Asian Lettuce Cups with Spicy Ground Turkey
Asian Lettuce Cups with Spicy Ground Turkey are a delicious low-carb and gluten-free dinner idea that’s also fun to eat! And everyone who likes ground turkey with Asian flavors will enjoy this slightly spicy lettuce cups recipe!
PIN Asian Lettuce Cups with Spicy Ground Turkey to try it later!
These Asian Lettuce Cups with Spicy Ground Turkey bring back memories of when I first had lettuce wraps, at a Chinese restaurant in Salt Lake where a friend named Mike was hip enough to order them even though they weren’t on the menu. This was years ago; now dishes like these lettuce cups are pretty mainstream.
And when Asian lettuce cups are made with lean ground turkey like this, they make a wonderful low-carb, gluten-free, and dairy-free dinner option. And you can easily adapt them to use ground beef for Keto if you prefer or use gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos for gluten-free or Paleo.
What ingredients do you need?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)
- Peanut Oil (affiliate link) or vegetable oil
- red onion or shallots
- minced fresh garlic, or Minced Garlic (affiliate link) from a jar
- grated fresh ginger root or Minced Ginger (affiliate link) from a jar
- ground turkey
- Soy Sauce or Gluten-Free Soy Sauce (affiliate link)
- Chili Garlic Sauce (affiliate link)
- Fish Sauce, preferably Red Boat Fish Sauce (affiliate link)
- chopped fresh cilantro (or use thinly sliced green onion)
- chopped peanuts (optional)
- lettuce
Are these Lettuce Wraps or Lettuce Cups?
This type of Asian dish with spicy meat eaten inside pieces of lettuce can be called lettuce wraps or lettuce cups, but I like to pile up the lettuce cup with lots of filling rather than wrapping it, so I’m calling them lettuce cups.
How low in carbs are the Asian Lettuce Cups?
Each lettuce cup filled with spicy ground turkey has only about 5 net carbs and 34 grams of protein!
What is Fish Sauce?
Just like the name says, Fish Sauce is an Asian condiment made from fermented fish. If you’re not familiar with this, don’t be put off by the smell because it adds amazing umami flavor to Asian dishes. I’m a big fan of Red Boat Fish Sauce (affiliate link) which is gluten-free and doesn’t have added ingredients.
What lettuce should you use for the Asian Lettuce Cups?
I like to use Boston Lettuce or Butter lettuce for this recipe, but you can also use Iceberg Lettuce or Green Leaf lettuce if you can’t find the other kinds of lettuce or don’t want to spend quite so much on the lettuce.
How to Make Asian Lettuce Cups with Spicy Ground Turkey:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Chop red onion. Measure out minced garlic and minced ginger.
- Whisk together soy sauce, Chile Garlic Sauce, and fish sauce.
- Heat oil in a large non-stick pan; add onion and cook about 2 minutes.
- Then add garlic and ginger root and cook about one minute more.
- Add ground turkey to frying pan and break apart with turner. Add the sauce mixture to the ground turkey.
- Cook until turkey is brown and crumbly, and the sauce is absorbed into the meat, about 5 minutes.
- While turkey cooks, wash and chop cilantro. Chop peanuts and put in small bowl.
- When turkey is done, add chopped cilantro and cook 1-2 minutes more.
- Remove the core end from lettuce, separate leaves, and wash in salad spinner and spin dry.
- Serve filling and lettuce leaves in separate bowls, with chopped peanuts in another small bowl.
- Each person takes a lettuce leaf, fills with turkey mixture, adds chopped peanuts, and then eats the spicy turkey from the lettuce cup.
Make it a Low-Carb Meal:
You could make a one-dish meal out of these Asian Lettuce Cups, but if you want a heartier dinner they would be great with any of these side dishes:
- Chinese Cucumber Salad
- Asian Green Salad with Soy-Sesame Dressing
- Sugar Snap Pea Salad
- Asian Cucumber Salad
- Jicama Carrot Radish Slaw
More Tasty Lettuce Wraps:
- Slow Cooker Lettuce Wraps ~ Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker
- Low-Carb and Keto Lettuce Wraps ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen
- Instant Pot Lettuce Wraps ~ Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker
Weekend Food Prep:
Asian Lettuce Cups with Spicy Ground Turkey have been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Asian Lettuce Cups with Spicy Ground Turkey
Asian Lettuce Cups with Spicy Ground Turkey would make a delicious and fun-to-eat meal!
