These Asian Lettuce Wraps are made with savory, seasoned ground turkey or ground chicken and crunchy veggies wrapped up in fresh lettuce leaves to make for a satisfying bite that your family will love! They are super flavorful, healthy, and the perfect appetizer, lighter, or lunch.

An image of healthy Asian lettuce wraps made with ground chicken.


Asian Wraps

Craving lettuce wraps but don’t want to go out? These Asian-inspired lettuce wraps are every bit as delicious as the ones you get from your favorite restaurant but you can make them at home for healthy and satisfying main dish or appetizer and fill them to your liking with your favorite toppings and sauces.

They are fresh, crisp, and loaded with savory flavors of garlic, ginger, and soy sauce and you can make them in under 30 minutes!

Looking for more easy appetizer recipes? Be sure to try our Crispy Loaded Potato SkinsBacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers, and Homemade Egg Rolls next!

An image of the ingredients for Asian lettuce wraps.

Asian Lettuce Wrap Ingredients

  • Lettuce
  • Ground Chicken
  • Olive Oil
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Soy Sauce
  • Hoisin Sauce
  • Ginger
  • Rice Wine Vinegar
  • Sesame Oil
  • Green Onions
  • Water Chestnuts
  • Carrots
  • Fresh Mint leaves
  • Roasted Peanuts
  • Bean Sprouts

What is the best lettuce for lettuce wraps

The most commonly used lettuce leaf for Asian wraps is Iceberg lettuce because its extra crisp and holds its shape nicely. It's what is served at restaurants like P.F. Chang's or The Cheesecake Factory with their lettuce wraps.

But softer lettuces like butter lettuce (also known as Bibb or Boston lettuce) are fantastic too and have wonderful flavor. Plus, they provide more nutrients than Iceberg lettuce.

An image of a plate of lettuce wrap appetizers with fixings nearby.

How to make Asian lettuce wraps

  1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. After that, brown the ground chicken or ground turkey, crumbling it with a wooden spoon, until done. Drain any extra liquid from the pan and then transfer the meat to a plate.
  2. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the same skillet and then cook the onion until soft and translucent. Add in the garlic, cooking and stirring for 1 minute. Add the meat back into the pan with the onions.
  3. Add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, fresh ginger, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, green onions, and water chestnuts. Mix well, cooking for 1 minute longer, before removing from heat. Adjust the seasoning as needed.
  4. Fill your lettuce with the chicken mixture and serve with matchstick carrots, mint leaves, and bean sprouts for assembly.
An image of ground chicken being browned in a pan on the stove.

Asian Wraps Recipe Substitutions

Really, you could use almost any ground meat in this asian lettuce wraps recipe, not just chicken or turkey. Ground beef, ground pork, or even ground lamb will work with the same seasonings and method, depending on what you have on hand and what you prefer for flavor.

You could also use different vegetables like very thinly sliced red bell peppers, shaved cabbage, green onions, or other veggies, so long as they are sliced or chopped small.

An image of an Asian chicken lettuce wrap being held in a hand.

What to Eat with Asian Lettuce Wraps

Asian Lettuce Wraps can be served with just about anything with a similar or complementing flavor. Teriyaki glazed chicken, sesame chicken, rice or yakisoba noodles would all be great options!

An image of lettuce wraps made with ground chicken on a plate.

How to Store Asian Lettuce Cups

If you plan on eating your lettuce wraps cold, chill your filling before adding to the lettuce bowls and keep them in a covered container or on a plastic wrap covered plate in the fridge. If you want your filling to be enjoyed warm, keep the lettuce and filling separate so the lettuce doesn’t wilt. You can serve the lettuce wraps family style with a big plate for the lettuce leaves, bowls for the veggie add-ins, and another plate or bowl with the meat filling, so everyone can assemble their own lettuce wraps.

Store prepared lettuce in a large plastic baggy with a paper towel to absorb moisture and keep your prepared filling in a plastic bag or airtight storage container and reheat before using. Keep both stored in the fridge, then warm the meat and assemble the lettuce wraps before eating.

Asian Lettuce Wraps Recipe FAQs

How do you crisp lettuce for lettuce wraps?

