You guys, these turkey lettuce wraps are seriously incredible. They are perfect for almost any occasion! Lunch, appy's, snacks, a main course, meal prep… ANYTHING!
If you love this recipe then you need to try my chipotle chicken burrito bowls, or my honey hot chicken salad!
And the flavours are on point. No bland ground turkey here!
These lettuce wraps ring in at just over 200 calories each, making them again, perfect for any time of the day (or night).
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A few things you will need to make this recipe
The ingredients you will need are:
- Ground Turkey
- Vegetable Oil
- Iceberg Lettuce
- Sesame Oil
- Red Bell Pepper
- Raw Cashews
- Garlic
- Fresh Ginger
- Oregano
- Scallions & Lime Wedges, for serving
- For the sauce: Brown Sugar, Soy Sauce, Hosin, Rice Vinegar, Honey, Sriracha Hot Sauce, Red Chili Flakes
- For the crispy noodle topping: Dry Chow Mein Noodles, Water, Sesame Oil, Vegetable Oil, Salt
Some Tips for making this recipe
- To easily remove the leaves from the iceberg lettuce; hold the head of lettuce firmly between two hands. With the stem facing downward, firmly smack the lettuce onto a hard surface. Flip the head of lettuce over and pull out the stem. This will make peeling the leaves off much easier.
- To keep the lettuce leaves crispy; store leftover lettuce leaves in an airtight container or zip top bag with a piece of damp paper towel.
Let’s make it!
Making the turkey filling
The first thing you need to do is prepare the sauce. Combine all of the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl, stir and set aside.
Now to prepare the filling, in a large deep skillet, add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and the ground turkey. Over medium heat, cook the ground turkey until it is fully cooked.
Transfer the cooked turkey to a separate bowl and set aside.
In the same deep skillet add the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil.
Place over medium heat and heat the oil, until it shimmers. Add the garlic, ginger, and oregano. Stirring, cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Lower the heat to medium-low and add the diced bell peppers and cashews. Stirring occasionally, cook until the peppers and cashews are tender, about 5 minutes.
Increase the heat to medium and add the cooked turkey, stir to fully combine.
Pour the prepared sauce mixture over top of the turkey mixture and stir to combine. Bring it to a simmer and let the mixture cook until there is no more liquid left and the sauce has thickened. This will take about 5-8 minutes.
Remove the turkey filling from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
Crispy Chow Mein (optional, but highly recommended!)
In a small fry pan, combine the dry chow mein noodles, water, sesame oil, and vegetable oil. Cover with a tight fitting lid and bring to a boil over high heat.
Note- These are similar to the chow mein noodles that I like to use and find that work well for this recipe. In Canada the brand that I prefer is "Farkay Chow Mein Noodles".
Once boiling, cook for 2-3 minutes until the noodles are softened.
Remove the lid and season with a pinch of salt.
Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are browned and all of the water has evaporated. This should take about 10-15 minutes.
(It doesn't look like they will be crispy, but I promise that they will!)
Transfer the noodles to a paper towel to drain and cool, then break apart and set aside.
Assembling the lettuce wraps
To assemble the lettuce wraps, arrange the iceburg lettuce leaves on a plate or serving platter.
Fill with approximately ¼ cup of the turkey mixture, top with crispy noodles and diced scallions.
Now the best part… you get to EAT them!!
How to keep the leftovers
Keep the leftovers unassembled in airtight containers, and refrigerate. What I mean by unassembled is don’t bother assembling the lettuce wraps ahead of time. The lettuce cups will go soggy, so will the noodles and it will just be a hot mess.
When you are ready to eat the leftovers, reheat the turkey filling in a fry pan or microwave until it is warmed thoroughly, then assemble the lettuce wrap. (If you missed my tip on how to store the lettuce so it stays nice and crispy, just scroll up a few paragraphs)
Leftovers will last up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
And with that, we leave you with your delicious lettuce wraps. We hope you enjoyed this recipe for turkey lettuce cups as much as we did!
If you liked this then you HAVE to check these out!
- Pan Seared Salmon with Firecracker Aioli
- Shrimp Tacos with Sweet Chili Sriracha Mayo
- Blackened Shrimp Taco Bowls
- Honey Hot Chicken Salad
- Kale Cauliflower Caesar Salad
If you have any questions about this recipe, I would be happy to answer them in the comments down below! To get a hold of us, you can shoot us an email or leave a comment down below! We can also be found on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.
Turkey Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Turkey
- 3 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil, divided
- 1 small head of Iceberg Lettuce, leaves removed
- 1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
- 1 large Red Bell Pepper, diced
- ½ cup Raw Cashews, chopped
- 4-5 cloves Garlic, minced (~ 1 Tablespoon)
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Ginger, grated
- 1 teaspoon Oregano
- 2 Scallions, finely chopped
Sauce
- ¼ cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed
- 3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Hosin
- 2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Honey
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha Hot Sauce
- ½ teaspoon Red Chili Flakes
- Lime Wedges, for serving
Crispy Noodle Topping (optional)
- 1 ½ cups Dry Chow Mein Noodles
- ⅔ cup Water
- 1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
- Pinch of Salt
Instructions
- Prepare the sauce by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a large deep skillet, add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Over medium heat, cook the ground turkey until fully cooked. Transfer the cooked turkey to a bowl and set aside.
- In the same skillet add the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil.
- Over medium heat, heat the oil, add the garlic, ginger, and oregano. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Lower the heat to medium-low, add the diced bell peppers and cashews. Stirring occasionally, cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Increase the heat to medium and add the cooked turkey, stir to combine.
- Pour the prepared sauce over top and stir to fully combine. Bring to a simmer and let the mixture cook until there is no more liquid left and the sauce has thickened. This will take about 5-8 minutes.
- Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
Crispy Chow Mein (optional)
- In a small fry pan, combine the dry chow mein noodles, water, sesame oil, and vegetable oil. Cover with a tight fitting lid and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Boil for 2-3 minutes until the noodles are softened.
- Remove the lid and season with a pinch of salt. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are browned and all of the water has evaporated. This should take about 10-15 minutes. (it doesn't look like they will be crispy, but I promise that they will!)
- Transfer the noodles to a paper towel to drain and cool, break apart and set aside.
Assembling the lettuce wraps
Notes
Recipe will make 10-12 lettuce wraps; for a main course one serving equals 2-3 lettuce wraps.
- Store leftovers unassembled until ready to serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 247Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 371mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 1gSugar: 7gProtein: 12g
Please Note- The nutritional information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator and it will vary based on the ingredients that you use.
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