Thai Peanut Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Crisp cold lettuce wrapped around saucy flavorful turkey…and you have our favorite Thai peanut turkey lettuce wraps! A healthy and delicious appetizer or light dinner.

I love these turkey lettuce wraps!  Years ago I was living in Chicago and we all went out to PF Changs for dinner. Everyone was ordering the lettuce wraps and I was like, “meat in lettuce??… yeah sounds really great…blah!” And then I tried them and they were awesome!!!!!!!! I was totally thinking it would be lame, but it was delicious.

This is one of my favorite meals to make in the summer months when you want a light easy meal!

Ingredients for Turkey Lettuce Wraps

A quick and easy recipe is just what I need in the summer time! It always seems like we are running to a soccer practice or rushing in from being at the pool, and simple and delicious is my summer jam! Here are the ingredients that you will need…

For the Filling

• Ground Turkey: You can go as lean as you want, but know that the leaner the turkey, the drier the filling will be.
• Celery: diced up nice and fine
• Carrots: You can shred your own carrots or buy them already shredded.
• Red Bell Pepper: You could use yellow or orange too, but I wouldn’t use green.
• Onion: minced up small
• Garlic: adds flavor
• Slivered Almonds: adds the most amazing crunch to the wraps

For the Sauce

• Peanut Butter: You want creamy and it adds all the great peanut flavor to the sauce.
• Brown Sugar: adds a depth of flavor and richness to the sauce
• Sugar: adds more sweetness to the sauce
• Hoisin Sauce: a thick, dark colored sauce that is both sweet and salty
• Oyster Sauce: a thick, dark sauce made from oyster extract that doesn’t taste fishy despite the name and adds an earthy flavor
• Rice Vinegar: made from fermented rice and adds acidity
• Soy Sauce: adds great umami flavor to the sauce
• Red Pepper Flakes: adds heat to the sauce
• Lettuce Leaves: you want whole large leaves with no tears in them

Scroll down to the end of the post to find all the measurements you will need of each ingredient.

How to Make Lettuce Wraps

You only need about 30 minutes to make this flavorful recipe. It’s as simple as browning the turkey, sautéing the vegetables and whisking together the peanut sauce. Here are the basic steps…

1. Brown the turkey until it is almost totally cooked. Remove to a bowl.
2. Whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce in a separate bowl.
3. Add all the vegetables to the skillet and sauté until tender. Then add the meat back in.
4. Add the sauce and let it all simmer together for a few minutes.
5. Spoon the meat mixture into the lettuce leaves and sprinkle with slivered almonds and sliced green onions.

This is meant to be just a brief overview of the steps for making this recipe. The detailed instructions can be found in the recipe card down below.

What Lettuce Makes the Best Lettuce Wraps?

Iceberg, Boston, green leaf and butter lettuce seems to be the most used, the favorites being iceberg and butter.

Romaine can be used also, but it is harder to wrap with.

How to Keep Lettuce Wraps from Falling Apart

I’ve found a couple of tricks for keeping lettuce wraps from falling apart. First, you want to find large lettuce leaves that don’t have any tears or holes in them. Second, you can double up on lettuce leaves.

PRO TIP: Eat your lettuce wrap over another piece of lettuce to catch any filling that falls out. Then your next wrap is already started!

Variations for Lettuce Wraps

Adding other vegetables to the turkey filling is a great way to stretch out the filling if you want a few more wraps. A few great options would be peas, chopped mushrooms, shredded cabbage or chopped broccoli.

If you don’t have ground turkey, you could use ground chicken, beef or even pork. Topping the wraps with chopped peanut is also a great way to add more peanut flavor.

What to Eat with Lettuce Wraps

These Thai peanut lettuce wraps make a perfect lunch or a great light dinner recipe. They can also be a great appetizer, just like they are at PF Changs. If you serve them as an appetizer, they would be a superb prelude to any of the following main dishes…

• Sticky Asian Ribs
• Easy Orange Chicken
• Simple Asian Shrimp Noodles
• Asian Grilled Chicken Breasts
• Beef Stir Fry

Storage Tips

Store the filling separately from the lettuce if you have leftover. The filling will keep for 4-5 days in the refrigerator. The filling also freezes very well and will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat the filling on the stove top until warmed through and serve with fresh lettuce leaves.

I love the flavors and textures of these Thai peanut turkey lettuce wraps and I love how quick and easy they are to make even more! You’re going to love this one, friends!

More Delicious Asian Recipes to Try:

• Teriyaki Chicken
• Chicken Stir Fry
• Asian Sticky Ribs
• Beef and Broccoli
• Egg Drop Soup
• Korean Short Ribs

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