Name: Asian Lettuce Wraps
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons oyster sauce; 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce; 1½ tablespoons rice wine vinegar; 2 teaspoons sesame oil; 1 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce ((optional)); 1 tablespoon cooking oil ((I used avocado oil)); 1 pound ground turkey ((substitute with ground beef, pork, chicken, or tofu)); 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 green onion, chopped; 1 head iceberg lettuce, leaves separated ((substitute with butter or Bibb lettuce)); shredded carrots; diced cucumbers; green onions; pickled ginger; fried wontons; peanuts or cashews; bean sprouts; rice noodles; sesame seeds; Sriracha; extra hoisin

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This Asian lettuce wraps recipe is perfect for a healthy appetizer or weeknight meal. Best of all, I’ll show you how to make lettuce wraps in 20 minutes or less! This recipe is incredibly versatile, and you can customize them in so many different ways. You’ll want to make these easy lettuce wraps every night!

These Asian lettuce wraps are always a hit in my house, and they are so simple to put together. It also makes for a fun appetizer or party food. You could set up a lettuce wrap bar and let people assemble their own. I love DIY food!

Toppings for Asian Lettuce Wraps

I really enjoy setting out different toppings so people can assemble their own lettuce wraps. Here are just a few ideas for toppings:

shredded carrots
diced cucumbers
green onions
pickled ginger
fried wontons
peanuts or cashews
bean sprouts
rice noodles
sesame seeds
Sriracha sauce
extra hoisin sauce

What Type of Lettuce to Use

Since you’re eating lettuce wraps with your hands, you want to use lettuce with large leaves to hold the meat filling. Here, I just used iceberg lettuce which added a refreshing crunch. Butter or Bibb lettuce has large leaves that are also great for holding the filling. Whatever you decide to use, just be sure to buy a whole head of lettuce with leaves that will easily peel off for serving.

What Type of Meat to Use

I use ground turkey for this recipe because it’s easy to find and I always have it on hand. I usually keep a pack in the freezer to use for many different recipes, including this one. You could also substitute ground beef, pork, or chicken here. If you want it to be vegetarian, try crumbling some tofu with chopped vegetables like carrots and onions.

The Sauce

The main flavor of the sauce for the meat filling is hoisin sauce. It’s a thick, fragrant, slightly sweet sauce made with fermented soybean paste. In addition to putting it in the meat mixture, I also serve some on the side to add extra sauce on top of the lettuce wraps. We love hoisin sauce in our house, especially my husband. In fact, there are two open bottles mysteriously sitting in my fridge as I write this. I guess we just wanted to make sure we never run out.

If you don’t have hoisin sauce, you can try substituting soy sauce with brown sugar or even some teriyaki sauce. It will be a different flavor but still delicious!

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