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Tex-Mex·Main Course

Caramelized Taco Beef Lettuce Cup

A fresh, low-carb alternative to traditional tacos featuring deeply browned, savory ground beef served in crisp butter lettuce leaves.

Prep

10m

Cook

15m

Total

25m

Serves

4

Method

  1. 01

    Sauté the white and light green parts of the green onions in vegetable oil over high heat. Add the ground beef and break it up with a spatula into small crumbles.

    Step 1
    Watch · 0:18
  2. 02

    Reduce the heat to medium-high. Season the beef with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, ground cumin, cayenne, oregano, tomato paste, and ketchup. Stir to combine and cook for about 1 minute.

    Step 2
    Watch · 1:11
  3. 03

    Spread the beef into an even layer and cook undisturbed for 1 to 2 minutes until it begins to caramelize and form a crust on the bottom. Stir the meat and repeat this 'crustification' process a second time for maximum flavor.

    Step 3
    Watch · 1:54
  4. 04

    Pour in a splash of cold water to rehydrate the meat and pick up the browned bits from the pan. Stir and simmer until the beef reaches your desired consistency, then turn off the heat.

    Step 4
    Watch · 2:42
  5. 05

    Arrange the lettuce leaves on a serving tray. Fill each leaf with a generous amount of the warm taco beef filling.

    Step 5
    Watch · 3:42
  6. 06

    Garnish each cup with shredded Monterey Jack, diced red onion, diced tomatoes, and the reserved dark green parts of the green onions before serving.

    Step 6
    Watch · 4:41

From Chef John

  • “You are after all the Aeon Flux of your taco beef lettuce cups.”
  • “What we want to have happen is this mixture to dry out a little bit to the point where things start to caramelize onto the bottom.”
  • “Golden brown is good, but we want to try to avoid any golden black.”