This ready-to-eat NO COOK Healthy Chicken Taco Salad (in a jar) is the perfect, easy, healthy, on-the-go, and WW friendly lunch and delicious salad that your whole family will love! And it's only 2 WW points if you are following the weight watchers weight-loss program
And the best part is that this chicken taco mason jar salad uses canned chicken breast so unlike using taco meat, there is NO COOKING! You'll be amazed at just how incredible it tastes and no one will ever suspect it's canned chicken. It's like eating chicken tacos in a jar! This Chicken Taco Salad in a Jar makes a great lunch or Taco Tuesday dinner.
Because of the nature of my job, I will often eat lunch on the run, on my lap in my van, or at my desk. I need lunches that work in those situations and finding those recipes can be a challenge. This ww chicken salad checked every box! As does my Tuna Stuffed Tomatoes!
Mason jar lunches are quick, convenient, ready to eat, and great for eating on the go just about anywhere. They can also be prepped in advance, making them an ideal lunch option! And this chicken taco salad mason jar lunch has the added bonus of no precooking chicken breasts.
🥘 Ingredient Notes
You'll need the following salad ingredients to make this low-carb taco salad:
- Lettuce. I use any type I have on hand, but I generally use Iceberg lettuce.
- Tomatoes. Again, you can use any type, but I generally use Roma.
- Taco seasoning. I use low sodium store-bought.
- Sour Cream and Cheese. I use the light/low-fat version.
- Canned chicken breast. It's important to buy 'Chunks of Chicken' NOT flaked. You can still use the flakes of chicken, but it doesn't look as appetizing.
*See recipe card for full list of quantities and ingredients
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Sour cream - you can use light or fat-free or substitute Greek yogurt
- Lettuce - you can use leaf lettuce, head lettuce or romaine lettuce
- Onions - you can use red onions instead of green onions
- Add-ins - squirt on a little lime juice for extra flavor! Add some bell peppers (green peppers), black-eyed peas, or black beans, if you desire. You can also use your favorite taco toppings, such as hot sauce
- Canned chicken - if you have cooked/leftover ground meat (ground chicken or ground turkey) you can use that instead. You could also use leftover rotisserie chicken.
- Vegetarian - you can make this vegetarian by using canned refried beans
- Tomatoes - use chopped cherry tomatoes instead of regular tomatoes if you like
- Tortillas - you can use a couple of tortilla strips or tortilla chips instead of taco shells
My kids like ready-to-eat meals at school so they don't have to stand in line for the microwave. And I don't know about you, but I've never had the time, energy, or resources to make different meals for my kids than I do for myself, and that includes lunch.
I also want to teach my kids healthy eating habits, so they eat what we eat. My kids loved this mason jar salad recipe!
🔪How to Make Healthy Chicken Taco Salad (in a jar)
- Step 1: In a small bowl, mix hot water and taco seasoning together to form a paste.
- Step 2: Mix paste with drained chicken breast, stirring it and breaking mixture up with a fork until well incorporated (will look similar to pulled chicken)
- Step 3: In an 8 oz mason jar, add lettuce to the bottom of the jar, repeat dividing evenly between all 4 jars.
- Step 4: Then add tomatoes.
- Step 5: Next add taco flavored chicken breast mixture, dividing evenly by all 4 jars.
- Step 6: Then add 2 tablespoon of sour cream to each jar, followed by 2 tablespoon of salsa.
- Step 7: Sprinkle cheese onto the top of the salad jar (dividing evenly by 4 jars)
- Step 8: Divide green onions by all 4 jars and add on top of cheese.
- Step 9: Add cilantro (if using) and garnish with ¼ of a large taco shell or a couple tortilla chips. If packing for lunch, pack the taco shell/tortilla chips separately. Garnish with lime and/or cilantro and/or a little sour cream if you like it and have it on hand)
🥗 What to eat with Chicken Taco Salad
If you're looking for WW friendly desserts that are perfect for packing along with this taco salad for lunch, then I recommend my Chocolate Cereal Clusters (shown), Healthy Blueberry Cornbread, Spinach and Applesauce brownies, or my No Bake Healthy Rocky Road Bars.
Recipe Tips
- Pack the taco shells separately. And do not put them in the fridge, if possible. This will prevent them from getting soggy and retain their crunch. Then crush them up and add them just before serving!
- Layer Strategically for Freshness. To keep the salad crisp, always layer ingredients in this order: Wet ingredients (salsa, sour cream) at the top, then proteins (seasoned chicken), next hearty vegetables (like tomatoes) and greens (lettuce) at the bottom to prevent wilting.
- Drain Canned Chicken Thoroughly. To avoid soggy salad, press the canned chicken in a sieve or between paper towels to remove as much liquid as possible before mixing it with the taco seasoning.
- Use Chunks of Chicken. The chunks of chicken look much like shredded chicken and much more appetizing than the flakes of chicken.
