Chicken Taco Lettuce Wraps:
Chicken taco lettuce wraps, everything you love about chicken tacos, but without the carbs. The perfect lunch!
When you’re craving a taco but not the carbs, reach for these Chicken Taco Lettuce Wraps. They are just the thing to satisfy a craving and squash any guilt. They’re healthy, fresh, flavorful, and can you’ll love to eat them for lunch, dinner, or a great snack. With deliciously seasoned chicken, fresh tomatoes and red onion, and of course avocado, these tacos have a little bit of everything. And the cilantro sauce makes it even better.
Serve with a nice blackberry mint mojito (Mocktail) for a fresh summery lunch, or with the best guacamole ever and a nice cheese dip for a fun themed meal!
Never fear when Chicken Taco lettuce wraps are near. You can pile on the fixings because all the ingredients are low carb and keto compliant.
You would never know that these Keto Taco Lettuce Wraps could be a diet food because they are, simply put, delicious. Another delicious low carb option could be chicken marsala.
How many calories are in a lettuce taco wrap?
Bare in mind that the calorie count is going to depend on what you put on the chicken lettuce taco wrap.
Roughly one wrap has about 40- 60 calories. Amazing considering they taste yummy and will fill you up.
Because these chicken taco lettuce wraps are keto, it is less about the calories, and more about the fat, protein, carb ratio, and this one has a good ratio for a solid meal.
What kind of lettuce do you use?
The best option is butter lettuce. It is solid enough to hold your chicken taco ingredients, flavorful, but pliant.
It is a softer, but still crisp, alternative to other lettuce choices. You can fold the butter lettuce like a taco shell, but unlike a taco shell it won’t break and spill the taco-y goodness all over your lap.
However, if you can’t find butter lettuce, you could use iceberg lettuce for these wraps. It gives a nice crunch. The one problem with Iceberg lettuce though is that it’s hard to roll, so you might be risking the same falling apart catastrophe as a traditional crispy taco shell.
What lettuce do you use for tacos?
The best lettuce for any type of taco not just a chicken taco wrap is the type that you like best.
However, if your going for the classic crunch of a typical taco, iceburg is the way to go. Since Iceberg lettuce isn’t as vibrant green, and has a lower nutritional content than other lettuces it can be passed over for a salad but it’s shines when added to the top of a taco. It’s thick and crisp great fo use in an already colorful taco.
Since these chicken taco lettuce wraps aren’t the traditional taco I went for a butter lettuce. Like I mentioned, it is more flavorful and pliant, and a happy medium for a wrap with it’s crunch and functionality.
What seasoning do you use for chicken tacos?
When it comes to this chicken taco recipe, the chicken really shines. I use a standard taco seasoning made up of chili powder, onion powder, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper. It forms a nice little crust on the chicken, and when you add the garlic it makes for a very flavorful chicken.
You might even enjoy these taco wraps without the sauce!
Lettuce wraps are my new favorite way to eat tacos. They really are such a winning combination.
Creamy Cilantro Taco Sauce
One of my favorite parts of this lettuce wraps recipe is the amazing creamy cilantro taco sauce that goes on top. It is loaded with flavor, and made up of ingredients that give you all the good fats, and flavors without the processed garbage found in many bottled dressings.
These tacos lettuce wraps are delicious without the sauce, but the sauce is that little extra thing that just gives it that perfect touch. Just be sure to adjust the amount of jalapeno for your heat preference, and use Greek Yogurt, sour cream, or mayo depending on what you like best.
What is the keto diet?
I keep mentioning how these are low carb and keto friendly, so let’s take a minute to talk about what that means exactly. You’ve heard about the ketogenic diet, but what exactly is it?
The keto diet is basically a way of changing the fuel source that your body burns from insulin, which is triggered by carbohydrates, to using the ketones in your body, which are triggered when you eat very few carbs.
Ketones are made from fat and use the stored fat in your body to produce energy for your body. Kinda like changing your house from electric power to solar.
A rough guide of what to eat and not to eat is:
To eat:
- Natural fats, butter, olive oil, cream are ok
- Seafood and fish
- Cheeses
- Unprocessed meats
- Eggs
- And above ground vegetables.
What not to eat:
- Foods that contain a lot of sugar and starch
- Root veggies
- Beer
- Fruits
- Pastas and breads
- Rice
- Sodas and juices.
You’ll find these chicken taco lettuce wraps keto compliant for sure.
- Chicken: protein, check
- Tomatoes: veggies, check
- Cilantro sauce: veggies, and natural fats, check
- Carbs: Nope
- Flavor: Double check
How to Make the Best Chicken Tacos Lettuce Wraps
The best chicken taco lettuce wraps are the ones that are topped with the things you like best. If you hate red onion, don’t add it. If you LOVE avocado, add a little extra.
Tools:
- Staub Skillet: When making the chicken taco lettuce wraps you want a great sear on the chicken to lock in flavor and optimal juiciness. A great skillet is an excellent way to achieve this. Even heat distribution and an a great cooking surface really help that along.
- Meat mallet: It is best to pound the chicken with a meat mallet to get even thickness. This will help the chicken to cook at the same rate, so you do not end up with undercooked meat. Or overcooked.
More Tasty Taco Recipes
- Greek Chicken Street Tacos
- 30 Minute Ground Beef Tacos
- Tacos Al Pastor
- Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Tacos
- Tilapia Fish Tacos
Chicken taco lettuce wraps
Ingredients
Grilled Taco Chicken
- 1 pound chicken breast Boneless, skinless
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon olive oil divided
To Assemble
- 8 leaves Butter Lettuce rinsed
- 1 avocado diced
- 1 tomato diced
- 1/4 cup onion diced
Cilantro Sauce
- 1/2 cup cilantro loosely packed
- 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt or sour-cream or mayo
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 jalapeno optional
- 1 clove garlic minced
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- 1 Pinch of salt
Instructions
To Cook Chicken
- Pound chicken with a mallet to even thickness or butterfly so it is thinner.
- Mix the spices together with 1 Tbs olive oil.
- Rub all over the chicken.
- Heat 1 Tbs olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet.
- Place chicken on the skillet, and let the chicken cook 6-7 minutes per side until cooked through (until it has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F).
To Make Cilantro Sauce
- Place all the ingredients in the food processor and blend for 1 minute or until creamy.
To Assemble
- Layer lettuce wraps with chicken, tomatoes, onion, and avocado. Drizzle with cilantro sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.
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Toni says
I loved how easy this is to make! And so flavorful too!
Cheryl says
My family never missed the shells!! Thanks for sharing a wonderful recipe!
Jennifer says
These chicken taco lettuce wraps sound delicious!! I also love that they are Keto approved. Can’t wait to try them this weekend!
lauren kelly says
I have been on the keto diet for over 3 years and I can’t wait to make these!
Sabrina says
This has all the flavor without the guilt of breaking my diet! Love it!