This recipe: Papaya chicken tacos with papaya salsa is sponsored by Papaya Australia.   

Do you like Papaya?  We love them. They taste like the tropics and are so versatile.  If you’ve never eaten them before they can be a little daunting, which is why I have shown you exactly how to prep them in my video.

Basically, I have been using them in curries, breads and salads for ages, so showing you this fun way to make Taco Tuesday a bit yummier and healthier was the next step.  When cooking these Papaya Chicken tacos with papaya salsa, the papaya adds a delicious sweet sticky sauce to the chicken that kids love.

I know some people don’t like to cook with tropical fruits, but I think that’s just silly!  Cooked papaya is perfect for making things naturally sweet and it’s super easy to cook with too. It also helps to make food appealing to kids because you are adding sweetness.

My kids started eating papaya when they were very young, it was one of the foods they had when they were weaning.  The smooth texture when pureed makes it a perfect first food for babies.

I have to say, my favourite thing about this dish is the fresh salsa.  Why would you even contemplate buying a jar of salsa to go with your tacos when this fruity and fresh version takes only minutes to make?  Skip the chilli if you want to, but really when mixed with the sweet fresh fruit and the crunch of the cucumber and capsicum, it doesn’t pack much heat at all.

Don’t stop at topping your tacos with it though, we also use it to make delicious prawn cocktails, put it on top of grilled fish or chicken and BBQ’d steaks.  It also tastes pretty amazing on sweet potato toasts or for dipping your corn chips in.

With one cup of papaya providing twice your daily vitamin C requirements and a third of your Vitamin A requirements, you need to get the whole family into papaya.  It’s packed with fibre and naturally low in fat so it isn’t just delicious, it’s helping tick nutritional goals too!

The seeds don’t have to go to waste either, they can be dehydrated and ground.  They have a peppery taste when dried and can be used as a substitute for pepper.

To cut through the sweetness of the salsa we pop some avocado between the chicken and the salsa in our tacos.  The kids build their own tacos at the table, which they love doing and therefore they can put as much or as little of each of the fillings on their tacos.  The autonomy really helps to make dinner time a fun activity.

So grab some fresh papayas (they are in the shops right now!) and get cooking. 

Papaya chicken tacos with papaya salsa

Yield: serves 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

These papaya chicken tacos with papaya salsa are perfect for making taco tuesday more fun! Yummy with just the right amount of sweetness and tang, they are sure to become your favourite way to eat tacos!

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Ingredients

Papaya salsa

• 1 ripe papaya, diced
• ¼ cup chopped mint
• ¼ cup chopped coriander
• 1 cucumber, diced
• ½ yellow capsicum, diced
• 3 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 1 red chilli, finely diced (optional)
• Juice of 2 limes

Papaya chicken tacos

• 3 tbsps olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 4 chicken breasts, thinly sliced
• 1 ripe papaya, peeled, seeded, pureed
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• (soft or hard tacos to serve)

Instructions

1. Salsa: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Papaya Chicken Tacos: Heat the olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat.
3. Add the onion and cook until soft.
4. Add the paprika, oregano and cumin, cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
5. Add the chicken breasts and coat in the spice mix. 
6. Cook until browned on all sides.
7. Add the papaya puree and cook a further 10 minutes or until
   heated through.
   
   

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 399 Total Fat: 16g Saturated Fat: 4g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 10g Cholesterol: 85mg Sodium: 425mg Carbohydrates: 32g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 4g Sugar: 17g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 32g

This nutrition information is generated using software. Please check with a nutritionist for any specific questions.