Simple nourishing meals: Ground Chicken Taco Bowl

Roasted sweet potato, taco chicken, elote corn topper, pickled onion, avocado

Once again culinarian, Stavros is back with an amazing new recipe.  He crafted this beautiful meal with simple ingredients that he combines to create magnificent flavor while keeping it healthy, high in protein and fiber.  

Serves 4  ·  Active time 20 minutes  ·  Total time 45 minutes

Order of Operations

Start the pickled onions first — they need at least 30 minutes to steep. Get the sweet potatoes into the oven next, cook the chicken on the stove while they roast, and make the corn topper last.

1. Quick-Pickled Red Onion

Ingredients

• 1 red onion, sliced paper-thin

• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar

• 1 tsp sugar

• 1/2 tsp salt

Method

1. Slice the onion as thin as possible — a mandoline gets the slices translucent, which is what produces the bright magenta color.

2. Pack the slices into a jar.

3. Warm the vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small pot or the microwave just until the sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Do not boil.

4. Pour the brine over the onions and press them under the liquid. Rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes; the color deepens the longer they sit.

Keeps: 2 weeks refrigerated in the brine.

2. Roasted Sweet Potato Base

Ingredients

• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the lower third.

2. Cut the sweet potatoes into even 1-inch cubes. Uneven pieces mean some burn while others stay raw.

3. Toss with the olive oil, salt, and pepper until every cube is coated.

4. Spread on a sheet pan in a single layer with space between the cubes. Crowding steams them instead of roasting.

5. Roast 25–30 minutes, flipping once at the halfway point, until the edges are deeply caramelized and a fork slides through easily.

6. Leave the cubes on the pan until you build the bowls.

3. Taco Ground Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground chicken

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 packet taco seasoning

• 1/2 cup water

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high until it shimmers.

2. Add the ground chicken and press it flat into the pan. Let it sit undisturbed for 3–4 minutes to build a brown crust.

3. Break the meat into small crumbles and cook 3–4 minutes more, until no pink remains. Ground chicken is lean and dries out quickly, so stop as soon as it is cooked through.

4. Reduce the heat to medium. Sprinkle the taco seasoning evenly over the meat and pour in the water.

5. Simmer 3–5 minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the liquid reduces to a glaze that clings to the crumbles. Add water a tablespoon at a time if it looks dry.

6. Cover and keep warm off the heat.

4. Elote Corn Topper

Ingredients

• 2 cups corn kernels, drained or thawed

• 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

• 1 1/2 tsp elote seasoning, plus more to taste

• 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced

• 1 lime, juiced

• 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped

Method

1. Optional but worth it: heat a dry skillet over high heat, add the corn in a single layer, and leave it alone for 2–3 minutes until spots blacken. Toss once, char another minute, then spread on a plate to cool. Pat the corn dry first — wet corn will not char.

2. Blend the cottage cheese and Greek yogurt until completely smooth, 30–45 seconds in a small blender cup or with an immersion blender. Stop only when no grain remains; visible curds will read as lumpy in the finished topper.

3. Stir in the elote seasoning, lime juice, jalapeño, and cilantro.

4. Fold in the cooled corn with a spatula, keeping the kernels whole.

5. Taste and adjust — more lime for brightness, more elote seasoning for salt and heat. Refrigerate until serving; it thickens as it chills.

Seasoning note: Elote seasoning brands vary widely in salt and heat. Start with half the amount, taste, then build up.

5. To Finish and Assemble

Ingredients

• 1 avocado, diced

• 1/2 lime, cut into wedges

Method

1. Spread the roasted sweet potato across the bottom of each bowl.

2. Spoon the taco chicken over it, leaving some potato edges showing.

3. Pile the corn topper in the center.

4. Drain a small tangle of pickled onions and set them on top.

5. Add the diced avocado along one side and serve with a lime wedge.

Make-Ahead and Storage

• Pickled onions keep 2 weeks refrigerated.

• Sweet potato, chicken, and corn topper keep 4 days in separate containers.

• Reheat the sweet potato and chicken in a skillet rather than the microwave — the potato goes soggy otherwise.

• Add the avocado only at serving.

• Drain thawed or canned corn thoroughly; excess water thins the topper and it will not hold its shape on the bowl.

Health Takeaway

A balanced bowl can make healthy eating feel anything but boring. This recipe brings together lean protein from the ground chicken and Greek yogurt, fiber-rich carbohydrates from the sweet potato and corn, and heart-healthy fats from avocado and olive oil. The colorful vegetables and fresh lime, cilantro, jalapeño, and pickled onion add plenty of flavor without relying on heavy sauces.

The takeaway? A satisfying meal doesn’t have to be complicated. Aim for a combination of protein, produce, nourishing carbohydrates, and healthy fats—and let the flavors do the rest.