These lettuce wraps are my new favorite because they rely on a sweet lime dressing with cilantro and mint rather than soy sauce for the flavor. I love the fresh taste and simple preparation. I love that kids love them. My seven year old daughter who loves lettuce wraps most also has the strongest distaste for salad. She fights me every night there is a piece of lettuce on her plate with dressing and tomatoes, but she gobbles these up. We had a friend over for a few days who is known for his picky eating and who has survived the week at my house on pancakes. I served him a lettuce wrap thinking it would be thrown in the garbage, but he ate it all gone and came back and scraped the pan for seconds. So, if you are looking for a delicious recipe for yourself or a way to open up your children’s horizons a bit, this recipe is a great place to start.
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, minched
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey or chicken
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
12 butter lettuce leaves, separated, washed and dried
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Fry the ginger and garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds to one minute. Add the ground turkey and continue to stir until the meat is cooked through, about seven minutes. Remove from heat and add the onion, brown sugar, cilantro, mint, lime juice, fish sauce, olive oil, sesame oil and jalapeño. Stir until combined. Place about 3 tablespoons of the meat mixture into each lettuce wrap and serve. My kids like it best with jasmine rice on the lettuce wrap. I like the rice on the side.
- 1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, minched
- 1¼ pounds ground turkey or chicken
- ½ cup thinly sliced green onions
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
- 1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
- 12 butter lettuce leaves, separated, washed and dried
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Fry the ginger and garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds to one minute. Add the ground turkey and continue to stir until the meat is cooked through, about seven minutes. Remove from heat and add the onion, brown sugar, cilantro, mint, lime juice, fish sauce, olive oil, sesame oil and jalapeño. Stir until combined. Place about 3 tablespoons of the meat mixture into each lettuce wrap and serve. My kids like it best with jasmine rice on the lettuce wrap. I like the rice on the side.
Recipe adapted from My Recipes.