Ingredients
- 1 T peanut oil or vegetable oil
- 3 T minced red onion or shallots
- 2 T minced garlic (I used minced garlic from a jar but fresh garlic would be great)
- 2 T grated ginger root or minced ginger from a jar
- 1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
- 4 T soy sauce (see notes)
- 1 T Chile Garlic Sauce (or slightly more if you like spicy foods)
- 1 tsp. fish sauce
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (see notes)
- 1/3 cup chopped peanuts (optional, but good)
- 1 large head or 2 small heads lettuce (see notes)
Instructions
- Chop red onion. Measure out minced garlic and minced ginger. (You can also make this with fresh minced garlic and minced ginger root if you prefer.)
- Whisk together soy sauce or Gluten-Free Soy Sauce, Chile Garlic Sauce (affiliate link), and fish sauce.
- Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Add onion and cook about 2 minutes.
- Then add garlic and ginger root and cook about one minute more.
- Add ground turkey to frying pan (with a bit more oil if needed) and break apart and spread out with turner. Add the sauce mixture to the ground turkey.
- Cook until the turkey is brown and crumbling apart, and the sauce is absorbed into the meat, about 5 minutes.
- While turkey cooks, wash and chop fresh cilantro to make 1 cup. Chop peanuts and put in small bowl to serve at the table.
- When turkey is done, add chopped cilantro and cook 1-2 minutes more.
- Remove the core end from lettuce, separate leaves, and wash in salad spinner and spin dry (or wash under running water and dry with paper towels.)
- Serve filling and lettuce leaves in separate bowls, with chopped peanuts in another small bowl.
- Each person takes a lettuce leaf, fills with desired amount of turkey mixture, adds chopped peanuts, and then eats the mixture from the lettuce cup.
- I like to fold the lettuce cup over when I eat it, so it’s kind of taco-shaped, but some people like to wrap the lettuce clear around the filling.
Notes
Use Gluten-Free Soy Sauce (affiliate link) if needed. If you're not a cilantro fan, I'd use thinly sliced green onion. I like Boston Lettuce or Butter lettuce for this recipe, but you can also substitute Iceberg Lettuce if you prefer that.
Recipe adapted from California Sol Food.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 337Total Fat 20gSaturated Fat 4.4gUnsaturated Fat 13.3gCholesterol 118mgSodium 850mgCarbohydrates 6.7gFiber 1.6gSugar 2gProtein 34g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
With lean ground turkey and other low-carb ingredients, the Asian Lettuce Cups are a perfect dinner option for low-carb or Keto eating plans or for any phase of the original South Beach Diet. If you use gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce this can easily be suitable for gluten-free or Paleo/Whole 30 eaters. For Keto, you might want to use higher-fat ground beef, which will still be delicious.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Lettuce Wraps to see more recipes like this one! Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe for turkey lettuce cups with Asian flavors was first posted in 2009, and it became an instant hit on the blog. It was updated with better photos in 2021 and was last updated with more information in 2025.
138 Comments on “Asian Lettuce Cups with Spicy Ground Turkey”
This was SO good!
Yay!!! A new regular recipe for monthly rotation!
Also!!! My 12 & 13 year olds loved it too! 🤩😍
So glad it was a hit and especially glad to hear the kids liked it!
Hello, this looks delicious. A bit of a thick question but in the ingredients list, does 2T and 3T (capital T) mean tablespoon? Thank you
Yes, in all my recipes T = tablespoon and tsp. = teaspoon. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Love this recipe!! We make it often. Thanks!!
Yaay, so glad you have enjoyed it!
I have a question. This looks absolutely delicious and I would love to make it. However I am on a low calorie, low fat and low carb diet. How can I make this so it’s lower fat than what it currently is what? What can I substitute? Thank you!
The peanuts add a lot of fat, and be sure to use lean ground turkey. And I couldn’t imagine the recipe really had that much fat, so I ran it through the nutrition calculator again, and it is a bit lower. I’m updating that info now.
This is one of our favorite family recipes. We usually eat the turkey in cabbage leaves and it is so delicious. I love all of your recipes. Thank you Kalyn!
