
Thank you so much! You totally made my day. 🙂
Check the recipe, you’ve got the times backwards for the low and high settings.
Thank you for pointing that out! Should make more sense now. 🙂
Have you made this in the Instapot? I’d love cook times! I’ve just started using mine and am now hooked! Thanks can’t wait to try this out!