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We’ve been making these turkey lettuce wraps every single week for the past two months. My kids were hesitant to try them the first few times I made them, but luckily, they got over that, and now they enjoy them as much as I do. They are flavorful, filling, and incredibly fast & easy to prepare. (Emphasis on the fast & easy part!)
This has become one of our favorite summer meals because there’s no need to heat up the kitchen with the oven, and the whole meal is ready to eat in about 20 minutes from start to finish. This assumes you’re a multitasker and will chop the green onions and water chestnuts while the turkey cooks. (Not taking the extra time to chop before you get started.)
In my usual style, I’ve added fiber to this recipe, which makes it more filling and budget-friendly. When you start with canned lentils, the prep work is a breeze!
Turkey Lettuce Wrap Ingredients
- Ground Turkey. I’ve tested this with regular ground turkey (93% lean) and ground turkey breast (98% lean) and either option works. I honestly can’t tell the difference flavor-wise, so use whichever you prefer.
- Canned Lentils. I start with canned lentils because there’s no extra prep work required. If you keep home-cooked lentils or vacuum-sealed lentils in your fridge, use about 1.5 cups of cooked lentils in this recipe. Canned lentils help stretch this meal (so you won’t need a second pound of meat), make it cheaper than regular lettuce wraps, and add bunches of fiber.
- Water Chestnuts. These are a staple in lettuce wraps, so I’ve included them for added crunch. But, if you have other veggies or add-ins you’d like to try, feel free!
- Green Onions. I love using these for a pop of color and mild onion flavor. Unlike other onion varieties, you won’t have to cook these for very long to be tender.
- Garlic & Ginger. Finely mincing these directly into the pan gives these lettuce wraps a restaurant-quality flavor. I like to use a microplane to mince both of them quickly.
- Tamari. This is my go-to soy sauce alternative to keep dishes gluten-free. If you don’t need a gluten-free recipe, you can use regular soy sauce instead.
- Maple Syrup. This natural sweetener doesn’t need to be dissolved like honey does, so it’s an easy choice when you want to make a fast sauce.
- Toasted Sesame Oil. This oil is added for flavor, and a little bit goes a long way!
- Peanut Butter. I love adding a tablespoon for a rich flavor, but you can leave this out if you’re dealing with any allergies.
How to Make Turkey Lettuce Wraps
Step 1:
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the surface is hot, add one pound of ground turkey and season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Use a sturdy spatula to break up the meat into small pieces and move it around the pan. It should take about 8 to 10 minutes for the meat to no longer look pink, so stir it every few minutes while you multi-task and chop the veggies.
Drain an 8-ounce can of water chestnuts, then chop them on a cutting board. Move those to the side and chop 3 green onions, too. If you have room, you can also chop a handful of fresh cilantro.
Step 2:
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In a glass measuring cup or bowl, add a 1/4 cup of tamari, 1 tablespoon each of toasted sesame oil, peanut butter, and maple syrup, plus a teaspoon of sriracha. Whisk well and set this aside.
Once the turkey is cooked, add a 15-ounce can of drained and rinsed lentils, along with the chopped water chesnuts. Use a microplane to finely mince a clove of garlic and about 1-inch of fresh ginger directly into the pan. Stir well over medium-high heat until everything smells fragrant (like garlic & ginger!) about 1 to 2 minutes.
Now it’s time to pour in the sauce. Stir well, until all of the pieces look like they’ve touched by the sauce. This will not be a super-saucy dish, but the turkey will turn a bit darker from the sauce, so it blends it with the lentils more.
Step 3:
Add the chopped green onions and cilantro to the ground turkey mixture and stir well. As soon as everything is heated through, this is ready to serve with lettuce leaves right away. I like to divide the mixture into 4 portions to serve. You can let your family fill their own lettuce leaves, or pre-fill them yourself.
I recommend serving these with fresh lime wedges on the side. It tastes extra fresh when you squeeze a little bit right over the top before you take a bite. Yum!
Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps (High Protein & Fiber!)
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey breast (98% lean)
- ¼ cup tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
- 1 tablespoon all-natural peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon sriracha , or more to taste (up to 1 T)
- 1 15-oz. can cooked lentils , drained and rinsed
- 8 ounces water chestnuts , drained and chopped
- 1 garlic clove , finely minced
- 1 inch fresh ginger , finely minced
- 3 green onions , chopped
- handful of fresh cilantro , chopped
For Serving
- 1 head butter lettuce (or Romaine leaves)
- lime wedges
- sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground turkey and season with ½ teaspoon of salt. Use a sturdy spatula to break up the meat into small pieces in the pan. Continue cooking and stirring until the meat is no longer pink, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, add the tamari, peanut butter, sesame oil, maple syrup, and sriracha. Whisk well until the peanut butter dissolves, then set this sauce aside.
- Once the meat is cooked, add the drained lentils to the pan with the chopped water chestnuts. Use a microplane to finely mince the garlic and ginger directly into the pan, then stir until they smell fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Pour the sauce into the pan and stir until everything looks coated. It won't look very saucy; there's just enough to coat everything with flavor. Then stir in the green onions and cilantro. Once everything is heated through, the filling is ready to serve.
- Spoon the turkey-lentil filling into butter lettuce leaves, then squeeze fresh lime juice over the top to serve. Leftover filling can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes
Nutrition
More Recipes to Try
If you try these turkey lettuce wraps, please leave a comment and star rating below to let me know how you like them.
