Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps

These P.F. Chang’s inspired Lettuce Wraps are bursting with fresh ingredients and topped with a tangy Asian-inspired sauce. Ready in under 20 min, this lettuce wraps recipe is the perfect appetizer idea for your next dinner party!

Looking for more Asian-inspired recipes? Try my potstickers recipe, this homemade wonton soup, or this crockpot sesame chicken! 

PF Chang Inspired Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Lettuce wraps are a nostalgic favorite of mine. When I was in High School, my best friend and I loved to hit up our local PF Changs together. We would always order an app, an entree, and a dessert to split. Our go-to app – every time – was their lettuce wraps. Now, whenever I see, smell, eat, or think of Lettuce Wraps, it brings me right back to that place and time with my bestie. Isn’t it so cool how food can do that for us?!?

Nowadays, I’m not going to say how many years later, I’m sharing my love of lettuce wraps with my hubby and kids and they love them, too! As an adult, what I love about Lettuce Wraps is that they’re healthy and easy to make! Did I mention they’re low-carb, gluten-free, and dairy-free?

These lettuce wraps are not an exact copy of the PF Chang wraps in that I used ground turkey instead of ground chicken. But you could easily use ground chicken or even ground beef if you prefer!

What’s in these Lettuce Wraps?

Slow down. I see your eyes getting wider and wider as you eye up this ingredient list. I know many of these ingredients might not be in your pantry or fridge. But, don’t worry, they should be pretty easy to find and you’ll be able to use them in other yummy Asian-inspired recipes.

Here is what you’ll need to make lettuce wraps:

• Canola oil
• Lean ground turkey – You could also use ground chicken or ground beef. (More on that below.)
• Shallot – Sweet yellow onions also work!
• Garlic
• Scallions
• Lemongrass
• Chopped cashews
• Rice vinegar
• Hoisin sauce
• Soy sauce
• Garlic chili sauce
• Cilantro
• Butter lettuce leaves – You can use other kinds of lettuce but I think this variety is best for wraps.

Can I Use Chicken or Beef Instead of Turkey?

Yep! You can use any ground meat you’d like. Turkey, chicken, beef, pork – but, the fat content and flavor will change with each.

You could also use leftover chicken and shred it. Or, use chicken picked from a store-bought rotisserie. If you do this, the texture will be slightly different and the sauce won’t cling to the meat in quite the same way.

What is the Best Lettuce to Use for Wraps?

I prefer to use butter lettuce leaves in this recipe. What I like about them is their cup-like shape. I also like that they are sturdy but not too crisp. If you use super crisp lettuce like iceberg, it may crack. A greener lettuce like arugula will be too weak to stand up to our filling.

Another great option for these lettuce wraps is Boston Bibb leaves.

How Do You Cut Lettuce for Wraps?

All you have to do if you’re using one of the lettuce types I recommended is cut off the bottom of the head of lettuce. Then you simply peel each leaf of lettuce off and prepare them for use in your lettuce wraps by washing and drying them.

How to Make PF Chang’s Lettuce Wraps

• Saute: In a large wok (or non stick skillet), heat your oil over medium heat. Add in the garlic and shallots and continue to cook for 15 more seconds, then add ground turkey. Break up the meat with a spoon. Toss and stir often until the meat is cooked through.
• Drain: Once the turkey is cooked through, check and see if there is a lot of grease left over in the bottom of the pan. If there is, drain the meat, and then re-add it to the wok.
  • If there’s not much grease, you can skip to the next step.
• Add: Add the scallions, lemongrass, cashews, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and garlic chili sauce to the wok. Toss everything well to ensure it is all coated. Allow everything to cook for another 2-3 minutes and then remove the wok from the heat and sprinkle the filling with cilantro.
• Serve: To serve, separate the leaves of lettuce and wash them with warm water. Pat them dry. Spoon the turkey mixture into the center of a lettuce leaf and eat it like a taco! Enjoy!

What Goes with Lettuce Wraps?

This recipe is known as an appetizer but it can be eaten as the main course. You do you, girl. If you are using it as an appetizer, it would be great followed by a homemade lo mein, Kung Pao, or sesame chicken.

You could also pair it with multiple other Asian-inspired appetizers for a grazing kind of dinner. I’m thinking pot stickers, spare ribs, spring rolls, and scallion pizza!

Or, opt for an appetizer and soup combo. Make your favorite Pho or wonton soup to go along with these lettuce wraps!

Variation ideas

You have so many options for switching these up!

• For starters, you can add some chili sauce to make them more spicy.
• You could add other veggies into the mix like shredded carrots, corn, mushrooms, or peas. Just make sure they’re bite size.
• You could do a General Tso variation and include shredded broccoli, red peppers, and a General Tso sauce.
• You could even go completely off script! I’ve also seen Buffalo Chicken, Crack Chicken, and Bacon Cheese Burger Lettuce Wraps! Seriously, I’m drooling just thinking about it.

How to Store Extras

Store extra filling in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can reheat the filling in the microwave until warmed through. I recommend storing any extra lettuce leaves separately so that they stay crisp and ready to make into more lettuce wraps.

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Yield: Serves 4

Lettuce Wraps Recipe

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These Lettuce Wraps are bursting with fresh ingredients and a tangy Asian inspired sauce. Ready in under 20 min and the perfect app for your next dinner party!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 lb extra lean ground turkey (or any other ground meat)
• 1 medium shallot
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 scallions
• 2 large stalks lemongrass-tender pale inner core only, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped cashews
• 1 teaspoonful seasoned rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoonful garlic chili sauce
• small handful of cilantro, chopped
• butter lettuce leaves (or your favorite lettuce), for serving

Instructions

In a large wok (or non stick skillet), heat oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallot and cook for 15 seconds, then add ground turkey. Break up the meat with a spoon, tossing/stirring often, until meat is cooked through.

Once the turkey is cooked through, check and see if there is a lot of grease left over in the bottom of the pan. If there is, drain the meat, and then re-add to the wok. If not, skip to the next step.

Add the scallions, lemongrass, cashews, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and garlic chili sauce. Toss well to ensure everything is coated. Allow to cook for another 2-3 minutes and remove from heat and sprinkle with cilantro.

To serve, separate leaves of lettuce and wash with warm water; pat dry. Spoon the turkey mixture into the center of a lettuce leaf and eat like a taco! Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 207Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 386mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 21g

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