Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps
Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps
It’s fun to celebrate Taco Tuesday now and then. Everyone in the family loves tacos. They are easy to make and can adjust for every food preference. My picky sixteen year old, Abigail, chooses the basics: tortilla chips topped with seasoned meat, beans and cheese. That’s it; as simple as it gets. No lettuce, no fresh tomatoes, no avocado, no cilantro, no sauce. Are you kidding me? For this reason, I load the meat with beans, peppers, onions, garlic and stewed tomatoes so that she may “accidentally” eat some healthy vegetables without really knowing that she is; it’s a sneaky way to do it, but very effective. Her simple food choices still provide her with plenty of protein and calcium from the meat, beans and cheese, and she picks up a few good vitamins and minerals from the other add-ons, so somehow she manages to get what she needs.
Michael and I are trying to cut down on extra carbohydrates so we like to wrap our tacos in lettuce. The iceberg lettuce leaves make great wraps even though the nutritional value of iceberg is pretty marginal. The rest of the taco makes up for it and then some. I love all the toppings in this recipe. Feel free to add more like jalapenos, Cotija cheese, avocados or even a big spoonful of my Mango Salsa.
I made these in bariatric cooking class last week and they were a big hit. You save on the costs of buying packaged seasonings by using your own spices and it doesn’t take that much more time. To save even more time, I used Litehouse OPADipity 
Chipotle Ranch Greek Yogurt Dip instead of making Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing; either topping brings just the right amount of heat for far less calories. The fresh tomatoes sort of cool it all down too. These quick-to-fix tacos make for a great summer dining idea when you don’t want to heat up the kitchen too much and want easy clean-up. Fresh and light, flavorful and nutritious!
- Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps
- 1 pound 99% fat-free ground turkey
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can Mexican stewed tomatoes
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, mashed slightly
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 8 large iceberg lettuce leaves
- 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican-blend cheese
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup OPA Light Jalapeno Ranch dressing or Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing
- Brown ground turkey in a large skillet placed over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic; cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes or until onions are soft and translucent. Add tomatoes, black beans, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt and black pepper; cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes or until liquid is reduced slightly.
- Spoon about 1/4 cup turkey mixture onto lettuce leaf. Top with tomatoes, cilantro and a tablespoon of dressing. Wrap up in lettuce leaf and secure with toothpick if needed. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Analilia
karen did you have a recipe book ? and where I can find one? ? I have surgery a year ago ( sleeve gastric bypas) and I lost around 60 pounds but I start gain weight, I need help fast. Thank you
Karen
Hi Analilia: I hope you’re enjoying the bariatric-friendly recipes here on the blog. You also might enjoy “Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery” or “Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies Cookbook”. Both can be found on Amazon.com. Get back to the habits that helped you lose your weight at the beginning like small amounts of protein, slow pace of eating, limited grain carbs, lots of fluids between meals and most importantly a lot of exercise like walking. You can do it!
Debbie
Hi Karen, I just wanted to say that websites like yours are a godsend. The surgery isn’t as common here in Australia so the support services like cooking classes are extremely hard to come by. I only had my lapband surgery last month so I’m still collecting my favourite recipes but this one will definitely be on regular rotation in our house. Thank you for taking the time to put together this very valuable resource.
Karen
I’m happy to hear about your surgery Debbie and am happy I can provide helpful recipes. I wish you all the best as you continue your weight loss journey. This is so exciting for you and keep up the good work!!
Tracy
Delicious and so easy! I didn’t add soapy cilantro ( 😉 ) and I left out the dressing, but I will make this again!
Karen
So glad you tried this Tracy. “Soapy” cilantro? Oh no! I love cilantro, but I guess we all have different tastes. These tacos are great with a variety of toppings so feel free to adjust any way you like. Thanks for commenting.
Heather
This was fantastic! I doubled the chili powder and cumin for a bit more heat. I made it into a taco salad and will be putting this into my weekly meal plan. 1 yr ago, I had gastric bypass. Have lost almost 200 pounds in all (100 since bypass) and am always looking for new recipes so as not to bore our palates! 🙂
Karen
You are a rock star Heather. Your success is a tribute to your hard work and dedication. I’m so glad my recipes are providing you with lots of ideas. Keep up the great work!