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
- Prep: Wash/dry lettuce, mince garlic, dice onion, mix spices, drain/rinse beans.
- Cook Beef: Sauté onion in olive oil, add garlic, then ground beef until browned; drain excess grease.
- Season: Add spices, tomato sauce to beef; cook until thickened, stir in beans.
- 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
Taco Lettuce Wraps
Low-carb Taco Lettuce Wraps are packed with seasoned meat, black beans, and all your favorite taco toppings—Cheddar, tomatoes, avocado, sour cream, and a squeeze of lime. Customize them your way for a fresh, flavorful meal!
Equipment
- Large pan cast-iron if possible
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 pound ground beef or ground chuck
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper optional, omit if sensitive to spice
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon roasted garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1 cup black beans
- 10 to 12 firm large pieces lettuce I like Boston/butter lettuce best
- Toppings as desired see note 1
Instructions
- Wash and dry the lettuce wraps. Set aside. Prepare everything for cooking the beef filling because the process goes quickly! Mince garlic, dice onion, and stir together all the seasonings: chili powder, paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Drain and rinse black beans.
- Heat oil in a large pan (cast iron if possible) over high heat. Add onion and cook 2–3 minutes or until lightly golden. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add ground beef and cook 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 the mixture of all seasonings. Stir another 2–3 minutes or until beef is completely cooked through. Add tomato sauce and stir until thickened, another 1–2 minutes. Stir in drained and rinsed black beans. Remove from heat and set aside to slightly cool.
- Set out washed and completely dried lettuce pieces (don’t want watery tacos!). Divide beef evenly between the 10–12 lettuce pieces (depending on how much beef you want in each taco). Add your favorite toppings. I love extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, chopped cherry tomatoes, chopped cilantro, and sour cream. Other great options include avocado or guacamole, fresh corn, hot sauce or taco sauce, crispy tortilla strips, etc. Drizzle fresh lime over everything and serve.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Try some 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.
Storage: Store taco lettuce wraps components separately. Lettuce should be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Taco meat can be refrigerated for 3-4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Toppings should be refrigerated in separate containers.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | 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.
Yum! We eat tacos all the time, and I love this is a healthier alternative!
Love, love, love these! So delicious and I love that they’re low in carbs.
My favorite way to eat tacos!!