Taco Lettuce Wraps

A mix between tacos and lettuce wraps, these Taco Lettuce Wraps have a southwestern flavored beef filling served in lettuce leaves and topped with your favorite taco toppings. This is an easy, flavorful dinner idea.

Don’t stop with the lettuce wraps – next try these Chicken Lettuce Wraps or these Tropical Chicken Lettuce Wraps.

Let’s talk tacos. I think I’ve made at least eleven hundred versions of them over the years. Ok, I may be exaggerating a tad, but really – tacos are awesome. But do you know what else is awesome? Lettuce wraps. Which are basically tacos with a lettuce shell instead of a tortilla. Right?

No matter what you call them, they are pretty darn delicious.

Ingredients

Scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post for full amounts and instructions.

• Oil: I usually use olive oil, but any neutral cooking oil will work.
• Onion: This is for flavor. I tend to use a yellow onion, but white or red will work.
• Bell Pepper: I like to use a red bell pepper because I like the extra color it brings, but any color will work. And if you aren’t a fan of bell peppers, feel free to leave it out.
• Garlic: I like to use freshly minced garlic.
• Ground Beef: You can easily switch this up and use ground chicken or ground turkey.
• Taco Seasoning: You can use store bought or homemade taco seasoning.
• Black Beans: Black beans go perfectly in this recipe, but you can definitely switch things up. Pinto beans would be a great substitution.
• Green Chiles: The green chiles don’t really add heat, but they add lots of flavor.
• Lettuce: When it comes to lettuce wraps, you have a few options for the lettuce. In this recipe, I used romaine hearts. They are easy to separate and they are nice and sturdy. They also make a great “boat” for all of your fillings. But you can also use iceberg lettuce or butter lettuce.

How to Make Taco Lettuce Wraps

1. Start by cooking your onion and pepper in the oil until tender, adding in the garlic in the last minute.
2. Add in the ground beef and cook, breaking it up as it cooks, until the beef is browned and cooked through. I like to use a bamboo spatula – it breaks the meat up nicely.
3. Stir in your taco seasoning once the beef is cooked. Let it cook for another minute or two.
4. Add the black beans.
5. Then add in the green chiles. No need to drain the chiles!
6. Stir it all together and continue to cook until everything is heated through.
7. Serve the mixture in lettuce leaves and top them with your favorite taco toppings.

Tips and Tricks

You can top these with all of your favorite taco toppings. Some of our favorites are picture – tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, green onions, and a squeeze of fresh lime. You can also add cheese, jalapeños, sour cream, or any of your favorites.

This filing is great for making ahead of time. You can cook the taco filling, then refrigerate it until you are ready to eat. Simply reheat it and add it to your lettuce leaves for quick taco lettuce wraps. It’s great for meal prep, too!

If you like it spicy, add some chili powder when you add in the taco seasoning.

More Taco Inspired Recipes

Taco Pie
Taco Casserole
Taco Pizza
Taco Salad
Taco Soup

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Taco Lettuce Wraps

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Author: Deborah Harroun

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

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A mix between tacos and lettuce wraps, these Taco Lettuce Wraps have a southwestern flavored beef filling served in lettuce leaves and topped with your favorite taco toppings. This is an easy, flavorful dinner idea.

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1/2 cup chopped onion
• ▢ 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
• ▢ 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
• ▢ 1 (15 oz) can black beans drained and rinsed
• ▢ 1 (4 oz) can diced Green Chiles
• ▢ 3 romaine hearts washed
• ▢ Diced tomatoes, avocados, sliced green onions, cilantro, lime slices, cheese etc for serving

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and pepper and cook until softened. Add the garlic and cook an additional minute.
  1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper, 2 cloves garlic
• Add the ground beef and continue to cook until the beef is browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Once the beef is fully cooked, stir in the taco seasoning. Let it cook for another minute or two.
  1 1/2 lbs ground beef, 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
• Stir in the black beans and the green chiles. Cook until heated through, then remove from the heat. 
  1 (15 oz) can black beans, 1 (4 oz) can diced Green Chiles
• Cut the bottom 2 inches from the romaine hearts and pull part the leaves. Serve the beef mixture in the lettuce cups, and top with your desired toppings.
  3 romaine hearts, Diced tomatoes, avocados, sliced green onions, cilantro, lime slices, cheese etc

Recipe Notes:

Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should be used as a general guide. Nutrition information does not include toppings.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1/6 of recipe, Calories: 322kcal (16%), Carbohydrates: 19g (6%), Protein: 29g (58%), Fat: 15g (23%), Saturated Fat: 5g (31%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 71mg (24%), Sodium: 413mg (18%), Fiber: 6g (25%), Sugar: 3g (3%)

Keywords: lettuce wraps, taco lettuce wraps, taco recipe