Beef Taco Lettuce Wraps
Homemade taco-spiced ground beef spooned into crisp romaine leaves with cheddar, tomato, sour cream and lime. Twelve wraps ready in about 25 minutes.
- Prep10 min
- Cook15 min
- Total25 min
- Servings4
- Net carbs*4.5 g
- LevelEasy
Taco night works just as well with lettuce as it does with tortillas. The beef simmers in a homemade spice blend of chili powder, cumin, paprika and oregano, so you know exactly what is in it. Crisp romaine leaves hold the filling, and the toppings stay classic: cheddar, chopped tomato, a spoon of sour cream and a squeeze of lime.
Adding a splash of water after the spices go in is what makes this taste like real taco meat. The water dissolves the spices into a thin sauce that coats every crumble, then cooks down in a few minutes. Without it, the spices toast on the bottom of the pan and the meat stays dry and dusty.
Ingredients
Makes 12 lettuce wraps (3 per serving). Tap an item to check it off.
Equipment
- Large skillet
- Small bowl for the spices
- Cutting board
- Serving platter
Instructions
- Stir the chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and salt together in a small bowl.
- Cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up, until browned with no pink left, 6 to 7 minutes. Drain off excess fat.
- Sprinkle the spice mix over the beef and stir for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the water and simmer, stirring now and then, until the liquid is mostly gone and the meat looks glossy, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the lime juice.
- Lay the romaine leaves on a platter. Spoon about 1/4 cup of beef into each leaf.
- Top with tomato, cheddar, a small spoon of sour cream, cilantro and avocado if using. Serve right away.
Estimated nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 382
- Total carbs
- 8.1 g
- Fiber
- 3.6 g
- Net carbs
- 4.5 g
- Protein
- 26.5 g
- Fat
- 27.5 g
*These are estimates, calculated from the ingredient weights above and USDA FoodData Central data, divided by 4 servings. Net carbs = total carbs minus fiber. Values vary with brands, quantities, ingredient swaps and how you portion the dish. How we estimate nutrition.
Kitchen tips
- Use the inner, cupped leaves of the romaine heart. They hold the filling better than the flat outer leaves.
- Dry the lettuce well after washing. Water on the leaves makes the wraps soggy and slippery.
Substitutions
- Romaine → butter lettuce Same number of leaves. Softer and easier to fold.
- Sour cream → plain whole-milk Greek yogurt Same amount. Tangier, with a little more protein.
- Cheddar → Monterey Jack Same amount. Milder and slightly lower in carbs.
Swaps change the nutrition estimate shown above.
Storage and reheating
- Fridge
- Store the taco meat in an airtight container up to 4 days. Keep the lettuce and toppings separate.
- Freezer
- Freeze the cooked taco meat for up to 3 months. Lettuce and fresh toppings do not freeze.
- Reheat
- Microwave the meat covered for 1 to 2 minutes with a tablespoon of water, or warm it in a skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes.