I’m such a cabbage fan; love the idea of eating this in cabbage leaves! So glad you’re enjoying the recipes; thanks for taking time to tell me!
I’ve probably made them close to 50 times, always delicious. Maybe you put soy sauce in twice, that would make it salty. But I know the recipe is good the way it’s written.
If you look immediately after the recipe where it says "South Beach Diet Suggestions" every recipe on my site will tell which phases I think it's suitable for. When it works for any phase (like this one) I put all phases.
I made these last night after finding your recipe on Pinterest. I had to come back on here and let you know how amazing these were. Our whole family loved them. FANTASTIC RECIPE!!
So glad you enjoyed them! I have a few people in my extended family who also love this recipe.
This recipes was AMAZING! We couldn't find the Chile Garlic Sauce, so we used Chile Paste and it was out of this world!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I made this recipe this evening (Day 7 of Phase One and desperately in need of some new flavors). WOW! This is incredible whether you are doing SB or not. I will be adding this to our rotation and would double the recipe next time to have more leftovers. Easy lunch or would eat it again later in the week. THank you so much for this website, Kalyn! Phase One would have been so much harder without all of your AWESOME recipes!!!
Taylor, love the idea of eating this in collard greens!
This was soooo good. I ended up using collard greens because the closest grocery store didn't have butter lettuce, and I really didn't want to use iceberg (boring). The collards were very strong and held the filling really well, and didn't provide a too-bitter taste. I did put too much soy sauce in, so be careful of that. Otherwise, I will definitely make this again!
Rose, so glad you have enjoyed the recipe!
Absolutely love your recipe, I don't need the lettuce cups at PF Changs anymore, I prefer these. They are a huge hit every where I go.
Jill, so glad you enjoyed it!
I finally made this recipe last night and it's a definite keeper! My husband loved it. It was a fun sharing meal too, which I always love. Finger foods and family style serving. Thank you Kalyn for all of your creative ideas!
I love that 4 years later people are still raving over this recipe! I'm shopping for the ingredients tonight to make these tomorrow for dinner! I can't wait! My mouth is already salivating! lol
Katharine, so glad you enjoyed it so much!
Made this tonight…. I LOVED IT! I only had a little over a pound of ground turkey breast, but it worked out ok anyway. I added a few tablespoons of chopped water chesnuts. YUM YUM YUM! Thank you!
Kalyn this looks and sounds heavenly.
I hate to sound like everyone else, but they truly do.
Printing this out and hopefully will make this week.
After our trip to PF Changs and having their lettuce cups I'm craving them–daily!
Doren, love the sound of your version. And most foods aren't limited in portion size on South Beach, so no worries!
Oh my goodness! I have done thai cooking, and made larb nua wrapped in romaine for years. But I was stuck today with what to do with my ground turkey, looked to see what you had for me, and found this. Unfortunately, had no lettuce leaves, but a huge tub of spring mix from today's costco run. No peanuts, but some lovely shelled pumpkin seeds. Followed your recipe, but dumped it on the spring mix and used the pumpkin seeds (not very asian, but I liked the idea of them better than the walnuts or almonds that I had on hand) with a bunch of fresh cilantro, of course. This was so incredibly delicious that I just couldn't stop eating it, so I hope portion control isn't crucial to phase one. thank you!
Jan, so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Dear Kalyn – I made the Asian Lettuce Cups for dinner this evening and they were outstanding. So full of flavor … my kind of food! I used LITE soy sauce and put extra Chili Sauce w/Garlic on along with the crushed peanuts. Thank you very much for this tasty, healthy recipe. Jan
I made these with lean ground pork, extra chili garlic sauce, and extra ginger, but otherwise went with the recipe. They were great! I think next time, though, I might add a touch of lime juice, since I've had similar dishes, and lime juice would brighten the flavor.
Kalyn,
I just made the made the lettuce wraps tonight. My husband didn't talk for about 5 minutes. I finally said you must really be enjoying the wraps? He is loving all the recipes even though I am the one doing SBD.
Thank you so much! This weekend ham and cauliflower au gratin and baked halibut with dill topping. So excited!
Trang
Trang, so glad to hear you guys are enjoying the recipes!
