Are you craving the fresh, vibrant, and completely addictive flavors of your favorite restaurant-style Asian Lettuce Wraps? This incredible, easy, from-scratch recipe is your ultimate guide to making a version at home that is so much fresher, healthier, and more delicious than any takeout you can order. It’s the perfect light, low-carb, and flavor-packed meal that comes together in under 30 minutes.
This isn’t just another stir-fry recipe; it’s a guide to your new favorite weeknight dinner. We’ll show you the simple secrets to a perfectly seasoned, savory, and spicy ground turkey filling, and how to assemble the perfect, crisp lettuce cup. This is a fun, interactive, and stunningly flavorful meal that the whole family will love.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Healthy & Flavorful Meal
What makes these Asian Lettuce Wraps so spectacularly delicious is their incredible contrast of textures and their perfect harmony of savory, spicy, sweet, and tangy flavors. The heart of the dish is a quick and easy, one-pan stir-fry filling made with lean ground turkey, fresh aromatics, and a simple but powerful sauce of soy sauce, lime juice, and chili garlic sauce. This warm, savory filling is then spooned into cool, crisp, and refreshing lettuce cups and topped with a pile of fresh, crunchy, julienned vegetables. It’s a complete, well-balanced, and deeply satisfying meal that is as fun to eat as it is to make.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 25 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 4 |
The Essential Ingredients for This “Better Than Takeout” Meal
This recipe uses a handful of fresh, high-impact ingredients to create its signature vibrant and savory flavor.
- The Lettuce Cups (The Perfect Vessel):
- Bibb or Boston Lettuce: These varieties of butter lettuce are the absolute perfect choice for lettuce wraps. Their leaves are tender, pliable, naturally cup-shaped, and they have a mild, slightly sweet flavor that doesn’t compete with the filling.
- The Savory Filling:
- Lean Ground Turkey: An excellent, healthy, and flavorful protein base for our filling. It cooks very quickly and absorbs all the delicious flavors of the sauce. Ground chicken is also a fantastic and very classic choice.
- The Sauce: The sauce is a classic Southeast Asian-inspired balance of four key tastes: Salty (from the soy sauce), Spicy (from the chili garlic sauce and the fresh jalapeño), Sour (from the fresh lime juice), and Sweet (from the sugar). The addition of fresh basil adds a wonderful, fragrant, and slightly peppery-sweet herbaceous note.
- The Fresh, Crunchy Toppings: This is a crucial element for the perfect texture contrast! A fresh, raw topping of julienned cucumber and carrot, along with crisp bean sprouts, provides the essential cool and crunchy bite that makes these lettuce wraps so irresistible.
Step-by-Step to the Best Asian Lettuce Wraps
This delicious meal comes together in minutes. The key is to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go next to your stove before you begin!
Step 1: Cook the Turkey Filling
Step 1: In a large skillet or a wok, heat the 1 tablespoon of canola oil over medium heat.
Step 2: Add the 1 pound of lean ground turkey to the hot skillet. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking the meat into crumbles with a wooden spoon, until it is no longer pink.
Step 3: Add the 1 minced jalapeño pepper, the 2 thinly sliced green onions, and the 2 minced garlic cloves to the skillet. Cook for 2 more minutes, until the aromatics are fragrant.
Step 4: Stir in the 2 tablespoons of minced fresh basil, the 2 tablespoons of lime juice, the 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, the 1 to 2 tablespoons of chili garlic sauce, and the 1 tablespoon of sugar. Continue to stir and cook until everything is heated through.
Step 2: Assemble Your Lettuce Wraps
To serve, arrange your 12 Bibb or Boston lettuce leaves on a large platter.
Place the warm turkey mixture in a serving bowl. In separate small bowls, place your julienned cucumber, julienned carrot, and your bean sprouts.
Allow everyone to build their own lettuce wraps by spooning the hot turkey mixture into the lettuce leaves and topping it with the fresh, crunchy vegetables. Simply fold the lettuce leaf over the filling like a taco and enjoy!
The Best Easy & Healthy Chicken Lettuce Wraps (Better Than P.F. Chang’s!)
A quick and healthy recipe for Asian-style lettuce wraps. This dish features a flavorful filling made by cooking lean ground turkey with minced jalapeño, green onions, and garlic. The cooked turkey is then seasoned with a simple, savory-sweet sauce of fresh basil, lime juice, soy sauce, and chili garlic sauce. The warm turkey mixture is served in crisp Bibb or Boston lettuce cups and topped with fresh, crunchy julienned cucumber, carrot, and bean sprouts.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 12 Bibb or Boston lettuce leaves
- 1 medium cucumber, julienned
- 1 medium carrot, julienned
- 2 cups bean sprouts
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat the canola oil over medium heat. Add the ground turkey and cook for 6-8 minutes, breaking it into crumbles, until it is no longer pink.
