Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps
I'm going to sound like the most basic bitch ever, but I just love those lettuce wraps from PF Chang's. So much, in fact, that I thought I would replicate them at home and blog about it. There it is. Judge away!
But seriously, those lettuce wraps are darn tasty, admit it. How could something relatively healthy and for sure low-carb be so delicious and satisfying? Even better? Once I set out to make them at home, I realized they were also ridiculously easy to make for a quick weeknight meal.
You can pretty much substitute any bread for lettuce as its carb-like vehicle and it still tastes basically like the item you're going for. Example: burgers or turkey burgers wrapped in lettuce. Yep, they still taste like burgers. Taco meat stuffed in lettuce wraps instead of tortilla shells? Do they still taste like tacos? You betcha!
I'm certainly not saying if I had the choice to eat a burger for the rest of my life in a lettuce wrap over a bun I would do it, because I wouldn't. Carbs are everything. But if you're craving a burger or a taco, and you want to just cut back a bit, lettuce is your friend. Trust me!
Back to the part about the lettuce wrap filling being stupid easy to throw together. The key to making Asian inspired lettuce wraps at home is to build your flavor, layer upon layer. I started with mushrooms to add even more meatiness to my lean turkey. Grated zucchini and chopped water chestnuts add more texture and crunch. Ginger, hoisin, soy sauce, Soyaki and Sambal create the perfect medley of classic Asian flavors. All together, it's a texturally pleasing, healthy and hearty meal that's jam-packed with bright, bold flavors.
Here's a fun tip: I buy my turkey in one pound packs, but when I'm cooking for just Cole and I, I divide the pack in two, using one half for a ground turkey meal one night of the week, the other half for another meal. The recipe below is technically halved and perfect for cooking for two, but can easily be doubled for a family of four, or even more!
Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
1/2 pound 93% lean ground turkey
1/2 cup baby bella or crimini mushrooms, chopped
1/2 zucchini squash, grated
8 whole water chestnuts, chopped
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1 teaspoon hoisin sauce
1/4 cup soyaki marinade
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1-2 tablespoons sambal chili paste
Iceberg lettuce
Directions
Heat a large skillet and sesame oil over medium high heat. Add ginger and mushrooms and saute for about 2 minutes until mushrooms begin to soften and ginger becomes fragrant. Add ground turkey and zucchini, breaking up turkey into small pieces until turkey browns, about 5 minutes. Add hoisin, soyaki, soy sauce and samball and let simmer for about 5 minutes before reducing heat. Add water chestnuts and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Let cool before spooning into iceberg lettuces "cups" and drizzle with sriracha, if you'd like.