Becky, so glad you enjoyed the lettuce cups. This is a big favorite in my family too.
These were soooo good! My husband and I loved them and can't wait to have them again. Thanks for the most delicious SBD recipe, yet!
You're very welcome. Water chestnuts sound like a great addition.
I love this recipe! I added chopped water chestnuts but kept everything else as is… delicious! Thanks for all of your great recipes, Kalyn!
Wow indeed! Thanks for sharing all your variations! Will definitely try some of those.
I LOVE this recipe. I make it at least once a week. Sometimes I use chicken strips! I like to add chopped red bell pepper, shredded carrots, and extra ginger. I don't usually use cilantro. I've also used salsa instead of the chile garlic sauce (when I didn't have it) and it comes out great. I've also used Sriracha, which gives them a real kick. Finally, when it is finished, I like to toss in some broccoli slaw and let it wilt a little. For the nuts, I like to use crushed wasabi and soy sauce almonds. WOW! So many great flavors.
Glad you liked them, but I am wondering why it says "deleted" where your name should be. Or is that really your name?
I just made these for my family and they were AMAZING! Seriously wonderful – so easy and so delicious. Thanks so much for this!
Sofia, so glad you enjoyed them! I love the idea of lemongrass as an addition.
These were so delicious! I used to make Asian lettuce wraps a lot before going on SBD, but my old favorite recipe relied on a lot of hoisin sauce (way too high in sugar), so I hadn't made them in quite a while. This version is better than my old favorite! I love the addition of cilantro and fish sauce. The filling has a very complex, satisfying flavor.
Next time, I think I might add a little bit of minced fresh lemongrass.
Yes, T = Tablespoon.
This looks yummy! I am just wondering, when you write "T" on the recipe, do you mean tablespoon?
Ahh, I see. Thanks so much!
Diana you could leave out the cilantro, but I would not use sesame oil to cook the meat. (It's my understanding that sesame oil is used as a flavoring oil and not actually for cooking things in.) You can use any type of neutral flavored oil such as canola or grapeseed oil though if you don't have peanut oil.
These look fab! What do you think of subbing sesame oil for the peanut/conola oil? Will it change the flavor? I also have to nix the cilantro too.
Great Blog! Thanks!
Figs, Bay, Wine, how fun, hope you enjoy!
Oh WOW. As son as the shops open I'm heading out for some lettuce and ground turkey. I forgot all about these. They used to be one of my absolute favorite things to order in restaurants. Thank you Kalyn!!!
Rachel, so glad you liked them, and good tip about the sesame oil!
I just made these and my (non south beach) husband and I devoured them for lunch! I didn't have fish sauce so I used about a Tablespoon of Sesame Oil and it was still delicious. These wraps make phase one much easier. Thanks!
Becki, that does sound good!
This has become one of my family's favorite recipes. The other night we had a little of the filling left over, and I tossed it together with some leftover whole wheat spaghetti noodles for a sort of Phase 2 lo mein for lunch the next day. It was great!
CJ, glad you liked it. Great idea to use water chestnuts!
To die for… absolutely loved this recipe and have shared it with many… I substituted the peanuts for some water chestnuts and tasted great!
Kitty, thanks! Glad you liked them.
These are just great!! Made them in about 15 minutes as I had all the ingredients on hand and tried a sample before I serve for dinner tonight! I had to hold myself back from just having a "snack". Really great…keep up the great blog!
I've had pork lettuce tacos cooked for me by a chinese friend, your recipe is darn close – thank you! They are cooking as I type! The only thing she had in hers as well was chopped bamboo shoots….
Hi Kalyn! Thank you so much for this recipe. I have made it several times and I actually dream about it in between the times I get to enjoy it. I use the exact ingredients you suggested. I am not one to measure my ingredients, I just eyeball it and double the garlic. You are wonderful and I can't wait to try more of your recipes!! Mar*
I would just make the recipe without the cilantro, unless there's another herb you're especially fond of that goes well with Asian flavors.
Kalyn – These look great!! I'm going to try them tonight! I however, hate cilantro 🙁 Since you use so much of it here, I am wondering if you think there is a good substitute for it in this recipe? I think I'll also add some finely chopped mushrooms, water chesnuts, and bamboo shoots! Thanks!!
