Prep and taste-match your ingredients: bring the shredded chicken to room temperature (about 10 minutes) so it will absorb flavor quickly, dice the seeded tomato (removing seeds reduces watery juices that can make the lettuce soggy), finely dice the red onion and chop the cilantro. Halve and pit the avocado; scoop the flesh into a bowl and squeeze the lime over it immediately to prevent browning.

Bloom the smoked paprika: heat the olive oil in a small skillet over low heat until it shimmers lightly (do not smoke). Stir in the smoked paprika and cook for 20–30 seconds — this 'blooms' the spice, releasing its aromatic oils and deepening flavor. Cooling it briefly keeps the oil from overcooking the avocado later.

Warm and dress the chicken: add the shredded chicken to the skillet with the paprika oil and toss over low heat for 1–2 minutes just to warm through and coat it with the seasoned oil. Warming melds the smoked paprika flavor into the chicken without drying it. Remove from heat; taste and season with 1/4 tsp kosher salt and a pinch of pepper if needed.

Make a quick avocado cream: mash about two-thirds of the avocado with the lime juice, a pinch (about 1/4 tsp) kosher salt and a grind of black pepper until mostly smooth but still slightly chunky — this gives a creamy base that clings to the chicken and balances acidity. Reserve the remaining avocado sliced for topping so you get both creaminess and ripe-buttery texture in each cup.

Build the filling: in a medium bowl combine the warmed, seasoned chicken with the diced tomato, finely diced red onion, chopped cilantro and the mashed avocado. Fold gently to combine — you want coated, cohesive filling but you don’t want to pulverize the tomato or avocado. Taste and adjust with the remaining 1/4 tsp kosher salt and pepper if needed.

Prepare the lettuce cups: arrange 8 large lettuce leaves (2 per serving) on a platter. Pat leaves dry if any moisture is present — dry leaves stay crisp longer and hold the filling better. Spoon an equal portion of the chicken-avocado mixture into each leaf, finishing each with a slice or two of the reserved avocado for visual contrast and extra creaminess.

Finish and garnish: drizzle any remaining paprika oil from the skillet over the filled cups, sprinkle a few cilantro leaves and a tiny pinch of smoked paprika over each for color and aroma. Serve immediately so the lettuce remains crisp. If you need to hold them for more than 10 minutes, keep filling chilled and assemble just before serving.

Serving suggestion: serve as a light main (2 cups per person) or as an appetizer (share 1 cup each). Provide extra lime wedges and hot sauce at the table for guests to customize brightness and heat.