These Asian turkey lettuce wraps are full of garlicky, sweet, and spicy seasoned ground meat and topped with crunchy fried bits of shallots and fresh ripened mango slices. It’s the perfect meal to make ahead of time for easier meal-prep that’s healthy and delicious. Asian turkey lettuce wraps are one of my go-to meals for a filling but healthy meal at home or in restaurants.
Ingredients in the ground turkey
You’ll find them very popular at restaurants like PF Changs, but my favorite lettuce wraps are at one of OC’s best restaurants, Brodard Chateau. Asian lettuce wraps are made with various ingredients, like poultry (chicken or turkey), water chestnuts, carrots, aromatics (garlic and onions), and mixed with a savory dressing.
This recipe is modeled after Brodard’s version and uses yellow onion, brown mushrooms, carrots, garlic, and water chestnuts. However, I prefer using ground turkey instead of chicken because I like the flavor better.
The savory seasoning
The savory seasoning that you cook with the ground turkey gives the ingredients a lot of flavor. We don’t leave out any flavor taste buds in this dressing:
- Lime juice is the base of this dressing, and I love that it gives each bite a citrusy and tangy balance.
- Oyster sauce and hoisin sauce are used in this seasoning for a complex, rich, sweet, and salty flavor profile.
- Low-sodium soy sauce adds a little more saltiness to the ground turkey.
- Rice vinegar gives the right amount of acidity to lean ground turkey and is my favorite pairing with savory ingredients like oyster sauce, hoisin, and soy sauce. If you don’t have any, you can also use apple cider vinegar.
- White sugar adds just a bit more sweetness to the tangy lime dressing.
- Chili oil gives just a pinch of heat to this fresh dish, but you can always add more.
- Roasted sesame oil rounds out the seasoning with a fragrant and deeply rich taste. However, you want to be careful adding too much because it can easily overpower the entire seasoning.
Lettuce for wrapping and toppings
What I love about Brodard Chateau’s version is the addition of sliced mangos, limes, and crunchy toppings, like fried shallots. Here is what to add to make sure each bite of Asian turkey lettuce wrap is perfect:
- bibb or gem lettuce – looks, tastes, and wraps much better than iceberg or romaine for this recipe
- roasted and chopped peanuts
- fried shallots
- sliced mango
- sliced green onions
- lime wedges for extra tanginess on top
Add a dollop of your preferred sauce on top, like peanut sauce, if you want more flavor.
Modification options
What’s great about this recipe is that it’s easily interchangeable with ingredients you have on hand or prefer. For example:
- Meat substitutes: use chicken or ground beef if you like these types of meat more than turkey. However, I would make sure to taste-test the cooked meat with the seasoning as you mix it to adjust any ingredients since ground beef can have a more robust flavor profile.
- Don’t like mangoes? That’s totally fine. I’ve tested this lettuce wrap recipe with other ingredients, including diced plums or sliced cucumbers. You can also completely remove the fruit aspect if you prefer too.
- Lettuce substitutions: I prefer bibb or gem lettuce, but you can also use romaine or other varieties on hand.
Storage and reheating
Storing Asian turkey lettuce wraps if you have leftovers is super easy, and I also like making this recipe for meal prep because you can reheat it easily and keeps well in the fridge. Make sure to keep the ground turkey, lettuce, and toppings separate. Place the ground turkey in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The ground turkey can last 3-4 days in the fridge.
Keep the lettuce fresh by placing the leaves in a breathable container with a damp paper towel in the produce drawer in your refrigerator. I find this keeps leaves fresh for at least 3-5 days.
When you want to eat Asian turkey lettuce wraps for your next meal, heat the meat in the microwave for 30-second intervals until it’s hot.
Asian Turkey Lettuce Wrap Recipe
Ingredients
Seasoning
- 1 ½ tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp hoisin
- 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp white sugar
- ½ tsp chili oil
- ¼ tsp roasted sesame oil
Filling
- 1 c diced yellow onion
- 1 c diced brown mushrooms
- ¼ c diced carrots
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 lb ground turkey
- ¼ c diced water chestnuts
- neutral oil
Assembly
- lettuce bibb, gem, or butter
- roasted peanuts chopped
- fried shallots
- julienned mango
- sliced green onions
- lime wedges optional
- dipping sauce optional
Equipment Used
- knife and cutting board
- measuring cups and spoons
- peeler
- spatula/spoon
- mixing bowl
- saute pan
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the seasoning ingredients: 1 ½ tbsp lime juice, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp hoisin, 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp white sugar, ½ tsp chili oil, and ¼ tsp roasted sesame oil. Whisk until it’s completely incorporated. Set aside.
- In a saute pan, heat neutral oil over medium heat. Add the 1 c diced yellow onion and cook for 2-3 minutes or until slightly translucent.
- Add the 1 c diced brown mushrooms and ¼ c diced carrots. Saute for another 2-3 minutes or until the mushrooms are softened.
- Add the 1 tbsp minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Add the 1 lb ground turkey and cook for 5-7 minutes or until the meat is browned and opaque. I like to break it up with my hands as I add it but you can do it with a spatula too.
- Add the ¼ c diced water chestnuts and stir to incorporate. Saute for 30 seconds.
- Pour the seasoning and stir thoroughly. Saute for another 2-3 minutes to slightly thicken the sauce.
- Taste test the meat and adjust if necessary.
- To assemble, take one leaf of lettuce and add one scoop of seasoned turkey. Top with optional toppings like julienned mango, sliced green onions, and fried shallots. Wrap the sides of the lettuce over the center and eat it like a taco. You have the option to add hot sauce or use a dipping sauce like roasted peanuts. You can also squeeze extra lime wedges on top or use your favorite dipping sauce.
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