I've been making a version of these for years. It's great to know that they're SB. My version comes from a restaurant in Manhattan called Ruby Foo. I add lots of veggies to bulk it up and sometimes just mix it with spaghetti squash or stir fried Shiratachi noodles. I just found out about this site from a friend on another cooking site. I'm so glad she told me about you. Joyce
MelRae, you're welcome! Always love to get comments like that.
Yesterday was the first day of Phase 1 for my husband and me, and I made these wraps! They "rocked our faces off"! lol! No really, our mouths were burning in a good way! We could not believe that this was "diet food". We agreed that we could eat these every 3 or 4 days on Phase 1. My husband has requested that we try ground chicken and ground beef (I know, extra lean!). We both were down at least a pound this morning. Thank you, Kalyn for this great blog!
Great idea to use water chestnuts. Glad it was a hit.
We couldn't use nuts in these because of my daughter's peanut and tree nut allergy. I really wanted something to add crunch, and fortunately I had some water chestnuts on hand–they worked great! My ten year old son asked me twice to make these again–a definite hit!
Kirsten, that chili garlic sauce is pretty darn good! Glad to hear you liked it.
My husband and I ate these for dinner tonight and they were delicious. He was so excited about it…or perhaps it is the garlic chili sauce. How cares. The recipe was a hit. I'm so glad to have found your blog. We are on our second week and eating better than ever. Thanks!!!
Linda, so glad you liked it! This is one of my own favorites too.
YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY!!! I love this and hubs did not even add additional heat. Thanks for a great recipe. I am so glad I found your blog. I have shared it with my mom who is also a SBDer! BTW, I have the red lentil stew on the stove as I type away. That will be lunch for a few days this week or next.
Tried this tonight and OMG it is awesome. I used green onions, low sodium soy sauce and increased the heat. Absolutely delicious and perfect to start our diet with. My husband wants it on a weekly rotation he loved it so much. Thanks!
Sara, so glad to hear you like them! One of my own favorites too.
I make this every week. Hard to quit eating them!
Laura, thanks for that nice feedback, and thanks for the kid-friendly variation too!
I love your recipes, and this is one of our favorite! I add some diced red bell pepper and diced water chestnuts. For my kids I just spoon it over brown rice and they love it. Thanks for continuing to share all of your great recipes, photos and other good stuff!
Anonymous, if I wanted to do it ahead, I'd prep the lettuce and store in plastic bags, chop nuts and save, and then cook the turkey but don't add the cilantro. The day of the party I'd reheat the turkey filling and add the chopped cilantro. Hope that will work for you!
Is it possible to make this the night before a party? I really like this recipe but I won't have a lot of time before the party….
Jessica, LOVE the idea of adding cabbage to this. Just brilliant. I haven't ever thought about fresh water chestnuts, but I'll definitely try it if I run across them. And thanks so much for the very nice feedback.
Kalyn, Thanks for another extremely flavorful dish. I made these for dinner last night and they were a HUGE hit. I actually shredded some red cabbage into the mix, because, I, too, am "going steady" with cruciferous vegetables right now.
Oh! And I wanted to mention something to you…I was not a fan of water chestnuts (the texture – yick!) until my husband and I found some (whole, fresh) in our local Asian market's produce section. We took them home, peeled them, and popped them into a stir fry and they were unlike any canned water chestnut I've ever tasted. They've become one of my favorite fresh foods, never to be eaten from a can again.
Best wishes and thank you for providing healthy DELICIOUS recipes. I never knew that I could get this much flavor out of my own kitchen – and on a diet, to boot!
These are sooo good. I packed them in my lunch today.
Kim, so glad you liked the recipe! I need to make these again myself.
I made these tonight for a Tasting Dinner (many different foods on the menu) I served these first and out of the the 4 main dishes, these were liked best – I will definitely make them again!
Thanks
Lisa, I love the idea of using jicama! (I hate water chestnuts too; for me it’s a texture thing. They just seem too squeaky!)
We tried this a few weeks ago and it is outstanding! I had to make a substitution because my partner does not like ginger (or water chestnuts, which are also often in these kinds of dishes), so I added diced jicama along with the cilantro. I don’t even think of these as “healthy” or “diet food,” they’re just really good — and I’d serve them to company.
