🇲🇽 Mexican
FREE PREVIEW
Carne Asada Lettuce Tacos
⏱ 30 min (plus 1 hr marinate)
🍞 ~6g
🍽 4 servings
⭐ 5/5
⚠️ Estimates only — not medical advice. Carb counts vary by brand and portion. Always verify with your endo or CDCES.
🌍 Cultural note
Carne asada is a Sunday tradition in so many Mexican families — abuela's backyard, the smell of citrus and garlic hitting the grill. Swapping tortillas for crisp lettuce cups keeps the flavor of home without sending blood sugar on a rollercoaster.
Why this recipe is T1D-friendly
- Lettuce cups instead of tortillas drop the carb load to almost nothing
- High protein + healthy fat = slow, steady glucose curve (great for dinner before bed)
- No hidden sugar in the marinade — we use lime, garlic, and cumin instead of bottled sauces
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb flank or skirt steak (0g)
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, about 3 limes (2g)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (1g)
- 1 tsp ground cumin (0g)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika (0g)
- 1/2 tsp salt + 1/4 tsp black pepper (0g)
- 2 tbsp olive oil (0g)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (0g)
- 1 head butter lettuce or romaine hearts, leaves separated (3g for 3 leaves)
- 1 avocado, sliced (3g)
- 1/2 cup pico de gallo (3g per 1/4 cup)
- Lime wedges + extra cilantro to serve
Directions
- Whisk lime juice, garlic, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a glass dish.
- Add steak, turn to coat, cover, and marinate in the fridge 1 hour (or up to 4).
- Heat a grill pan or cast iron skillet over high heat until smoking. Pat steak dry.
- Sear 3-4 minutes per side for medium (internal temp 135°F). Rest 5 min on a cutting board.
- Slice thin against the grain. Toss with cilantro.
- Pile steak into lettuce cups, top with avocado and pico, squeeze lime over the top.
Dash's kid tips 🐆
- Dash says: let kids build their own taco bar — they eat 2x more when they assemble it themselves
- Skip the spicy salsa for little palates; offer plain diced tomato + a sprinkle of cotija cheese
- Save leftover steak for tomorrow's lunch over scrambled eggs — same insulin math, new meal