Name: Taco Lettuce Cups
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon oil; 1-pound lean ground beef, chicken or turkey; 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained; 1 ½ tablespoons chili powder; 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin; 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt; ½ teaspoon ground black pepper; 2 heads Bibb or Boston lettuce, peeled into cups; 2 medium avocados, peeled, pitted and diced; ½ cup fresh salsa; ½ cup plain Greek yogurt

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These taco lettuce cups are an easy 20 minute lettuce cups stuffed with taco meat and your favorite taco toppings.

A balanced dinner that makes for perfect lunch leftovers!

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How to make taco lettuce cups

Featured Ingredients

Ground meat: This is the base of your taco meat.
Black beans: I always add a can or two of black or pinto beans to my taco meat.
- It bulks up the servings for not a lot of money (beans are super budget-friendly!) and beans are full of fiber and protein!
Spices: I usually make my own taco seasoning with chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, onion and garlic powders and something with a little heat like crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.
- I also add salt and black pepper to taste.
Lettuce wraps: I use Bibb or Boston lettuce, but romaine or iceberg leaves would work as well.
Avocado: Grab a ripe one and peel, slice and dice it!
Salsa: Any salsa will work – hot, medium or mild or something fun like mango or pineapple salsa!
Greek yogurt: I use plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream for the probiotics and protein, but you can use sour cream if that’s what you have on hand.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Heat the oil in a large skillet to medium.
Add the ground beef, chicken or turkey and sauté for 6-7 minutes or until fully cooked, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
Add the black beans, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and black pepper. Stir until fragrant.
Add ¼ cup of water and bring to a simmer until thickened.
Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
Spoon taco meat into lettuce cups and top each with diced avocado, fresh salsa and dollops of Greek yogurt.
Serve immediately.

Recipe Substitutions and Alterations

For the ground meat: You can use ground beef, turkey or chicken. Even pork would work.
- You could also use sliced or diced chicken breast or flank steak.
For the black beans: Try with pinto beans.
For the spices: If you don’t want to make your own taco seasoning, use your favorite pre-made taco seasoning (I like Spice Islands!).
For the lettuce cups: Try with your favorite corn or flour tortillas.
For the toppings: The options are endless! You could add shredded or crumbled cheese, grilled or sauteed fajita peppers, diced raw onion and tomatoes, dollops of guacamole, sliced green onion, taco sauce or any of your favorite taco toppings.

Nutrition Considerations

To make these gluten free: This recipe is gluten free. Be sure all seasonings and packaged ingredients are gluten free.
To make these dairy free: Skip the Greek yogurt or sour cream and cheese.
To make these vegetarian: Swap the meat out for 2 extra cans of black or pinto beans.
To make these vegan: Swap the meat out for 2 extra cans of black or pinto beans. Skip the Greek yogurt or sour cream and cheese.
To make these nut free: This recipe is nut free. Be sure all spices and packaged ingredients are nut free.

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