Thai Turkey Lettuce Wraps mix your favorite Asian flavors into a crisp, healthy lettuce wrap. Ground turkey is simmered in lime juice, ginger, soy sauce and red chili garlic sauce and mixed with brown rice. Top these with fresh cilantro, matchstick carrots and crunchy peanuts and you have a healthy meal.
I think it is time to come to terms with my addiction for lettuce wraps. I think it has become a weekly occurrence in my house to eat them and I don’t feel bad about it.
We love all kinds of lettuce wraps from these Asian Chicken Zoodle Lettuce Wraps, Mexican Turkey Lettuce Wraps or these Asian Pork Lettuce Wraps.
Today’s recipe for Thai Turkey Brown Rice Lettuce Wraps are my favorite of all the lettuce wraps I make.
I can feel good about eating these for dinner- they are healthy and light. I usually just pair these with a simple side salad and I am a satisfied, happy girl.
Today’s Thai Turkey Brown Rice Lettuce Wraps recipe provides protein, vegetables, greens and grains, all in one little lettuce wrap.
My kids haven’t jumped on the lettuce bandwagon yet so I usually just give them the ground turkey mixture separate from the lettuce and let them experiment how they want. I figure someday maybe they will get curious and give lettuce a try if it is on their plate. It seems like P.F. Chang’s put lettuce wraps on the map.
I have a lot of friends in Chicago that would go there and always order their lettuce wraps. I must admit, they are mighty tasty.
But I will also say that I think my Thai turkey lettuce wraps could rival those lettuce wraps. And a bonus is, you are making them yourself, so you know exactly what is going in and can control the ingredients.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s an overview of the simple ingredients we’re using. Jump to the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and printable instructions.
- Rice: I used brown rice but you can use any of your favorite rice varieties. You also can use quinoa, bulgur, farro or leave the grain out.
- Vegetables: The vegetables in the ground turkey mixture uses onion, bell pepper and garlic.
- Meat: I like to use ground turkey in these lettuce wraps but you can use any ground meat like chicken, ground beef or sausage.
- Sauce: The Thai sauce is my favorite. It mixes lime juice, fresh ginger, soy sauce and red chili garlic sauce.
- Herbs: Fresh cilantro and green onions are a great finishing touch to these lettuce wraps.
- Lettuce: I use bibb lettuce for the lettuce warps. You also can use big pieces of iceberg lettuce or romaine lettuce.
How to Make Thai Turkey Lettuce Wraps
Step 1: Cook Rice: Cook the rice according to the package.
Step 2: Sauté Vegetables: While the rice cooks heat the 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet and add the onion, sautéing for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and the bell peppers peppers and continue to sauté for 2 more minutes.
Step 3: Add Turkey and Sauce Ingredients: Add the ground turkey, fresh lime juice, ginger, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce and continue cooking until the turkey is browned.
Step 4: Add Rice: Mix the rice into the turkey mixture along with the fresh cilantro and green onions and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Step 5: Serve in Lettuce: Serve the Thai turkey mixture with crisp bibb lettuce and extra cilantro, matchstick carrots and unsalted peanuts for garnish.
Recipe FAQ
I like butter lettuce, Boston, or Bibb lettuce work best because they’re soft, cup-shaped and can hold the mixture without breaking.
Yes, you can make the ground turkey mixture ahead of time! Just reheat before serving and assemble when ready to eat.
You can double up on the lettuce leaves for extra strength, and avoid overfilling. Serve with small plates or napkins to catch any drips.
More Turkey Recipes
Thai Turkey Brown Rice Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cooked brown rice {or rice of your choice}
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion {about 1/4 of a medium onion}
- 1 bell pepper, diced {I used 1/2 a red and 1/2 a green}
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce, low sodium if possible
- 2 teaspoons red chili garlic sauce {I use Huy Fong, Chili Garlic Sauce}, more or less for spiciness
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped {plus extra for garnish}
- 3 green onions, green part chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 head of Bibb/Boston Lettuce, washed and separated
Garnishes:
- Extra fresh cilantro
- Unsalted peanuts
- Matchstick carrots
Instructions
- Cook the rice according to the package.
