Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

These Asian turkey lettuce wraps contain a savory filling of ground turkey and brown rice that’s peppered with crunchy water chestnuts and sweet carrots. Wrapped up inside cool, velvety lettuce leaves, the wraps make a great light meal. Better yet, this protein-packed lettuce wrap recipe can be a fun party food when served as a DIY lettuce wrap bar! If you end up with extra filling, save the leftovers for your next snack or packed lunch.

Ingredients for Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

• Soy sauce: Soy sauce seasons the filling with its complex, umami-rich flavor. We like to use reduced-sodium soy sauce to keep the salt content in check.
• Sugar: We balance the saltiness of soy sauce with a touch of sugar.
• Sesame oil: Look for toasted or roasted sesame oil for its rich, nutty flavor and aroma.
• Thai chili sauce: Although optional, we like the sweet, tangy, spicy flavor that Thai chili sauce adds.
• Ground turkey: We like to use lean meat when making lettuce wraps, so we recommend using 93% lean ground turkey.
• Celery: When sprinkled throughout the turkey mixture, chopped celery brings an herbal, savory flavor and little bits of crunch. The darker green outer ribs have a stronger flavor than the light green inner hearts. Celery leaves also have a strong flavor, so don’t throw them out; chop them up and add them to the filling at the end or use them as a garnish. Refresh limp celery by trimming off the bottom and placing the ribs in cold water in the fridge for an hour. If the celery is tough, stringy or slightly bruised, peel celery along the outside of the rib with a vegetable peeler.
• Aromatics: Minced garlic and fresh gingerroot boost the flavor of the filling.
• Water chestnuts: Canned water chestnuts provide a crunchy texture to the filling. Fresh water chestnuts—if you’re lucky enough to find them in Asian markets—are sweet and nutty. They’re 100% worth the extra work of cleaning them. If you can’t find water chestnuts, jicama is a good substitute, and Asian pears or apples could be used in a pinch.
• Carrot: Shredded carrots add a pop of color and some sweetness.
• Rice: It takes longer to cook brown rice than its white counterpart, but we like brown rice in this recipe for its toothsome texture and nutty flavor.
• Lettuce: Our vessels of choice for the turkey filling are the soft, cuplike leaves of Bibb or Boston lettuce. These lettuce varieties are often hydroponically grown and sold with the roots still attached. You’ll likely find them packaged in a bowl-like clamshell container.

Directions

Step 1: Make the sauce

In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and, if desired, chili sauce until blended.

Step 2: Brown the turkey

TASTE OF HOME

In a large skillet, cook the turkey and celery for six to nine minutes or until the turkey is no longer pink, breaking up the meat into crumbles as it cooks. Drain any excess grease.

Editor’s Tip: Crumble the ground turkey with your fingers when adding it to the skillet so it’s easier to break up while cooking.

Step 3: Cook the filling

Add the ginger and garlic to the skillet and cook for two minutes. Stir in the soy sauce mixture, water chestnuts and carrot, and cook for two minutes longer.

Step 4: Add rice

TASTE OF HOME

Stir in the cooked rice and heat it through. Serve the filling in lettuce leaves.

Editor’s Tip: Keep the filling and lettuce leaves separate until ready to serve, or the leaves will get soggy. Don’t be overly generous when filling the lettuce, either, or the leaves may split. If that happens, you can always reinforce the lettuce wrap with a second layer of leaves.

TASTE OF HOME

Recipe Variations

• Preheat the rice: If using cold or day-old rice, you can reheat the rice by zapping it in the microwave before adding it to the turkey mixture. Reheated rice must be warmed to at least 165°F.
• Swap the protein: Ground chicken is an obvious poultry substitute for turkey, but you can also try duck if you can find it and want to be fancy. Pork and beef will also work equally well. For a vegetarian option, use chopped vegetables like mushrooms, or plant-based meat substitutes like crumbled tofu or tempeh.
• Freshen it up: Mix in a generous amount of coarsely chopped herbs like cilantro (or aromatics like scallions) to bring an immediate freshness to the filling. Add these to the mixture right before serving.
• Change the grain: Instead of brown rice, try using another grain or seed like cooked quinoa. Toasting the quinoa after rinsing it will give it a nice nutty flavor.

How to Store Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Lettuce wrap leftovers are great as a packed lunch or quick snack. Pack the turkey and rice filling in an airtight container and store it in the fridge. Pack the lettuce separately in a plastic bag or airtight container lined with paper towels, and store in the crisper drawer. Avoid storing the lettuce with ethylene-emitting produce (like apples, peaches and peppers), which can cause the lettuce to wilt.

How long do ground turkey lettuce wraps last?

The turkey and rice filling will last in the fridge for up to four days. When stored separately, the lettuce should keep for up to a week.

A word of caution regarding rice safety and how long rice lasts: All brown and white rice can encourage the growth potentially harmful bacteria as they cool, whether sitting at room temperature for a few hours or for too long in the fridge. The turkey-rice mixture should not sit at room temperature for more than one hour before being eaten or refrigerated.

Can you make ground turkey lettuce wraps ahead of time?

Asian turkey lettuce wraps are great as a make-ahead ground turkey recipe, whether for a party or as meal prep for the week. The filling and the lettuce can be prepared ahead of time and stored separately until ready to serve.

After cooking the filling, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. When you’re ready to serve, reheat it in a microwave-safe bowl, adding a sprinkle of broth or water if needed. Microwave the filling, stirring once or twice, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°. You can also reheat the filling in a saucepan or covered skillet, stirring occasionally, until it reaches the same temperature.

Can you freeze ground turkey lettuce wraps?

If you want to store a batch of the turkey and rice filling in the freezer, pack the cooked filling in freezer containers and freeze it for up to four months. We don’t recommend freezing the lettuce. Partially thaw the filling in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps Tips

TASTE OF HOME

What is the best lettuce for lettuce wraps?

Butterhead lettuce varieties like Bibb and Boston are ideal for lettuce wrap recipes. The leaves are already cuplike, and they’re broad, flexible and soft enough to take a bite out of. If you’re looking for a crunchier wrapper, use iceberg lettuce. For a crispier, sturdier cup, try the leaves of crisp baby romaine hearts, endives or radicchio.

How do you rescue limp lettuce?

If your lettuce wilts and needs to be refreshed, put the leaves in a large bowl of ice water for 30 minutes. Once they perk up, drain the water and line the leaves upright in a salad spinner. Keep the spinner in the refrigerator to allow the water to drip off. Alternatively, you can arrange the leaves between layers of paper or kitchen towels and gently pat them dry. Make sure the leaves are dry before serving, otherwise the wraps will be soggy.

What can you serve with Asian turkey lettuce wraps?

These wraps can easily be served on their own as a light-yet-filling meal, or you can turn the experience into a DIY lettuce wrap party. Offer a variety of fillings, like the ones from our hoisin meatball lettuce wraps, curried chicken meatball wraps or copycat P.F. Chang’s lettuce wraps. Include a pickle on the side like easy refrigerator pickles, pickled red onions or pickled carrots and daikon. For a heartier meal, serve the lettuce wraps with egg drop soup.