School lunch ideas for teens can be a challenge. Even if they are able to make their own, they don't always prepare and I often get the panicked 7:00 AM, "Mom, what should I take for lunch?!"
Mornings are busy, so it needs to be something make-ahead and grab-and-go. And it has to be filling! This taco salad in a jar is packed with healthy ingredients, and totally satisfying and filling enough for my 15-year-old son (I pack a whole taco shell for the kids.)
I’ve always been a big fan of taco salad and often take the leftovers to work. But to cook up the meat just to make a salad for lunches feels like a lot of unnecessary work. And then you have to heat the meat at lunch before you eat it. I don't always have that option.
This cold Taco salad in a mason jar is a convenient, portable, and FUN way to eat taco salad, with no heating required.
👪 Serving size
This healthy taco salad recipe makes 4 servings (4 -8 oz jars). If you want to make more or less, then simply click the serving size on the recipe card, select the number of servings and the recipe will adjust accordingly.
🔢WW Points
This Weight Watchers taco salad recipe is Weight Watchers friendly @ 2 WW points, according to the ww app.
🌡️Storing
If you like meal prep, you'll love these mason jar salads! You can make this canned chicken taco salad in advance (the night before) and store it in the jar (or another airtight container) in the fridge, so it's perfect to grab and go in the morning!
I do not recommend making more than 2 days in advance or you'll end up with soggy salad.
❔Recipe FAQ's
Yes, you can! If you don’t have 8 oz jars, you can use larger jars and layer the ingredients proportionally. Just make sure not to overfill them to leave space for mixing before eating.
While they’re best eaten within 2 days to avoid soggy lettuce, you can extend their freshness by layering ingredients strategically. Keep wet ingredients like salsa and sour cream higher up, away from the lettuce.
When ready to eat, shake the jar gently to mix the layers, or pour the contents into a bowl for easier mixing. Add crushed taco shells or chips right before eating.
Eating food out of mason jars is just all 'round plain fun! Check out my Weight Watchers Healthy Bananas Foster Overnight Oats. This mason jar recipe is also a make-ahead, quick, and convenient grab-and-go meal that's only 5 WW points.
If you love healthy taco recipes, check out these Healthy Fish Tacos! And if you're looking for additional easy salad recipes that are also ww friendly, check out this Big Mac Salad!
🥪More WW lunches
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🥗 No Cook Healthy Chicken Taco Salad (in a Jar) Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups romaine lettuce, head lettuce or leaf lettuce chopped
- 3 whole tomatoes
- 1 ½ tablespoon taco seasoning I use low sodium
- 6 teaspoon -of hot water
- 3- 142 g - cans of chicken breast, drained * It's important to buy 'Chunks of Chicken' NOT flaked
- 8 tablespoon sour cream
- 8 tablespoon salsa
- ⅓ cup green onion, chopped
- ½ cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
Garnish
- 1 large taco shell or tortilla chips
- cilantro (optional, if you like and have on hand)
- lime (optional, if you like and have on hand)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix hot water and taco seasoning together to form a paste.
- Mix paste with drained chicken breast, stirring it and breaking mixture up with a fork until well incorporated (will look similar to pulled chicken)
- In 4 -8 oz mason jars, add lettuce to the bottom of the jar, dividing evenly between all 4 jars.
- Then add tomatoes.
- Next add taco flavored chicken breast mixture, and add to jars, dividing evenly by all 4 jars.
- Then add 2 tablespoon of sour cream to each jar, followed by 2 tablespoon of salsa.
- Sprinkle cheese to the top of the salad jar (dividing evenly by 4 jars)
- Divide green onions by all 4 jars and add on top of salsa.
Garnish
- Garnish with ¼ of a large taco shell or a couple tortilla chips. If packing for lunch, pack the taco shell/tortilla chips separately. Garnish with lime and/or cilantro and/or a little sour cream if you like it and have it on hand)
Notes
- Pack the taco shells separately. And do not put them in the fridge, if possible. This will prevent them from getting soggy and retain their crunch. Then crush them up and add them just before serving!
- Layer Strategically for Freshness. To keep the salad crisp, always layer ingredients in this order: Wet ingredients (salsa, sour cream) at the top, then proteins (seasoned chicken), next hearty vegetables (like tomatoes) and greens (lettuce) at the bottom to prevent wilting.
- Drain Canned Chicken Thoroughly. To avoid soggy salad, press the canned chicken in a sieve or between paper towels to remove as much liquid as possible before mixing it with the taco seasoning.
- Use Chunks of Chicken. The chunks of chicken look much like shredded chicken and much more appetizing than the flakes of chicken.
Gayle Kadlec
Wish I had had this when I was working. It will be great for picnics and road trips.
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Gayle. Yeah, I wish I created it years ago - I ate it at my desk last week and it was awesome! I'll be making it a lot. I agree - great for picnics and road trips too!