- While the rice cooks heat the 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet and add the onion, sautéing for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and the bell peppers peppers and continue to sauté for 2 more minutes.
- Add the ground turkey, fresh lime juice, ginger, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce and continue cooking until the turkey is browned.
- Mix the rice into the turkey mixture along with the fresh cilantro and green onions and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve the Thai turkey mixture with crisp bibb lettuce and extra cilantro, matchstick carrots and unsalted peanuts for garnish.
Notes
- Serving size is 1 3/4 cup of the turkey mixture and 4 Bibb lettuce leaves. You would use a little less than 1/2 cup of the mixture in each piece of lettuce.
- I actually think the leftovers for these Thai Turkey Brown Rice Lettuce Wraps are just as good as the first day! The flavors really meld together a day or two later.
- You can use whatever you favorite rice from white to basmati.
Hands dow, my favorite go-to recipe! I am doing low carb so I substitute rice cauliflower for the rice. Love this recipe! It takes a bit of work for the prep but totally worth it!
I love this one! I am so glad you enjoyed it!
Oh wow! What a healthy delicious dinner! We loved this! I didn’t use onion, instead, I cooked the red pepper, shredded carrots, and green onion together. I only added 2 tbsp of soy sauce but I think 3 would have been good too. Love the brown rice! Definitely making this again!
So glad you enjoyed these! It is one of my favorite lettuce wrap recipes that I make. Thanks for sharing your modifications.
This recipe tastes fantastic! I did not have red pepper but it was still great. It did not say to drain the turkey after cooking but I did . This was easy and I loved iit!
So glad you liked it! Thanks for letting me know.
Did you change this recipe? Can you link the original one please? It was so easy, with less ingredients and my family really liked it!
Sorry about that – I accidentally updated the recipe when I was meaning to do that to a different one. It should be close to what it was before. The only difference is the rice vinegar which isn’t an ingredients you absolutely have to use.
What a great idea for a healthy meal. I must admit that I do like PF Changs lettuce wraps but I also like Thai flavors so I need to make yours asap.
Thanks! Yes PF Changes are so good. Give these a try–I think you will like them!
Do you think sesame oil would be a good substitute in this dish instead of using olive oil?
I absolutely think it would. Just be careful about the heat point on it and how much you use. I think Sesame Oil can have a strong taste.
Found this recipe because I was looking for a way to use up some leftover onion, ginger, green onion, cilantro, lime, peanuts, and shredded carrot. This recipe was perfect! I had frozen turkey in the freezer and I only had to buy the red chili garlic sauce for this recipe! I’ll be eating this all week for dinner. Thanks for such a great recipe!
Sounds like a great way to use up those leftovers. I am so glad you liked them. They are one of my favorites to make!
I made this tonight and it was a hit! I followed the recipe pretty closely. I subbed white rice because it’s what I had and left out the carrots because I didn’t have any. The flavor was fantastic and the whole dish was so quick and easy to make. This is going in the regular rotation. Thanks!
I am so glad you liked it! Thanks for letting me know. This is on regular rotation at my house!
Totally agree with the 80/20 rule! It’s the easiest way for me to live a healthy lifestyle. These lettuce wraps are PERFECT!
Hi Julia, thanks for sharing this. My girls and I Love lettuce wraps. I make them a couple times a month – I normally have to make a double batch because they go so fast but I have to say they are not very filling. I love your idea of adding brown rice right into the mix…that should help them be more filling. Your choice of spices sounds zesty and yummy too. Can’t wait to try!
So glad you guys like lettuce wraps too! They are a favorite around here. The brown rice is a nice addition-hope you give it a try!