Vegetarian Spicy Black Bean Lettuce Wraps

Spicy black bean taco lettuce wraps with creamy guacamole and peach and manga salsa are perfect for Meatless Monday or anytime you want to get a plant-based meal on the table in around 20 minutes.

A delicious Tex-Mex inspired black bean filling is scooped into crispy lettuce cups for an easy and quick lunch or for dinner when you’re looking for the perfect light meal.

Vegetarian Lettuce Wrap Recipe

I have always been a huge fan of lettuce wraps. Switching up the flavors and creating different variations is a great way to ensure you have healthy meals that are typically low carb and never boring!

I sometimes use a savory tofu filling or I’ve even made them using a combination of sautéed garden veggies with a splash of rice vinegar. The possibilities are endless!

Way too often, vegetarian recipes get a bad rap for not having enough flavor or for not being filling. These vegetarian lettuce wraps are about to change your mind!

The star in this recipe are black beans! Black beans are such inexpensive way to get nutritious, high-protein options in your diet. Another great thing about using black beans in this easy recipe is that because they contain resistant starch, it’s not broken down like other carbohydrates which means it does not raise your blood sugar as much as most other starchy vegetables.

Ingredients in Black Bean Taco Lettuce Wraps

For the Black Bean Filling:

• 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 T. water
• 1 t. ground cumin
• ½ t. chili powder
• 1 t. smoked paprika
• ¼ t. cayenne pepper
• ¼ t. dried Mexican oregano
• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• Optional (finely diced red peppers)
• Peach and Mango Salsa

For the Guacamole:

• 2 large ripe avocados, pitted
• 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
• 3 T. fresh lime juice
• 2 T. fresh cilantro, minced
• ½ medium jalapeño, finely diced
• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

What Kind of Lettuce is Good for Lettuce Wraps?

You’re going to want to use a firm, crisp lettuce variety. It will need to hold up to the weight of the filling. Here are the top picks for best lettuces to use:

• Iceberg lettuce
• Romaine lettuce
• Boston Lettuce
• Butter Lettuce

How to make these Healthy Vegan Lettuce Wraps:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beans, water, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, and Mexican oregano. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and stir to combine.
2. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the black bean mixture is warmed through and the spices become fragrant, around 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. While the beans are cooking, mash the avocado in a small glass or other non-reactive bowl. Add tomato, lime juice, fresh cilantro, and jalapeño. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and stir to combine. Set aside.
4. Transfer warm beans to a bowl and add diced bell pepper, if using. Sprinkle with additional spices, if desired.
5. Serve immediately by taking a large crisp lettuce leaf or lettuce cups and place with large lettuce leaves for wrapping, along with fresh guacamole. Enjoy!

If you love a sweet and spicy combination, this super easy peach mango salsa is perfect served with them also. Just combine diced peach and mango with a little red onion, red bell pepper, jalapeno and lime juice to taste.

Can I Make Lettuce Wraps in Advance?

These lettuce wraps are perfect for easy lunches on the go. While you can’t assemble the wraps in advance, you can make the filling up the night before. Then, the next day reheat and scoop it into the lettuce leaves to serve.

What can I Serve with Vegan Lettuce Wraps?

Lettuce wraps are really great served as a main dish with some sort of dipping sauce like salsa or queso. For vegan side dishes ideas, lettuce wraps are great with brown rice or with grilled veggies like broccoli and asparagus. To keep things low carb, Mexican cauliflower rice works perfect with this recipe.

How to Make these into a Non-Vegetarian Version?

If you’re feeding your family and need a non-vegetarian option, you can make a delicious recipe for chicken lettuce wraps by starting out using this same ingredient list. Just brown some ground chicken in a large nonstick skillet until its cooked through. Add the cooked chicken in with the black bean mixture and stir until combined.

Though chicken is most popular, you can use any ground meat you prefer. If you’re using ground beef, you’ll want to drain off some the extra grease with paper towels before scooping into the lettuce cups.

Healthy Dessert After Dinner

If you’d like to add dessert without the guilt, you’ll want to make this Easy Keto Vanilla Ice Cream that is so creamy and delicious.

More Mexican Inspired Recipes:

• Pan Seared Chimichurri Flank Steak
• Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas
• Easy Beef Taco Salad
• Mexican Burritos with Red Rice