Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Perfect for hungry Superbowl guests or a busy weeknight family dinner, Asian turkey lettuce wraps are a winner. Make the filling a day or two ahead and warm it up to serve when needed meaning less time in the kitchen. If you love PF Changs lettuce wraps, try these at home. Chicken lettuce wraps are good too, if you prefer chicken to turkey. Just try them!

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

This is fun, healthy and satisfying food, all at the same time. Popularized by the restaurant chain, there are many versions of these lettuce wraps or lettuce cups. Lettuce leaves make a wrap or vessel to spoon savory filling into. Spoon on a little dipping sauce and chow down.

Lettuce Wraps Ingredients

For your grocery and pantry list:

• Snow peas
• Coconut oil
• Onion
• Carrot
• Ginger (puree or fresh)
• Garlic
• Ground turkey (10%-15% fat)
• Tamari or soy sauce (low-sodium)
• Pepper - red and black
• Green onion
• 1 package or head of Romaine, iceberg or butter lettuce
• Black and white sesame seeds (optional)

Ground Turkey and Vegetables

What makes this recipe a standout is using vegetables along with ground turkey for crunch, color, and more nutrition. Some recipes use water chestnuts but they are pretty tasteless and colorless. Snow peas and carrots add more punch.

If choosing ground turkey, buy 10% and 15% fat for more flavor and less chance of ending up with a dry dish. Ground chicken works too for Asian lettuce wraps.

How do You Make Lettuce Wraps?

Prepping the ingredients ahead of time makes lettuce wraps go together quickly. Chop snow peas and onion, grate a large carrot (or use pre-grated carrot), saute the veggies, add ginger and garlic, add the meat and cook until no longer pink, about 10 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. The dipping sauce is easy too, just shake in a jar.

What Type of Lettuce is Used for Lettuce Wraps?

The famed PF Chang's recipe uses whole iceberg lettuce leaves. I prefer to use romaine leaves or butter lettuce leaves. Choose what you like and what's best at the store. If using Romaine, 1 bag usually contains 3 heads. Trim leaves to 6″-7″. For iceberg or butter lettuce, cut off the root end and carefully separate leaves.

Lettuce Wraps Ingredient Tips

Ginger – I keep a jar of organic, pureed ginger in the refrigerator at all times. I love the flavor of ginger and cook with it often, plus it is anti-inflammatory and great for digestion. It is a fine puree (the jar says minced) and melts into a dish quickly. To grate fresh, peeled ginger fine, use a microplane zester. For a side dish for the lettuce wraps, mix a little ginger into brown rice for great flavor.

Tamari – Also know as soy sauce, tamari is wheat-free, perfect if you follow a gluten-free diet. Be sure to buy low sodium organic.

Oil - I use organic coconut oil for this recipe. Coconut oil is a healthy fat for cooking and pairs especially well with Asian flavor profiles.

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Sally Cameron

These Asian lettuce wraps (or lettuce cups ) feature ground turkey with ginger and garlic for appetizing game-day eats or an easy weeknight dinner that is serve-yourself. Chopped snow peas and carrots add vegetables, crunch and color. Spoon filling into crisp Romaine leaves and enjoy with a spoonful of sauce drizzled over the top. Note – do not add salt to this dish as tamari, even low sodium, is salty enough.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Course lunch, Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Servings 4

Calories 295 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Dipping Sauce

• ▢ ⅓ cup low-sodium tamari or soy sauce sub coconut aminos
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ginger puree  from a jar, or fresh finely grated
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Mirin Japanese cooking wine
• ▢ 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons water
• ▢ ½ tablespoon mild honey
• ▢ pinch of red pepper flakes optional

Turkey Filling

• ▢ 4 ounces snow peas 1 huge handful
• ▢ 1 cup finely chopped onion
• ▢ ½ cup grated or chopped carrot
• ▢ 1 ½ tablespoons coconut oil
• ▢ 1 ½ tablespoons organic ginger puree or fresh finely grated
• ▢ 3-4 garlic cloves finely chopped
• ▢ 1 ¼ pounds ground turkey 10%-15% fat
• ▢ 1 tablespoon low-sodium tamari wheat-free soy sauce
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 1-2 pinches crushed red pepper
• ▢ ¼ cup chopped green onion
• ▢ 3 hearts of Romaine or butter lettuce, iceberg head
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Black and white sesame seeds for garnish optional

Instructions

 

• Place sauce ingredients in a jar and shake to combine. Reserve for serving. Thinly slice snow peas crosswise, chop your onion and grate carrot
• Heat coconut oil in a large fry or sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion, snow peas and carrots to the pan and cook, stirring, until vegetables are soft. Add the ginger and garlic and cook 1 minute. Add ground turkey to the pan and cook until no longer pink, breaking it up with a wooden spatula or spoon, about 10 minutes.
• Add tamari, black and red pepper, and green onion. Stir together and serve in trimmed lettuce leaves. Drizzle with a  little of the sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional). You can also serve them family style by placing the meat in a bowl along side of a plat4e of stacked lettuce leaves.

Notes

If you're using iceberg lettuce or butter lettuce, cut off the root end and carefully separate leaves. 

Nutrition

Calories: 295kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 38gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 1064mgPotassium: 739mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 3110IUVitamin C: 23mgCalcium: 69mgIron: 3mg

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