Taco Lettuce Wraps

This evening I made Taco Lettuce Wraps for dinner.  It was quick and easy to put together and absolutely delicious.  One of hubby's and my favorite things we used to eat at P.F. Chang's was their chicken lettuce wraps...so I knew these would be good too because we both love tacos as well.  I decided to put together my own taco seasoning.  I found a recipe that looked good, and then tweaked it to season it the way I like.  The best part about it was there was nothing in the seasoning mix that was an unidentifiable ingredient.  It was maybe a tad more than "medium" in terms of spiciness, but could easily be adjusted up or down to suit your taste.  I served them with diced avocados, cherry tomatoes, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and sour cream.  Hubby added a little salsa to his too.  Check out the pictures below as well as the simple recipe that follows.  Enjoy!

VOILA!

Pretty & Tasty!

Here's a closer look...

BOOM!

TACO LETTUCE WRAPS

INGREDIENTS:

1 to 1.25 pounds of ground beef (I used ground sirloin)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Taco Seasoning:
    2 teaspoons chili powder
    1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
    1/4 teaspoon onion powder
    1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
    1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
    1/4 teaspoon paprika
    1 teaspoon ground cumin
    1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup water
Lettuce leaves (iceberg, romaine, butter or your favorite)
Garnish/Toppings: avocado, sharp cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, sour cream, salsa

DIRECTIONS:

In a skillet or frying pan, brown ground beef in olive oil; drain, if desired.  Measure and blend all the taco seasoning spices together in a small bowl.  When beef is browned, add taco seasoning and mix well.  Add water (you can increase or decrease the amount) and mix well and let simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until almost all of the liquid has evaporated (15-20 minutes).  Simmering the meat in the water helps moisten the meat and keep it juicy.  Fill lettuce leaves with meat mixture and garnish as desired.