Asian Lettuce Wraps & More Lettuce Wrap Ideas

I am OBSESSED with Lettuce Wraps! There are so many otherwise heavy dishes that are transformed just by filling it into a lettuce leaf.

What’s so good about eating Lettuce Wraps?

The question should be more like, what’s NOT good about lettuce wraps! So many reasons to love them.

1. Crispy, crunchy freshness.
2. A little extra fiber.
3. Extend your meal by eating scant portions of the protein with lots of lettuce leaves.
4. A low carb replacement for rice.
5. Perfect for when you don’t want to eat another salad.
6. Fast finger food!

So Many Lettuce Wraps, So Little Time

Once I discovered this miracle of veg and protein, I started thinking about what else I could wrap in a piece of lettuce. Why didn’t I think of this sooner? I’ve been eating salads for years. And I don’t know if it’s psychological or not, but I feel fuller eating lettuce wraps than eating a bowl of salad. Maybe it’s the higher fiber romaine vs delicate soft mixed greens.

• Ginger Turkey Stir Fry with Water Chestnuts (recipe below)
• Sous Vide Chicken Breast Chicken Salad
• Thai Basil Chicken
• Sous Vide Chicken in Peanut Sauce
• Char-siu pork or chicken
• Taco Meat
• Hot Dog Sauce (Sloppy Joes)
• Pulled Pork
• Teriyaki Meatballs
• Italian Turkey Meatballs

The Recipe

Ginger Turkey Stir-Fry with Water Chestnuts

peggy I am OBSESSED with Lettuce Wraps! There are so many otherwise heavy dishes that are transformed just by filling it into a lettuce leaf. What’s so good about eating Lettuce… Recipes lettuce wraps, gluten free, dairy free, low carb Chinese Print This

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes 10 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.5/5

( 4 voted )

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger finely minced
• 1 tbsp garlic chopped
• 1/2 cup green onions thinly sliced (about 4)
• 1/2 cup cilantro roughly chopped
• 1 cup canned water chestnuts drained and chopped
• 1 head romaine, iceberg, or butter lettuce
• 1/2 tsp white pepper to taste
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

• Sauté ginger, garlic, and half green onions in oil on medium high heat until aromatic.
• Add ground turkey and cook till no longer pink.
• Add oyster sauce, soy sauce, and water chestnuts, white pepper until combined.
• For a thicker sauce, combine 1 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp water in a bowl and pour slowly into the mixture on medium high heat, stirring constantly until mixture is boiling. Can be repeated for thicker sauce. 
• Remove from heat and add remaining green onions, cilantro, sesame oil, and sesame seeds.

Notes

Don't have water chestnuts? It's fine without them, though you won't have that same crunch. You could try finely dicing some celery for a similar texture. Serve with shredded carrots or red peppers.

Pro Tips: Prep ahead

• Have precut green onions on hand in containers ready to go. I tend to buy a beautiful bunch of green onions with ambitions of using them as garnish or in all these yummy dishes, and then after a few days they are dried out and wilted and unappetizing. I usually end up throwing half of them out. Now instead I will wash and slice them so they are readily available for all my dishes, like my Chinese Ham and Green Onion Omelette or Miso Soup.
• Peel and slice ginger, then freeze on cookie sheets and store in ziplock bags. This way any time you need ginger, just chop it up and go. So convenient.

Reference: the original recipe

Thanks goes out to Kelly and Kristen for this one. It doesn’t appear that RecipeCenter still exists, so thank goodness for print outs.