Paleo Chicken Tacos

It is possible to make Paleo Chicken Tacos without wrapping them in plain boring lettuce; these ones are wrapped in a jicama shell. The trick is to slice the jicama very thinly and soak it in warm water until flexible. I recommend using a mandolin slicer or an electric food slicer, but a large very sharp knife will work too

A few months ago, I wanted to have a small and casual gathering to celebrate my husband’s birthday. We had just returned from a vacation less than a week before, we were all jetlagged and adjusting back to our routine so I wanted to keep things simple. Before I knew it, the list of confirmed guests had tripled my estimated head count; my girls were cranky and clingy and with a schedule still 9 hours ahead. I wasn’t even going to attempt cooking for the event; instead I hired a taco stand. Easy enough! …The only problem was that a large number of my friends have now gone grain free as well. This jicama shells saved the quasi-paleo party, everyone loved them. Except the “taco guy”, I wish I knew what he was really thinking when I handed him 2 large bowl of swimming jicama slices and told him that a lot of people don’t eat corn and were going to use those instead. The puzzled look on his face was priceless so I kept my Mexican cauliflower “rice” a secret.

Besides making taco shells with them I use jicama to substitute croutons in my salads, cut them into sticks for dipping or just chop them and eat them with salt and lemon, they are a low in calories and a great source of vitamin C and fiber.

Ingredients:

1 jicama
1 lb. of diced boneless chicken
1 medium onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 tbsp of lard, butter or coconut oil
1 tsp of cumin
1 tsp of chili powder
1 tsp of dry oregano
½ tsp of smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
2 avocados
Cilantro to garnish

Preparation:

• Slice the jicama into very thin rounds, about the thickness of tortillas.
• Soak the jicama slices in warm/hot water for 30 minutes, or until flexible. Do not cook them.
• In a large skillet over medium/high heat, sauté the onions in the oil for 3-4 minutes.
• Add the chicken, garlic, bell pepper and spices and continue to cook until the chicken is well done.
• Dry the jicama rounds and top with the chicken, avocado slices and cilantro.

For similar recipes, try my lettuce chicken wraps or my grain-free wraps.