~ Next time you’re thinking “taco night,” think beyond the typical Mexican-style taco bar and try this incredibly delicious Mediterranean Chicken Taco recipe! It’s a fun make-it-your-own dinner that’s easy to prep ahead for busy nights. And, it’s a classed-up version of the traditional taco bar that’s perfect for parties and game day, too! ~

This Recipe Is:   •  Make Ahead  •

* As you’ll see in our photos, we originally photographed this recipe using Flatout flatbreads (sponsored by that company). However, you can easily substitute your favorite soft, flour tortillas for the Flatouts. For the best nutrition boost, we recommend choosing a whole-grain or multi-grain tortilla.)

When it comes to making dinnertime fun, there’s just nothing like a taco bar, jam-crammed with loads of yummy topping choices.

Picky kiddos (and, let’s face it … even the adults, too!) appreciate the ability to make their own creations, piled high with the flavors and textures they like.

It’s one of the recurring themes in all of our articles about parenting picky eaters … if you help kids feel empowered and like they’re a part of the entire meal process, then they’ll be much more likely to eat healthfully and try new foods. It really works!

We actually saw this very principle in action when Gretchen first served her kids these Mediterranean Chicken Tacos.

Her littlest looked suspiciously at the roasted red pepper strips. “Those aren’t peppers,” (glaring accusingly at the red slivers). “Yes they are,” Gretchen patiently explained. “They’re just roasted!”

Her daughter proceeded to try one … along with all the other toppings she’d chosen … and guess what! (You know what’s coming here …) That suspicious-looking, roasted pepper strip turned out to be a-ok! Huh! And just like that, her daughter added one more type of vegetable to her “edible” list.

Brilliant!

While all of that was going on, Gretchen’s older daughter was eyeballing the feta, certain she’d never tried it before … which is ludicrous since she’s had our Baked Hummus Dip with Easy Tabouli Topping, and Super-Fast Mediterranean Herbed Shrimp Pasta, and Citrus Quinoa and Chickpea Salad – to name a few! That kid has eaten more feta than she realized! And … you guessed it! She felt empowered enough to try it (again) … and she loved it (again! 😀 )!

These easy-to-make, yummy-to-eat Mediterranean Chicken Tacos are a perfect recipe to showcase how a blank canvas can become a delicious, dinnertime work of art … and how each artist’s masterpiece can be personalized and unique.

So, let’s build some tacos!

To start the taco bar fun, we like offering a variety of tortilla options.

Kiddos love mini “street taco”-sized tortillas. Plus, these tiny, personalized tacos are terrific because everyone – including the adults – can build several different combinations throughout dinner. They’re also great if you’re serving this taco bar at a party – smaller tortillas are ideal for your guests to make perfectly sized party snacks (hello, game day food!).

For those who’d rather create one big, burrito-style soft taco, larger tortillas are just right. Although there are lots of great whole-grain, or multi-grain brands to choose from at the grocery store, we love it when we can find flavor profiles that perfectly complement the other Mediterranean ingredients in these chicken tacos. (For example, Mission brand tortillas offers a Spinach Herb and also a Sundried Tomato Basil and Olé Xtreme Wellness also has a High Fiber Spinach & Herbs, and also a High Fiber Tomato & Basil.)

After the taco “shells” … next stop … the chicken. (Spoiler alert: it’s made in the slow cooker, so it’s a total breeze to throw together ahead of time! Perfect for busy nights!)

The chicken in these tacos is mildly seasoned with Mediterranean flavors and Greek-inspired spices – a perfect building block for the bursting-with-flavor toppings that are just waiting to be piled on top.

And now (drum roll, please …) the toppings!

This is where the fun really starts and where the big flavors begin. We’ve got a whole list of suggested toppings for you – and when we make this taco bar in our own homes, we usually do offer all the options (and Gretchen and I both love to pile them allllll on!). But just like with Mexican-style taco bars, you can definitely feel free to improvise and offer whatever you think your family will like best.

Bonus for busy nights: the toppings can all be chopped and prepped even a day or two ahead! (And hey – if you’ve got a lot of busy nights – you’ll no doubt also love some of our other super-easy crockpot chicken recipes that’ll make your life easier! 😉 )

With so many great, healthy topping choices, any toppings your kiddos choose are a win. And every single one adds up to more big flavor! Salty kalamatas and feta? Check! Vibrantly fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach and parsley? Yup – got those, too! Wanna jazz it up and go a little highbrow with artichokes and roasted peppers? Sure thing – just pile ’em on!

There’s no wrong answer here, friends – build your tacos any way you like!

Just don’t skip the yummy hummus dressing! It’s crazy-easy to whip up, but absolutely pulls all the flavors together.

And don’t forget to offer a couple of things that you aren’t positive your kids will go for … because who knows … while they’re having fun creating their own masterpieces, they just might surprise you by trying something new!