These Turkey Lettuce Wraps come together easily on the stovetop; the filling is freezer-friendly, and they taste delicious, making for a refreshing yet filling meal.
Lettuce Wraps in general are a fun twist on sandwiches and salads. A little mash-up, if you will. When you tire of Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps, these East Asian-inspired wraps are a fun twist.
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Lettuce wraps are a cool supper. Seriously. They don’t make you feel hot, but they’re a little heartier than salad, making them perfect for the hot weather that’s coming.
Just spoon your favorite fillings into lettuce or cabbage leaves!
Why Make This
It can easily be made gluten-free. While soy sauce naturally contains gluten, you can buy gluten-free soy sauce to adapt this for gluten-free eaters.
It’s quick and easy! This recipe is so easy to make. You can fix it quick on the stovetop to serve in 30 minutes or less!
It’s very make-ahead. You can make it the morning of and reheat in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop. You can even make the filling in advance, chill, wrap, and freeze to reheat on another day.
Ingredients
ground turkey – I like to use ground turkey that has no other ingredients besides “rosemary extract”. It seems to taste the best. You can also use ground pork, beef, or chicken in this recipe or a plant-based grind. If you have leftover turkey, you could stir that into this sauce.
bell peppers – I’ve specified one red and one green bell pepper, but you can use whatever color or combination you like. You can also use other vegetables if you prefer, though the smaller sized chopped peppers fill the lettuce wrap nicely.
green onions and garlic – These add a delicate bite. Feel free to swap in chopped chives or shallots if that is what you have.
chicken broth – I use chicken broth, but you can also use vegetable or beef broth.
cornstarch – Cornstarch is what helps thicken the sauce so that your turkey lettuce wraps aren’t too drippy.
soy sauce – Soy sauce adds great flavor to the sauce. If you want or need to make this gluten-free, use specifically gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos.
paprika – Another flavoring. If you don’t normally keep it on hand, you can omit it, or add some fresh ginger or red pepper flakes to taste. Not exactly the same, but a great way to round out the flavors in the sauce.
butter lettuce – Butter lettuce is ideal for lettuce wraps because of its cup shape, but you can also use other types of lettuce or even napa cabbage leaves. You can also serve this mixture on hot cooked rice if you prefer.
Optional toppings – You can serve these with sriracha, hoisin sauce, or sweet chili sauce.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- In a large nonstick skillet, place the turkey, paprika, and garlic. Cook the ground meat until it’s no longer pink, breaking up the chunks with a wooden spoon. This should take about seven minutes.
- Add the peppers and green onions, and continue cooking until they are tender, about three minutes.
- In a small cup combine the broth, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Blend well and add this mixture to the skillet. Simmer until the sauce is thickened, about five minutes.
- Serve the meat mixture with lettuce leaves and rice, if desired.
Make-ahead Instructions
The meat mixture can be cooled and stored in an airtight container or freezer bag. Chill completely and then store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw and reheat until hot to serve.
FAQs
You can’t freeze the wraps themselves, but you can freeze the filling. It is such an convenient and easy freezer meal to keep on hand.
These are delicious on their own as an appetizer. You can also serve them alongside stovetop rice and other East Asian-style dishes, such as Homemade Vegetable Chow Mein or Simple Chicken Stir-fry with Vegetables.
These are great for meal prep. Be sure to pack the filling separately from the lettuce leaves. Reheat the filling in the microwave or stovetop before filling.
Recipe Costs
Knowing how much it costs you to prepare a recipe can help you decide if it’s the type of recipe to make regularly or one you might want to save for special occasions. Let’s crunch some numbers and see how this recipe pencils out.
- ground turkey – $2.99
- peppers – $2.00
- green onions – $0.30
- broth – $0.54
- cornstarch – $0.08
- paprika – $0.05
- garlic – $0.02
- soy sauce – $0.20
- lettuce leaves – $1.00
Shopping at a mid-range grocery store at non-sale prices, you can expect to spend about $6.18 or $1.03 per serving. So much cheaper than PFChangs!
More Great Ground Turkey Recipes
Turkey and Pepper Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
- 20 oz ground turkey chicken, or beef
- 1 green bell pepper cored, seeded, and chopped
- 1 red bell pepper cored, seeded, and chopped
- 3 green onion chopped
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 cloves garlic pressed
- 1 cup broth chicken, beef, or vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 head butter lettuce or napa cabbage leaves, for serving
- rice (cooked) for serving optional
Instructions
- In a large nonstick skillet, place the turkey, paprika, and garlic. Cook the ground meat until it’s no longer pink, breaking up the chunks with a wooden spoon. This should take about seven minutes.
- Add the peppers and green onions, and continue cooking until they are tender, about three minutes.
- In a small cup combine the broth, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Blend well and add this mixture to the skillet. Simmer until the sauce is thickened, about five minutes.
- Serve the meat mixture with lettuce leaves and rice, if desired.
- The meat mixture can be cooled and stored in an airtight container or freezer bag. Chill completely and then store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw and reheat until hot to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on May 12, 2015. It has been updated for content and clarity.
Janet
I aim for the plate to be half fruit and vegetables. I find the natural sweetness of the fruit helps the veggies go down, just as Mary Poppins told us about the medicine. With the high price of many fruits and veggies, for the most part we stick with the familiar tried and true. These lettuce wraps sound great. I am going to add them to my menu plan for next week. I think I will add some shredded carrots to the meat.
Jessica Fisher
Yes, carrots would be a good add-in as well as water chestnuts. I fashioned it after a dish my mom used to make that was just peppers and onions.
Jill
I’ve been wanting to try the Trader Joe’s ground turkey since you first mentioned it a while ago, but I remember you said it also has rosemary extract. Is the rosemary a strong flavor, or is it easily covered up with other flavors? I love the flavor rosemary has, but not necessarily in everything.
Jessica Fisher
I do not taste the rosemary, and I’m pretty sensitive to that kind of stuff. It’s hard to explain, but it just tastes BETTER than that Jennie-O stuff at the grocery store.