Lettuce Wrap Tacos are a great low-carb option on taco night! The meat mixture is perfectly seasoned with spices and served inside a lettuce wrap with toppings of choice.

lettuce wrap tacos on a platter this recipe

What Are Lettuce Wrap Tacos?

These low-carb turkey taco lettuce wraps are perfect for your whole family. Made with ground turkey, homemade taco seasoning, and served inside a lettuce wrap with your favorite toppings!

If you want to swap out the turkey for another type of meat or use store-bought seasoning, you can! It’s easy to make changes based on your tastes and preferences.

They are perfect for busy weeknights when you don’t have much time to get dinner on the table. Top them with our easy guacamole recipe and everyone will love this light and flavorful dish!

Ingredients

You can find the ingredients to make these healthy lettuce wraps at your local grocery store.

  • Olive oil
  • Ground turkey
  • Garlic
  • Chili powder
  • Ground cumin
  • Paprika
  • Onion powder
  • Tomato sauce
  • Chicken broth
  • Lime

You’ll also need lettuce leaves for serving, such as butter lettuce.

ingredients for lettuce wrap turkey tacos

Topping Ideas

Lettuce wraps would not be complete without the toppings. Here are some ideas to get you started. Add as much or as little as you like!

How to Make Turkey Lettuce Wrap Tacos

The steps to make these easy turkey taco lettuce wraps and homemade taco seasoning are perfect for any night of the week.

  • In a large skillet over medium high heat, cook ground turkey with garlic until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
cooked ground turkey in a skillet
  • Add spices, tomato sauce, and broth. Simmer until the liquid has reduced, about 5-8 minutes. Squeeze 1/2 lime over the meat mixture.
turkey taco filling in a skillet
  • Serve inside a lettuce leaf with your favorite toppings!

Expert Tips

These tips and tricks will help you level-up taco Tuesday!

  • Reduce the liquid but not all the way. You want the liquid reduced to about a quarter but not all the way. That way the taco mixture is not dry.
  • Spice it up. Make it spicy by adding crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne powder, or Tabasco to the spice mixture. 
  • Make a salad. Turn these lettuce tacos into a taco salad by chopping the lettuce. You can even add a handful of tortilla chips!
  • Keep it low-carb. This is a great meal plan for a low-carb diet. Add toppings to fit your diet needs.

Variations

Lettuce wrap turkey tacos are easily customizable to make exactly how you like. These variations will give you an idea of what you can swap out so you can make them your own.

  • Turkey: ground chicken, ground beef, or ground pork. 
  • Seasoning: can use a packet of taco seasoning.
  • Wrap: romaine lettuce, Boston lettuce, bibb lettuce. You can also keep it traditional with taco shell, corn tortilla, or flour tortilla instead of lettuce wraps.
turkey lettuce wrap tacos on a platter

Other Ways to Cook the Turkey

Cooking the ground turkey on the stove in a large non-stick skillet is the traditional way to prepare the meat mixture but you can also a pressure cooker if you have one.

To cook the turkey in the instant pot, set it to the saute function and allow it to heat up. Cook the turkey with garlic until lightly brown.

Turn the saute function off. Add spices, tomato sauce, and chicken broth. Give everything a good stir, then put the lid on and seal the venting knob.

Set the cooker to the pressure cook feature and cook for 8 minutes. It will take a few minutes for the pressure to build, and then the timer will begin.

Once it’s done, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes, and then carefully use the quick release to release the rest of the pressure. Give everything a stir before serving.

How to Serve

These healthy turkey taco lettuce wraps are delicious when served with side dishes or even on their own. You can eat them with a side of grains, noodles, or a savory soup.

Try pairing them with one of these tasty sides:

turkey taco lettuce wraps

Storing Tips

Refrigerate: Keep any leftover ingredients stored in separate containers or bags in the fridge. It’s best to store them separately so the lettuce doesn’t wilt.

Reheat: When you’re ready to eat your leftover lettuce cups, heat the meat in 30-second increments until warm all the way through. Then assemble the tacos with the lettuce and toppings.

Freeze: You can easily freeze the ground meat mixture to use to make tacos later. To reheat, allow the meat to thaw in the fridge overnight or put it in the microwave until heated all the way through, stirring every minute or so.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the best lettuce to use for lettuce wraps?

This recipe uses butter lettuce, but you can use another kind that is crunchy but flexible enough to wrap around the meat mixture and not too bitter.

Are turkey lettuce wraps messy?

Lettuce wraps can be messy. You can double up on the lettuce leaf and roll it up if you want.

How do you dry lettuce for wraps?

Place paper towels or a dish towel inside a sheet pan and spread the leaves over the towel and let them air dry for about an hour.

More Lettuce Wrap Recipes

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lettuce wrap tacos on a platter

Lettuce Wrap Tacos Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Katya
  • Prep Time: 20 min
  • Cook Time: 15 min
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: Main
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Print Recipe

Description

Lettuce Wrap Tacos are a great low-carb option on taco night! The meat mixture is perfectly seasoned with spices and served inside a lettuce wrap with toppings of choice.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 3 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1.5 lbs. (24 oz.) ground turkey
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tsp. chili powder
  • 1 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 1/4 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1/2 cup tomato sauce
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth
  • Juice 1 lime
  • Kosher salt and fresh black pepper

To Serve

  • Butter, iceberg, or romaine leaves
  • Tomatoes, chopped
  • Avocado, chopped
  • Red onion, finely chopped
  • Cilantro, roughly chopped
  • Queso fresco or cheddar cheese
  • Cilantro Lime Crema
  • Add any toppings you like!

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add turkey and garlic, and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes, while crumbling the meat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  2. Stir in spices, tomato sauce, and chicken broth. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 5-8 minutes or until the liquid has reduced to about a quarter. Squeeze 1/2 lime juice over the meat mixture. Taste it and add more juice and/or salt and pepper if needed.
  3. Serve inside a lettuce leaf with toppings of choice.

Notes

  • Tomato sauce: You can substitute tomato sauce with 2 tablespoons of tomato paste.
  • Serving: Feel free to add any toppings of choice. See post for more ideas.
  • Leftovers: Refrigerate leftover meat mixture separate from toppings in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cup meat mixture split between two lettuce wraps
  • Calories: 217
  • Sugar: 0.2 g
  • Sodium: 468 mg
  • Fat: 13.6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 1.9 g
  • Protein: 22.7 g
  • Cholesterol: 78.2 mg

Recipe originally published March 2017 but since been revised and updated.

 

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