YIELDS:
2 – 4 servings
PREP TIME:
0 hours 15 mins
COOK TIME:
0 hours 15 mins
TOTAL TIME:
0 hours 30 mins
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ingredients
SAUCE
1 Tbsp. Thai sweet chili sauce
1 Tbsp. Hoisin sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
½ Tbsp. Sriracha (depending on how hot you like it)
1/2 Tbsp. canola oil
1/2 Tsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. unseasoned rice wine vinegar
2 Cloves garlic, minced
1/2 Tbsp. Fresh ginger, minced
FILLING
1/2 lb. 99% fat free ground turkey
1 Tsp. canola oil
Cooking spray
4 Scallions thinly sliced, separate green from white parts.
1 Clove garlic, minced
1/2 Tbsp. minced ginger
1 Cup White button mushrooms, finely chopped
1/4 Cup Water chestnuts, finely chopped
1/4 Red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 Cup Cashew or macadamia nuts
1 Head of butter lettuce, leaves separated, washed and dried
DIRECTIONS
1. MAKE THE SAUCE: in a bowl, mix all the ingredients and put to the side.
2. In a bowl, mix two tablespoons of the sauce into the turkey meat.
3. In a large skillet sprayed with cooking spray heat 1/2 tablespoon of canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and cook while breaking it up with a spoon until browned. About five minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
4. Add the remaining ½ tablespoon of oil to the skillet then add the scallion whites, garlic and ginger. Stir for one minute.
5. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 3-4 minutes until they soften. Return the cooked turkey to the pan and add the water chestnuts, bell pepper and the rest of the sauce. Cook and stir until cooked through and the liquid has reduced and the sauce has thickened. (About 4 minutes).
6. Stir in the green chopped onion and the chopped nuts. Transfer to a big bowl and serve with a large pile of washed and dried lettuce leaves.
NOTE: This turkey lettuce wrap recipe is based on a recipe I found in Chrissy Teigen’s cookbook Cravings. I substantially cut the fat and sugar and definitely cut back on the heat for my taste buds but go crazy and add as much Sriracha as you want. Remember, the Thai sweet chili sauce also has some heat so keep tasting along the way to be sure you get it to your liking. I prefer ground turkey to ground chicken and I definitely wanted the 99% fat free version for this really healthy take on lettuce wraps. I added nuts for more protein and some good fats. PLUS, I love the crunch! I love both cashews and macadamia nuts in this, but feel free to use your favorite or omit them if you don’t like or can’t eat nuts.
I will often increase the amount of veggies I chop up in this dish when I want to bulk up on veggies so feel free to do the same. Extra mushrooms, bell peppers and water chestnuts can really fill you up and I like to get in as many veggies as I can in any given day. I made this recipe for 2-4 portions. Honestly, it just depends on how hungry we are. I can get a hefty sized dinner meal (4-6 wraps per person) or four lighter dinners or lunches. (2-3 wraps per person).
I used butter leaf lettuce for the wraps but you could also use baby gem lettuce, small romaine lettuce leaves or even iceberg lettuce. If you want to try something new, I love serving this with jicama wraps. They are thin round slices of jicama that you can buy in a package already sliced. I’ve seen them in Sprouts, and Trader Joes and I really like the crunch.
When it comes to the ground meat, you can always use ground chicken, pork or beef. You could also use 93% fat-free ground turkey. I went very lean here because the sauce has lots of flavor and I don’t need the extra saturated fat but feel free to use the ground meat of your choice.
To get started, I like to tear off my lettuce leaves, rinse them and let them sit in a colander to drip dry. Then, I’ll pat them dry with paper towels and pile them up on a serving platter or cutting board for serving.
Next, I chop and prep all my veggies. I finely mince my garlic and ginger, slice my green onions and separate the dark green from the light green and white portion. I’ll chop my bell pepper, mushrooms and water chestnuts. I make sure I have my nuts ready to go. This dish comes together very fast, so have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go.
Next, I whip up the sauce. Just put all the ingredients into a small bowl and whisk to combine. Put two tablespoons in a bowl with the ground turkey and mix. Put the rest to the side.
Heat up a large skillet and spray with cooking spray. Add 1/2 tablespoon of oil and the meat. Cook until the meat is browned and cooked through. Remove the meat from the skillet and add another 1/2 tablespoon of oil. Add the chopped ginger, garlic and white and light green of the onion. Stir for about a minute.
Add the chopped mushrooms and cook until soft and lightly browned. About 3-4 minutes. Add back the cooked turkey and any juices from the bowl. Add the bell pepper, water chestnuts and sauce. Stir until combined. Let cook until the sauce is bubbling and thickens up a bit. About 4 minutes.
Finish the dish with the dark green chopped onion and the nuts. Stir everything together. Spoon into a large shallow bowl and serve with the pile of washed and dried lettuce leaves. Dig in and enjoy!
Did you like this recipe? Do you like Asian flavors? If so, be sure to try some of my other favorites:
Sweet & Spicy Shrimp on Cauliflower Rice
Pineapple and Mango Chicken Stir Fry
