Mexican Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I was really excited about this recipe when I saw it on Taste of Home’s website…until I saw that it was served cold. Unless it’s sliced on top of salad or mixed up with mayo, I’m not a huge fan of cold chicken. I wasn’t going to let that deter me, though; I decided to change up the ingredients a bit and make a Tex-Mex spin on a traditional warm Asian chicken lettuce wrap. The results were absolutely delicious!

This is such a clever idea, and I wish I’d thought of it before. Mexican food is one of my favorite cuisines, so we eat a lot of flour tortillas in my house. Replacing the tortilla with lettuce saves some calories and makes the meal taste so much lighter overall. You could make this entirely vegetarian by omitting the chicken altogether and adding rice or doubling the amount of beans, or you could replace the chicken with beef for a new spin on traditional tacos. These were absolutely delicious!

Mexican Chicken Lettuce Wraps
inspired by Taste of Home

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups cooked shredded chicken
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
1 4-ounce can chopped green chilies
1 1/2 cups salsa
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Juice of 1 lime
Bibb, Boston, or iceberg lettuce leaves
Shredded cheese and sour cream for topping

1. Heat a small amount of oil in a large skillet. Add onion and cook until softened. Add garlic; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Add chicken, beans, corn, green chilies, salsa, chili powder and cumin; heat through. Just before serving, stir in lime juice.

3. Place a portion of the chicken mixture in each lettuce leaf. Top with shredded cheese and sour cream.

One year ago: Greek-style chicken skillet -- a family favorite!