A homemade taco seasoning mix give these lettuce wrap tacos plenty of flavor (and if you children want to use regular taco shells – let them!)
My boys and I absolutely LOVE tacos. My husband? Not so much. We would have a Taco Tuesday every week if he wouldn't complain (and he hardly EVER complains, so if he says “tacos AGAIN?”, that means that he really isn't happy). Of course, I am not factoring my daughters opinion in to our ability to have Taco Tuesdays because she doesn't eat ANYTHING.
Henyway….
My go-to recipe for tacos is my crockpot chicken taco recipe, but everyone else in my house really does prefer beef. I have a problem with high-fat foods – I won't give you the gory details, but when I eat beef, I need to make sure that everything else in my meal with have little to no fat in it or else I will be miserable for hours!
This recipe is really just a basic taco seasoning recipe, except instead of using tortillas as my “taco meat delivery system”, I am using lettuce leaves. The rest of my family will use flour tortillas for these, but I prefer the lightened up version by using romaine leaves. I must not be alone in my preference, because the last time I was shopping at Wegmans, they now sell packs of lettuce leaves that are all the same size (unlike ripping a head on Romaine apart and the leaves get smaller and smaller as you get to the center)
Of course, you can use the taco seasoning packets that you can buy in the supermarket, but I hope that you will give this homemade taco seasoning recipe a try. Double, triple, quadruple (or more) the recipe for the taco seasoning and store it in an airtight container and you will always have homemade seasoning on hand and ready to go!
- 1 tbsp Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Cumin
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- ½ tsp Paprika
- ⅛ tsp Garlic Powder
- ⅛ tsp Onion Powder
- ¼ tsp Brown Sugar
- Romaine Hearts
- 1 lb Lean Ground Beef or Ground Turkey
- 2 tbsp Taco Seasoning
- ⅓ cup Water
- 8 oz Shredded Cheese
- 1 diced Tomato
- additional Taco Toppings as desired (Lettuce, onion, peppers, etc)
- Mix together taco seasoning ingredients. Set asdie
- Brown meat and drain excess grease.
- Add water and taco seasoning (either recipe above or ready-made) and heat on medium until liquid reduces, stirring occasionally.
- Separate romaine leaves trimming any excess stalks on end.
- Place about ¼ cup of taco meat on each leaf.
- Top with cheese and tomatoes.
- Add any additional toppings you desire and serve immediately.
Mindi has been blogging since 2008 sharing her best frugal living tips, recipes and more. When she isn't writing, she spends time as an unpaid cook, maid and chauffeur to her 3 children!
I love tacos in all forms. Usually I make taco salad with tortilla chips because I like the crunch. This is a great new way to make tacos without worrying about the shells. I’m pinning this.
I need to start making lettuce wraps too!!!! My husband LOVES tacos, and this would be a great way to lighten things up a little!!! These look so so good!!!!
What a great idea! I love tacos, but am trying to cut back on corn. This would give you that satisfying crunch that I’ve been missing lately. Definitely pinning this one to remind me next time I make tacos. Nice to meet you through Say G’day Saturday.
These look delicious and I would love to try them. I am on a diet so they look like they would meet my dietary objectives too. Thanks for sharing the Weekend Wind-Down party
They are delicious! Like I said, when I make them for my family, they use flour tortillas…but I prefer to use lettuce leaves!
These look amazing and delicious! I am making these ASAP! Keep posting stuff like this I love to read it!
They really are great! Be sure to come back after you have made them to let me know if you liked them!
I always see lettuce wraps with chinese chicken like P.F. Changs, I’ve never seen tacos before, what a great idea!
I haven’t seen the uniform lettuce leaves, but I will be looking for them. Great idea, we love tacos but trying to cut down on flour items.
Love some tacos, and the lettuce wraps are a great way to ease up on the carbs. Thanks for linking up to Merry Monday! Sharing on Twitter! Have a great week!
Kim