Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps are super addictive with tangy, sweet Hoisin sauce, crunch from fresh vegetables and peanuts and just messy enough to add a little fun to dinner. Our version takes 25 minutes and can easily be adapted to use any ground meat or crumbled tofu.
Yes, these are a copycat version of the Asian Chicken Lettuce Cups of a certain chain restaurant. And yes, we think our version is even better than theirs.
Just sayin'.
Why Lettuce Cups are a Weeknight Fave
Lettuce cups are a DIY weeknight dinner at our house. We make a big batch of filling and let everyone assemble their cups / wraps at the dinner table. Using ground chicken (or pork, or turkey, or beef, or even tofu - any will work) makes prep super fast. Chop a few vegetables and combine everything in a great big wok or skillet.
And this sauce. Sweet, tangy hoisin sauce balanced with soy sauce and fresh lime juice.
I could eat this sauce with just about anything.
Drizzled over salads, tossed in a stir-fry, as a dipping sauce for chicken wraps...
I could practically drink this stuff.
Make Ahead / Pack for Lunches
And as great as they are for a quick weeknight dinner, lettuce cups like these make awesome leftovers. The filling can be entirely cooked and assembled a day ahead and just reheated on the stovetop or in the microwave. With everything cooked in advance, you can literally have dinner on the table in 5 minutes flat.
And they're a pretty spectacular lunch as well. In my book, saucy, fresh lettuce wraps trump a boring old PB&J any day. Just pack the filling and the lettuce leaves in two separate containers so the lettuce doesn't get soggy. If eating them taco-style is too messy for the middle of the work-day, just pour the topping over the lettuce and eat it like a salad - it's great either way!
More Asian Recipes
- Asian Roasted Broccoli with Cashews
- Hoisin-Glazed Salmon with Asian Slaw
- Crispy Baked Spring Rolls
- Beef and Broccoli Ramen Stir-Fry
- Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Instant Pot General Tso's Chicken
- Honey Garlic Chicken Fried Rice
Favorite Tools for Asian-Inspired Recipes
- Joyce Chen Carbon Steel Wok - This affordable wok is the only one I use. I’ve had it for 10+ years and the only care it needs is to be washed out, dried well, and rubbed with oil before storing.
- Wok Spatula - This spatula fits perfectly around the curved edges of a wok.
- Splatter Screen - Perfect for keeping your stovetop (reasonably) clean.
Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps Recipe
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Wok or skillet
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- ¾ cup Hoisin sauce
- 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 3 teaspoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
For the Lettuce Cups:
- 1 Tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 ½ pound ground turkey (preferably dark meat)
- ¼ cup water chestnuts, rinsed, drained and finely chopped
- 1 stalks green onions, finely chopped
- 16 leaves lettuce (Boston Bibb or the outer leaves of a head of Iceberg)
- ½ cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl (or a mason jar with a lid), combine all ingredients for the sauce. Whisk or shake until smooth and evenly combined. (Sauce can be made up to a week ahead.)
- Prep all remaining ingredients and set them beside the stove.
- Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and when it begins to shimmer, add bell peppers and saute until tender, about 3 minutes.
- Add ground turkey and cook, breaking it apart until cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Carefully drain off any liquid in the pan and return the pan to the heat. Add water chestnuts and sauce and bring to a simmer. Simmer until sauce thickens and coats chicken, 2 minutes.
- Move the pan off the heat and stir in the chopped green onions and the juice of half of the lime wedges (save the rest to serve on the side of the lettuce wraps so you can add more lime juice at the table).
- Set filling, lettuce cups, peanuts, and lime wedges on the table so that everyone can assemble their own wraps.
Kristen @ The Endless Meal
Lettuce wraps are the best, aren't they?! That sauce smothered chicken looks amazing!!