These taco cups are packed full of so many bold flavours and can be served in so many ways, it makes for a really exciting, high protein and low carb meal.
Taco shells traditionally are made using wheat flour, but these are lower carb as we’ve switched out the taco shells for gem lettuce ‘cups’. If you can spare the extra carbs, then go ahead and make your own taco shells using gluten-free mini tortilla wraps. Perhaps you’d like to mix and match.
Macros per plain beef taco:
(Mix divided into 8 tacos, served in a little gem lettuce leaf)
Calories: 123 Carbs: 1g Fat: 4.7g Protein: 19.4g
You can add a variety of fillings to build your own tasty taco. The macros for each additional filling are listed with each recipe below, so you can customise your tacos based on whatever fits your diet.
To fill the tacos, I’ve created a delicious minced beef filling, along with a variety of additional sides such as coriander yoghurt and fresh tomato salsa.
For the Lean Beef Taco Filling
Fills 8-10 baby gem leaf cups and serves 4.
Ingredients:
- 500g lean beef mince, (5% fat, organic)
- ½ white onion,
- 1 tsp cumin,
- 1 tsp garlic powder,
- 1 tsp smoked paprika,
- ½ tsp oregano,
- 1 tsp olive oil (light),
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste.
Method:
- Heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the finely diced onion and spices together.
- Next, add the beef mince and brown in the pan.
- Simmer for 10 minutes and season with salt and black pepper.
Fillings
For the Coriander yoghurt:
- 50g Greek yoghurt
- 5g fresh coriander
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- A squeeze of lemon juice
Method:
- Simply blend all of the ingredients together using a hand blender or food processor.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Calories: 74 Carbs: 5.3g Fat: 4.7g Protein: 2.5g
For the Tomato Salsa:
- 100g cherry tomatoes
- 20g finely chopped red onion
- 3g fresh coriander
- 1 tsp olive oil
- Juice of half a lime
- ½ tsp tomato puree
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Method:
- Finely dice the tomatoes and add to a bowl with the diced onion.
- Add the olive oil, lime and tomato puree and mix well.
- Add the paprika and season with black pepper.
- Garnish with freshly chopped coriander.
- Refrigerate and keep for two to three days.
Serves 4, Macros per Serve:
Calories: 27 Carbs: 2.6g Fat: 1.7g Protein: 0.4g
For the Pickled Red Onion Rings:
- Finely sliced red onion (in rings)
- 3 tbsps white wine vinegar
Method:
- Cover with white wine vinegar and leave for at least 20 minutes.
- Drain and serve.
Other fillings you could include are:
- Feta
- Jalapenos
- Diced peppers
- Black beans
- Avocado slices
- Pickled red onion slices
Finish your taco with a little fresh lime juice squeezed over the top to really bring all of those incredible flavours together.