Deb and January, so glad you liked the recipe. I loved it too. (Carrots sound good. Sorry though, no water chestnuts for me. No idea why not but I’ve never liked them even though I love crunchy foods in general.)
My husband and I loved this recipe! I used 1 lb. turkey and added diced water chestnuts for added crunch. I think water chestnuts are ok for Phase 1 according to the list of “Foods to Enjoy”. Thanks for such awesome recipes and ideas!
Hi. Made the lettuce wraps tonight. Delicious! Easy! Added some (commercially shredded) carrots for color (nor for Phase 1, obviously). Concocted a dipping sauce from things I found in my fridge, plus some tamari and fish sauce. Will make these again. Thanks for the recipe.
Lin, great to know it was still good with dried cilantro! Thanks for letting me know you liked it.
Oh my, the de-lish dinner I just had. I’m still floating on the wondeful flavor of this recipe. My rural stores didn’t have fresh cilantro so dried had to do. Now to grow myself some and cook this again then 🙂
Thank you!
Marie and Lisa, love the idea of using romaine lettuce. In fact right now (right this *very* minute) I’m testing out a recipe for spicy turkey tacos that I’m wrapping in romaine lettuce.
I made this with romaine lettuce and no fish sauce. Definitely good as is and spicy! Thanks for the great recipes. This one is a keeper.
Kalyn, Hi I just made this for dinner tonight minus the fish sauce, I added just a a tiny bit of hoisen sauce instead. It was delicious, I want to eat the leftovers for lunch tomarrow!! Thanks for a great, light recipe!
xox, Marie
Tina, so glad you liked them!
I made these a few nights ago. My boyfriend and I both loved them. We used iceberg lettuce leaves because I needed some crunch. Worked great. Thanks!
Anonymous, I’ll definitely try it with the romaine lettuce, thanks for that idea.
Made these last night … Wonderful! I used romaine lettuce for the wrap and will continue to do so (bigger holding device!).
Terri, so glad you liked it.
Another great recipe with Big Flavors. The ginger and garlic aroma was heavenly. Adding the soy sauce and the chili sauce to the turkey as it was cooking made a big difference. I will make these often.
WOW _ these look amazing. I can’t wait to give this recipe a try.
Kalyn, I’ve been reading your blog and using your recipes for a few years now. I’ve always had good success. This is the year for me to get serious about losing weight and doing it right, so I’m eating the South Beach way, and your blog is a lifesaver. I made this recipe for dinner tonight and it was a big hit. My husband sat down, took one look and said “cilantro makes me happy.” My one change was to shred some iceberg lettuce and top it with the turkey, instead of wrapping the filling up in whole leaves. I’m so glad there are leftovers for tomorrow!
Preparednesspro, I know lots of recipes for lettuce wraps use Hoisin sauce, but it’s loaded with sugar so not something I’d put in a recipe.
Your lettuce wraps look absolutely delectable! Can’t wait to give them a try. I have an employee who is Asian that swears by putting Hoisin sauce (a sweet, plum like sauce) on her lettuce wraps. You can find hoisin sauce at specialty ethnic stores around time. To die for!
Chuck, glad I could inspire that lettuce-wrap craving!
Muraski, I always love to get positive reinforcement about my cilantro addiction!
Anonymous and Lora, so glad you liked them. I love hearing from people who have actually tried the recipe.
These were amazing! All of the flavors were needed and really make the meat have a multi-faceted flavor.
Great job Kalyn!
I made these last night and they were awesome! Thanks for posting this.
Lettuce wraps are so simple to make and delicious. Every once in awhile I get a urge for one. Looking at your photo of the lettuce wrap it’s bring that urge back lol
Jimmy, great post about the different kinds of chile garlic sauce.
Bee, thanks. Your chicken lettuce wraps looked awesome!
Zesty, could not be simpler to make and really delicious!
Maria, laughing because I have plenty of less-than-perfect photos! I do try to keep learning what makes the photos look good, and I’m improving, but I’m still in awe of a lot of the great food photographers out there.
Your pictures are always perfect!! I love lettuce wraps, haven’t had them in awhile!
Kalyn, these look really fantastic!! They seem so very simple to make as well. Great post.
zesty
Love this Kalyn, it’s so refreshing and healty. I made some recently too…love the spicy twist in yours.
