Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps
Lettuce wraps are a good excuse to eat dinner with your hands. The saucy turkey filling sits inside cool leaves, with water chestnuts giving each bite a bit of crunch. Put the filling within reach and tuck into the little bundles while they are fresh.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Original yield
- Serves 8
- Ingredients
- 12 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Appetizers · Appetizers & snacks · Main course · Sides
- Primary protein
- Turkey
- Cuisine
- American · Chinese · Asian
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
- Dish type
- Salads
A few quick notes
1. Crumble the turkey as it cooks
Break up the ground turkey in the sesame oil and cook it almost through before adding the vegetables.
2. Give the vegetables a brief cook
Add the chopped vegetables when the turkey is nearly cooked, and continue until the meat is cooked and vegetables are tender.
3. Combine the sauces first
Mix the hoisin, soy sauce, vinegar and chili paste before stirring them into the turkey and vegetables for their short simmer.
Get to know the ingredients
Water chestnuts
Drain the sliced water chestnuts and chop them coarsely before they join the turkey, so they are ready with the other vegetables.
Coarsely chopped mushrooms
The mushrooms are chopped rather than left whole, and cook with the carrot, green onion and garlic in the turkey mixture.
Lettuce leaves
Butter lettuce is the main choice. Boston and iceberg lettuce are also listed options for holding the cooked filling.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 8. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 4 steps completeMake room for Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Spoon into the leaves
Serve the finished turkey mixture on the lettuce leaves after its brief sauce simmer, ready to pick up and eat.
A little more help as you go
Keep the carrot shredded
Use shredded carrot as listed so it fits into the filling alongside the coarsely chopped mushrooms and water chestnuts.
The sauce needs its simmer
Once the mixed sauce is stirred into the meat and vegetables, let it simmer for the short interval in the directions.
A few questions you might have
Is the turkey cooked before I add sauce?
Yes. Finish cooking the turkey with the vegetables first, then stir in the sauce and let the mixture simmer.
When does the garlic go in?
Add the minced garlic with the carrots, mushrooms, water chestnuts and green onions after the turkey is almost cooked through.
Are the lettuce leaves cooked?
The directions serve the cooked turkey mixture directly on the lettuce leaves; the leaves do not go into the skillet.
Which soy sauce does the recipe use?
Low sodium soy sauce is listed, and it gets combined with the hoisin, rice wine vinegar and chili paste before adding.
Can I make the filling in one skillet?
Yes. The turkey cooks first in the skillet, then the vegetables and mixed sauce join it in successive stages.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: therecipecritic.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