To crisp the lettuce for your lettuce wraps, rinse the lettuce leaves under cold water to remove any dirt or debris, then immerse the lettuce leaves in a bowl of ice water for a few minutes. This can help refresh and crisp up the leaves. After soaking, drain the lettuce and pat dry with paper towels.
If you're not using the lettuce leaves right away, store by wrapping them loosely in paper towels and place them in a plastic bag or container in the fridge until just before serving.

How do you keep lettuce wraps crisp?

To keep the lettuce wraps crisp, assemble them just before serving. Let guests assemble their own or lay out the lettuce leaves on a serving platter, add the fillings, and roll or fold the leaves tightly around the fillings. Serve immediately.

How do you make lettuce wraps that don't fall apart?

To make sure the lettuce wraps don’t fall apart, assemble them right before eating and don’t overfill them. You could also use two lettuce leaves instead of one for more support to hold the fillings in.

An image of asian lettuce wraps on butter lettuce.

More like this Asian Wrap Recipe

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Asian Wrap Recipe

4.92 from 23 votes
Amy Nash
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Asian
Servings 4 -6 Servings
These Asian Lettuce Wraps are made with savory, seasoned ground turkey or ground chicken and crunchy veggies wrapped up in fresh lettuce leaves to make for a satisfying bite that your family will love! They are super flavorful, healthy, and the perfect appetizer, lighter, or lunch.

Ingredients
  

  • 12-16 bibb or butter lettuce leaves, washed and dried
  • 1 pound ground chicken or ground turkey
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
  • ¼ cup hoisin sauce
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
  • 1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
  • Carrot matchsticks
  • Fresh mint leaves
  • Roasted peanuts
  • Bean sprouts

Instructions
 

  • In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, then brown the ground chicken, crumbling with a wooden spoon until done. Drain any extra liquid and transfer to a plate.
  • Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the same skillet and cook the onion in it until soft and translucent. Add garlic, cooking and stirring for 1 minute, then add the meat back into the pan with the onions.
  • Add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, green onions, and water chestnuts. Mix well, cooking for 1 minute longer, then remove from the heat. Adjust seasoning as needed.
  • Serve the filling with the lettuce leaves, matchstick carrots, mint leaves, and bean sprouts for assembly.

Notes

  • You can use ground beef, ground chicken, ground pork, or ground lamb in place of the ground turkey.
  • You could probably double the sauce ingredients and use ½ of it to marinate chicken breasts, then grill and slice thinly if you don't have ground chicken or ground turkey to use. Use the rest of the sauce to drizzle over the sliced chicken in the lettuce wraps.
Recipe adapted only slightly from The Foodie Affair.

Nutrition

Calories: 339kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 489mg | Potassium: 881mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1552IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @HouseOfNashEats or tag #houseofnasheats!

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About the author

Hi, I'm Amy

I enjoy exploring the world through food, culture, and travel and sharing the adventure with mostly from-scratch, family friendly recipes that I think of as modern comfort cooking.

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Reader questions and reviews

  1. Oh my! That looks like a whole lot of yumminess! I love Asian wraps and haven't had them in forever! I know what's going on my meal list for next week.

  2. We love Asian recipes at my house and lettuce wraps are a favorite.  These will be a great lighter meal for the summer months.  I can't wait to try them!

  3. I’m so glad you picked this recipe, Amy! Your photos make me want to cook these up right now...drool. I often bring Asian lettuce wraps to parties and it’s always a hit. 

  4. I am drooling over here!! I know EXACTLY what I am making this weekend. I LOVE lettuce wraps and these look exceptional!

  5. I can see why you picked this one to make, it looks incredible!! (Also these photos are beautiful!!)

  6. This is a great recipe for a quick and easy light lunch. I love all the color, flavor, and crunch seen in these photos, too! Looks amazing 🙂

  7. I always order these at restaurants too and can't believe Ive never thought to make them at home!  What a great idea!  Saving this for lunch one day this week!

  8. These were a hit for Sunday brunch and I am going to keep eating them for lunch all week!

    1. 5 stars
      This was delicious!
      I made this for my parents and they devoured it. It tastes just like the restaurant. The one thing I added was a glug of P.F changs sweet chili sauce to give it a little zing and sweetness. Very yummy.

  9. 5 stars
    This recipe is AMAZING. Everytime I made it, my whole family wants to come over. They all rant and rave about it and say it’s better than the restaurants!! Thank you for this great recipe!