Taco Lettuce Wraps

Flavor-packed Low-carb Taco Lettuce Wraps with taco-seasoned meat, black beans, Cheddar cheese, taco sauce, tomatoes, cilantro, sour cream, avocado, and fresh lime juice.

Serve these wraps alongside this easy cucumber salad, cilantro lime rice, or roasted vegetables.

The Best Taco Lettuce Wraps

There is no shortage of taco recipes on this site, with some of my favorites being these chicken tacos, shrimp tacos, and these healthy tacos. And when so many of you requested lower-carb recipes on my Instagram poll, I decided it was time to put tacos into a low-carb lettuce-wrap meal!

While this dish is a low carb, they are not lacking in flavor or texture. With robustly flavored taco meat, crisp pieces of lettuce, sharp Cheddar cheese, cool sour cream, and all your favorite taco toppings, these wraps are the best!

Ingredients

• Olive Oil: For cooking; adds flavor and assists in sautéing garlic and onion.
• Garlic & Onion: Provide savory depth to the beef.
• Ground Beef: Main protein, giving substance and texture.
• Spice Blend (Chili Powder, Paprika, Cumin, Cayenne, Oregano, Garlic Powder, Salt, Pepper): Rich, warm flavors with a spicy kick.
• Tomato Sauce: Brings moisture and tang, binding the beef.
• Black Beans: Add fiber, protein, and heartiness.
• Lettuce (Boston/Butter): Low-carb, crisp wrap.
• Toppings (Cheese, Cilantro, Lime, Tomatoes, Avocado, Sour Cream, etc.): Enhance flavor, texture, and freshness.

How To Make Taco Lettuce Wraps

1. Prep: Wash/dry lettuce, mince garlic, dice onion, mix spices, drain/rinse beans.
2. Cook Beef: Sauté onion in olive oil, add garlic, then ground beef until browned; drain excess grease.
3. Season: Add spices, tomato sauce to beef; cook until thickened, stir in beans.
4. Assemble: Spoon beef onto lettuce leaves, add toppings like cheese, tomatoes, cilantro, sour cream, lime juice. Enjoy your taco lettuce wraps!

Variation Ideas

These Taco Lettuce Wraps are keto friendly. Make sure you grab ground beef with a high-fat ratio and omit any toppings that don’t fit in your diet.

• Corn Topping: Grill corn, cut off kernels, and use as a topping. See elote post for grilling tips.
• Meat Alternatives: Use ground turkey or chicken instead of beef. Adjust tomato sauce and spices as needed for moisture and flavor.
• Gluten-Free: This recipe is naturally gluten-free. Check spice and sauce labels for gluten-free processing.
• Dairy-Free: Omit cheese and sour cream or use dairy-free alternatives for a Whole 30-friendly dish.
• Vegetarian: Substitute beef in your taco leuce wraps with cooked quinoa or meatless crumbles, add black beans and corn, season similarly.

More Delicious Low-Carb Recipes

• Ground Turkey Recipe
• Turkey Meatballs
• Greek Chicken
• Grilled Avocado Bowls
• Turkey Meatloaf

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5 from 4 votes

Taco Lettuce Wraps

By Chelsea Lords

Low-carb Taco Lettuce Wraps with taco-seasoned meat and black beans. Load up your lettuce wraps with your favorite taco toppings such as Cheddar cheese, taco sauce, tomatoes, cilantro, sour cream, avocado, fresh lime juice, etc.

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 7 minutes minutes

Total Time: 27 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic finely minced
• ▢ 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
• ▢ 1 pound ground beef or ground chuck
• ▢ 1 tablespoon chili powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon EACH: paprika and cumin
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional, omit if sensitive to spice)
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon EACH: oregano, roasted garlic powder, salt, and pepper
• ▢ 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• ▢ 1 cup black beans drained and rinsed
• ▢ 10-12 firm large pieces lettuce (I like Boston/butter lettuce best)
• ▢ Toppings such as freshly grated cheese (Monterey jack or extra-sharp Cheddar), freshly chopped cilantro, fresh lime wedges, chopped cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced avocado or guac, sour cream, etc.

Instructions 

• PREP: Begin by washing and drying the lettuce wraps. Set aside. Prepare everything for cooking the beef filling, because the process goes quickly! Mince the garlic, dice the onion, and stir together all of the seasonings. Drain and rinse black beans.
• BEEF: Heat oil in a large skillet (cast iron if possible) over high heat. Add onion and cook for 2-3 minutes or until lightly golden. Add in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
• BEEF CONT.: Add ground beef and cook for 2-4 minutes, breaking it up into small pieces as you go, until meat is no longer pink. If there is a lot of extra grease (from higher-fat percentages of beef), drain off. Add in all the seasonings: chili powder, paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir for another 2-3 minutes or until beef is completely cooked through. Add in the tomato sauce and stir until thickened, another 1-2 minutes. Stir in the drained and rinsed black beans. Remove from heat and set aside to slightly cool.
• ASSEMBLE: Set out washed and COMPLETELY dried (don't want watery tacos!) lettuce pieces. Divide the beef evenly between the 10-12 lettuce pieces (depending on how much beef you want in each taco). Add your favorite toppings. We love extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, chopped cherry tomatoes, chopped cilantro, and sour cream. Other great options: avocado or guacamole, fresh corn, hot sauce or taco sauce, crispy tortilla strips, etc. Drizzle fresh lime over everything and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 402kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 563mg | Potassium: 637mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 778IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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