I don’t know if I can think of a better beat the heat, quickie dinner for a hot, muggy summer day than these Asian Turkey (or Chicken) Lettuce Wraps.
Asian Turkey or Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Minutes to make, using a handful of ingredients, these Asian Lettuce Wraps are a cinch to pull together.
About Asian Turkey (or chicken) Lettuce Wraps:
Make them once and you’ll be wondering why you’ve never made lettuce wraps before. And if you’re like me, you’ll probably start to tinker and add a bit of this or a bit of that, all your fave veggies, etc. and customize to your heat level.
Feel free to serve the lettuce wraps as a light meal or appetizer, depending on the appetites of your family. It’s easy enough to increase the recipe.
Today I kept them simple coz we have a veggie hater in the house…even the lettuce was a stretch! Hey, it’s hard to convince someone who’s lived to see 90 (my Stepmom) that they need veggies in their diet! Although I do get a little sneaky now and then. 🙂 She wasn’t appalled by the finely diced vegetables in the filling, so that’s a win.
Making Asian Turkey (or chicken) Lettuce Wraps:
These are made with ground turkey or ground chicken, although other ground meats can be used. Bibb or butter lettuce makes the easiest wraps to roll and eat, but in a pinch, another softer lettuce could be used, maybe the larger ends of romaine leaves.
It’s always ok, after the mixture is cooked, to do a taste test and adjust to your liking. If you would like a little sweetness, a touch of brown sugar can be added. If you’d like it saltier, add a little more fish sauce. And of course, if you’d like more heat, go for it.
The Flavorings:
These wraps are complex, gingery, full of umami flavors from the fish sauce, richness from the hoisin, and of course, the familiar flavors of soy and sesame.
They’re best, I think, with just a touch of heat, and that can easily be achieved with a few red pepper flakes, a little Sriracha, or the more complex flavors of Chile Garlic Sauce.
Asian Turkey or Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Serve With:
- Add your favorite vegetable garnishes, thin strips of red or green cabbage, very thinly sliced bell pepper, thinly sliced radish, snowpeas, thin strips of carrot, or even better, Pickled Carrots or Pickled Carrots and Daikon.
- Finish them off with fine noodles, bean sprouts, and crushed peanuts.
- For the heat lovers in the family, pass a little Sriracha, and for those who aren’t, a little peanut sauce for dipping might be in order. You might want to pass my Favorite Asian Dipping Sauce, although it is a thin sauce and will be a little drippy.
Leftover Asian Turkey (or chicken) Lettuce Wraps:
- Store the filling and the vegetables in the refrigerator in separate containers, tightly covered, for three to four days.
- The filling can be served cold, as is, or briefly warmed in the microwave.
Other Recipes You Might Like:
Opal Thai’s Pork Larb
Saving Money on Groceries:
What you pay for groceries depends on not just WHERE you shop, but WHEN. Be strategic and stock up at rock-bottom prices.
- The best sales are before holidays; check out Win at the Grocers. Think beyond the occasion & use the opportunity to stock up at a low for the coming weeks to months.
- If available, take advantage of discount stores like Aldi or Lidl. The pricing at Buyer’s clubs is not always the lowest, but can trump in quality. Be selective when shopping there.
Ground Chicken or Turkey:
Because of pricing and safety issues, I never buy either product. There’s no indication what parts of the animal the product is made from and both products have had frequent safety recalls.
- Ground chicken is almost always higher per pound than sales priced chicken breast or thighs. It’s more difficult to find turkey at a better price unless it’s prior to a holiday.
- It’s easy to grind you own if you have a grinder or food processor. To do in the food processor, simply chunk into 1″ cubes and pulse a few at a time until desired texture is reached.
Asian Condiments and Ingredients:
- Sales are usually unadvertised and often happen before the Chinese New Year. If your store has them, check the American/Asian and International aisles.
- Asian markets will usually have best pricing. While there, check around. Pricing on chicken and other proteins is often outstanding.
- Some basic items, like Soy Sauce, are now carried at the discount groceries, and many condiments are carried in larger grocery stores.
Bell Peppers:
- Buy on sale; they’ll keep two to three weeks in the fridge. Discount groceries run about the same price as grocery store sales. Green are always less expensive than other colors.
- Compare pricing in two or three packs to singles. If a save is needed, roast the colored ones and freeze them. The green can be diced and frozen.
Ginger:
- Ginger varies wildly in price, and best prices are at Asian markets. You never have to buy a whole “hand”; just break off a reasonable amount (don’t try to buy an inch!) if they’re huge.
- It doesn’t freeze totally hard and can be grated straight from the freezer; it’s not necessary to peel.
Limes:
Limes do go on sale, usually in late winter to early spring. You may be inspired to buy several and use more generously when the price is right.
- When choosing limes, weigh several in your hand and pick the heaviest. Minor color variations don’t matter, but avoid any that are browning. Bags of limes might not be a bargain; inspect them closely.
- To get the most out of your lime: Roll on the counter, pressing heavily and/or microwave for about 30 seconds. Before juicing, grate and dry the rind if not using. See Drying or Freezing Citrus Zest.
- Store loosely covered in the fridge in a container with a layer of paper towels on the bottom.
Asian Turkey or Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Asian Turkey (or chicken) Lettuce Wraps
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 16 wraps 4 servings 1x
- Category: main dish chicken
- Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken or ground turkey, or a pound of either raw chicken or turkey, cut into cubes and pulsed to desired texture in food processor
- 6 – 8 green onions, white and green parts finely sliced, a little of the green ends saved for garnish
- 1 small can water chestnuts, drained, rinsed, and finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup hoisin
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 – 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- up to 1 tablespoon brown sugar, optional
- For heat as desired: a little chili garlic sauce, sriracha, chiles in oil, etc.
- 1 lime, half juiced and added to the sauce, the other half cut in chunks for serving
- 1 large head of bibb or butter lettuce, washed, dried, and leaves separated
- 1/4 cup chopped peanuts, for garnish
- reserved green onion for garnish
- Any desired condiments for serving
Instructions
In a large pan, brown the ground chicken or turkey over medium-high heat, breaking up the pieces. If very lean, you may need to add a little oil. Drain, if necessary.
Add scallions, garlic, water chestnuts, red pepper, and cook a few minutes until the vegetables are softened.
In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, fish sauce, sesame oil, and brown sugar, along with your choice of items to add a little heat.
Add to pan and stir until ingredients are coated and the sauce is thick enough to cling to the turkey/chicken and vegetables. Add the lime juice. Garnish with peanuts.
To serve, spoon about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of filling onto one lettuce leaf and roll it up, if desired. Serve with lime and sriracha or other spicy condiments, if desired.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings per lettuce wrap | |
| Amount Per Serving | |
| calories 78 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 4 g | 7 % |
| Saturated Fat 1 g | 5 % |
| Monounsaturated Fat 0 g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 21 mg | 7 % |
| Sodium 267 mg | 11 % |
| Potassium 54 mg | 2 % |
| Total Carbohydrate 6 g | 2 % |
| Dietary Fiber 1 g | 3 % |
| Sugars 2 g | |
| Protein 6 g | 11 % |
| Vitamin A | 9 % |
| Vitamin C | 20 % |
| Calcium | 1 % |
| Iron | 4 % |
| * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. | |
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I’m posting Asian Turkey (or chicken) Lettuce Wraps at Fiesta Friday, hosted by Monika @ Everyday Healthy Recipes and Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook.
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