- Add the minced jalapeno, sliced green onions, and minced garlic to the skillet. Cook for 2 minutes longer.
- Stir in the fresh basil, lime juice, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, and sugar. Cook until everything is heated through.
- To serve, spoon the warm turkey mixture into the lettuce leaves.
- Top with the julienned cucumber, carrot, and bean sprouts.
- Fold the lettuce over the filling to eat.
Notes
- This is a very fast one-pan meal, perfect for a quick and healthy weeknight dinner.
- Bibb or Boston lettuce is recommended because the leaves form natural, sturdy cups that are ideal for holding the filling.
- The fresh, raw vegetable toppings provide a cool, crunchy contrast to the warm, savory filling.
How to Build the Perfect Lettuce Wrap Bar
This recipe is perfect for a fun, interactive “build your own” dinner night! Simply place the bowl of warm turkey filling on the table with a variety of toppings in small bowls:
- The Classics: The julienned carrots, cucumber, and bean sprouts from the recipe.
- Extra Crunch: A bowl of finely chopped, roasted and salted peanuts or cashews, and some finely chopped water chestnuts.
- Dipping Sauces: A small bowl of extra chili garlic sauce, some hoisin sauce, or a simple soy-ginger dipping sauce.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
This is the absolute perfect meal-prep recipe for a week of delicious and healthy lunches.
- Make-Ahead: For a super-fast and impressive meal, you can get a head start by preparing all your components in advance. The turkey filling can be cooked completely, and all your vegetables can be chopped or julienned.
- Storage: Store the cooked and cooled turkey filling in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Store the fresh lettuce leaves and the chopped vegetable toppings in separate, airtight containers or bags in the refrigerator.
- Reheating: To reheat the filling, simply warm it in a skillet on the stovetop or in the microwave.
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Creative Recipe Variations
- Use a Different Protein: If you’re not a fan of ground turkey, this delicious and versatile recipe is also absolutely fantastic with an equal amount of ground chicken, ground pork, or for a vegetarian version, finely crumbled firm tofu or plant-based ground.
- Add a Nutty Element: For a classic restaurant-style flavor, you can stir about 1/4 cup of finely chopped water chestnuts into the filling along with the garlic for a wonderful, crunchy texture. A final sprinkle of chopped, roasted peanuts is also a fantastic addition.
- Use a Different Sauce Base: For a more savory and less spicy sauce that is very kid-friendly, you can reduce or omit the chili garlic sauce and add about 2-3 tablespoons of a classic, savory hoisin sauce to your filling.
Enjoy Your “Better Than Takeout” Meal!
You’ve just created a truly special dish that is a perfect harmony of wholesome, fresh ingredients and delicious, satisfying flavors. These Asian Lettuce Wraps are a testament to the power of a simple, from-scratch meal to be both incredibly fast and incredibly delicious. It’s a rewarding and deeply satisfying recipe that is sure to become a new family favorite for busy weeknights.
We hope you enjoy every last, perfect, and delicious bite!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves a good, easy, and healthy meal!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute best kind of lettuce to use for lettuce wraps?
The best choices are lettuces with large, cup-shaped, and pliable leaves. Bibb lettuce or Boston lettuce, which are both types of butter lettuce, are the number one choice for their tender texture and naturally cupped shape. For a much crispier and crunchier cup, a large leaf of iceberg lettuce is also a fantastic and very classic option.
Q2: Can I make the filling ahead of time for meal prep?
Yes, this is a perfect meal-prep recipe! You can prepare the entire turkey filling and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also wash and dry your lettuce leaves and chop all your fresh vegetable toppings and store them in separate containers. This makes the final assembly for a quick lunch or dinner incredibly fast.
Q3: How do I make this dish less spicy?
The heat in this dish comes from the jalapeño pepper and the chili garlic sauce. To make a much milder version, be sure to remove all the seeds and the white ribs from the inside of your jalapeño before you mince it. You can also reduce the amount of chili garlic sauce to just 1 tablespoon, or substitute it with a mild sweet chile sauce.
Q4: Can I freeze the cooked filling?
Yes, the turkey filling freezes beautifully! Let it cool completely, and then you can store it in a freezer-safe container or a resealable bag for up to 3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat it gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Q5: What is chili garlic sauce?
Chili garlic sauce is a classic and very popular Asian condiment. It is a coarse, vibrant red sauce that is typically made from ground chiles, garlic, vinegar, and salt. It has a wonderful, fresh, and pungent garlicky heat. You can find it in the international aisle of most major grocery stores. Sriracha is a great substitute.