These look very good, I’ve been wanting to make this for a long time. Thanks for the link to my chile sauces post!
Recipe Girl, how cool! It’s a great book with so many recipes that look good.
I love this recipe. I can actually get my son to eat lettuce when I serve these!
If you look in the fine print in the beginning of the CA Sol Food cookbook, you’ll find my name. I was one of the recipe testers and contributors for this San Diego Jr. League cookbook! It was fun to do.
Sheila, thanks for the support on the Splenda issue. I think iceberg is a great substitute for more expensive lettuce in this. Actually I think some people might even prefer it! Thanks for the nice feedback on the blog too, so glad you like it.
ThoughtfulHedonist, you are so welcome and thanks to you for taking the time to let me know you are enjoying the blog. Comments like that keep me going!
Alexandra, haven’t even had the lettuce wraps at PF Changs, but I hear they are good! I did like the idea of ground turkey in this.
These sound fabulous. I rarely go to PF Changs, but when I do, the lettuce wraps are a must! These look better … healthy and delicious. yum!
Kalyn, thank you so much for all of your recipes. I’m a busy full-time parent, working a full-time job and going to grad school (yeah, crazy). Your recipes fill such a need since I don’t have time to tinker with my own recipes and I’m a South Beach groupie. My daughter and I thank you much!
Amen Kalyn! I’m with you on that. Sometimes I use splenda and sometimes I’ll use agave nectar. Just depends on the recipe.
I really like that you suggested using plain old iceberg lettuce for this. I love lettuce wraps but my small town grocery store only cares the basic lettuce. I can’t believe I never thought to use iceberg. DUH! I’ve been trying your recipes and loving them! Your site is AWESOME!
I’m not going to publish comments criticizing me for using splenda. (Especially when I didn’t even include it in the recipe, good grief.) First and foremost, I believe people have the right to make their own food choices. I personally believe white sugar is harmful and use Splenda only rarely and in small amounts. Obviously I think it’s safe or I wouldn’t be using it, and I don’t need people telling me it’s “not healthy” whatever that means. If you have different feelings about it, obviously you shouldn’t use it, but let’s let everyone decide for themselves.
Abby, good luck with SB, and this is a great choice.
Lydia, I thought of you when I made this because I know how you like ground turkey.
Julie, agree, it’s all about the filling.
Italian Dish, thanks!
Love these. They are such a great low carb dish.
Those look FAB! You stuff your wraps about as eagerly as I do! The lettuce is just the vehicle for the meat, right?
This is absolutely my kind of dish (except for the cilantro, which I’d reduce, and I’d up the chili paste, because I love it spicy). I think this would work with tofu, too.
I’m very excited that people are appreciating this recipe, because I loved it! Hope you guys will try it!
I love the crunch that nuts give anything. I will try this. Thank you!
mmm… love lettuce wraps. i use mince beef or lamb. never use turkey. this sounds yummmmmm!!!
Yum, I’ve been looking for something to make with ground turkey for this weekend and I think this fits the bill!
I think the only thing missing out of this recipe is water chesnuts! Otherwise, it looks yummy!
OOH these look good. Have always wanted to make them. Thanks for the recipe.
Yeah! I’ve been looking for a lettuce wrap recipe and your recipes never disappoint! Thanks!
All I can say is WOW . . . love the seasoning and the variation opportunities like substituting some lentils or black beans for some of the turkey – oh lordy I’m never able to leave perfection alone.
Ilva off stream . . . now that’s funny and so off the mark.
Ah, I have always wanted to make these at home! Thanks for the recipe.
This looks delicious! I’ll be sure to try it soon, as hubby and I are on a healthy food kick after he got yelled at my his doctor a couple of weeks ago… 😀
The last lettuce wrap recipe I made was bland. This looks like it will have some kick to it. Hope the braces don’t have to stay on too long!
These look amazing!! They are going on my menu next week!
I am so off stream that I haven’t even thought about using lettuce leaves as wraps, what an excellent idea and I love this filling too! thanks Kalyn!
Oh man, Kalyn. You totally read my mind. I came here thinking “I wonder if Kalyn has a good recipe for lettuce wraps” and there it was, just posted this morning!! Thank you so much, I look forward to trying it out.