Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients for Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

• Ground Turkey – A lean ground turkey works just fine here since the sauce adds richness and flavor. Any ground meat will work in its place, and these are great with tofu too!
• Low-Sodium Soy Sauce – To build savory flavor in the sauce.
• Hoisin Sauce – Look for this sweet, flavorful sauce in the International aisle. This is a key ingredient in the flavor of the sauce, so don’t skip it.
• Honey – Not only balances the sweet-savory flavor of the sauce, but it helps to give the sauce a sticky texture that coats the filling.
• Rice Vinegar – For tangy, tart flavor. Use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar if you don’t keep rice vinegar on hand.
• Ginger – Don’t skip the ginger – it adds SO much flavor. I keep the frozen variety on hand from Trader Joe’s for times when I’m in a rush.
• Cornstarch – For thickening the sauce.
• Red Bell Peppers and Water Chesnuts – I love these additions for adding crunchy texture. You can also mix it up and add chopped carrots or even zucchini – just be sure to cook them until they’re tender before adding the ground turkey. You can skip the water chesnuts if they’re not something you keep around or love the flavor of.
• Green Onions and Lime Juice – For adding flavor and color.
• Roasted Peanuts – Sprinkle on top for maximum crunch!

What type of lettuce should I use?

Boston, Bibb, and butter lettuce have soft, buttery leaves that wrap easily around filling and still have a nice, fresh crisp texture. Romaine and iceberg lettuce leaves have the most crunch but are a bit more difficult to fold into wraps.

• Boston, Bibb, and butter lettuce – Look for small heads of these lettuce varieties with leaves that are dense, bright green, and don’t look limp. (It’s what I used for the photos in this post.)
• Romaine lettuce – Look for hearts of romaine with the outer leaves intact and showing no sign of browning.
• Iceberg lettuce – Look for light green, firm heads of lettuce, that are fairly small (the outer leaves can be too large to use for wraps). Separate the leaves carefully to prevent tearing them.

How to Make Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps (hint, it’s so easy!)

1. Separate and wash the lettuce leaves.
2. Make the filling. Saute bell peppers and ground turkey in oil until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Pour the sauce over the top and stir in the water chesnuts (these add some great crunch!). Simmer to let the flavors come together.
3. Stir green onions and lime juice into the filling to add some extra flavor.
4. Assemble the lettuce wraps. At the dinner table, fill the lettuce leaves with ground turkey filling and top them with peanuts.
5. Enjoy!