Turkey Lettuce Wraps, an Asian Classic With a Twist

You can change up the recipe further to customize your favorite filling. Dreamstime/TNS

When I am in the mood for an Asian meal, I will often make lettuce wraps since they’re easy to put together. If you make sure all the ingredients are prepped and ready to cook, these can be made in a few minutes.

I have changed up the classic recipe with ground turkey instead of chicken and added my own touch of crunchy water chestnuts and sugar snap peas. You could also add other crunchy veggies like diced carrots or cauliflower. The turkey is first flavored with soy sauce, sesame oil and vinegar and further enriched with hoisin sauce.

Frying the rice stick noodles takes extra time and can be eliminated if you are in a hurry. It also will lower the calories. Sometimes you can find them already fried in the Asian section of your market. However, the turkey filling still has excellent texture and flavor without the noodles.

Sometimes I will use different types of lettuce, like baby gems that will make smaller lettuce wraps, or light green romaine leaves.

These ground turkey lettuce wraps are incredibly delicious for a luncheon or as a starter for dinner. As a main course you will probably want 2 or 3 of these per person. You can serve these on a platter already stuffed with a scattering of the rice noodles on top of each wrap, or you can serve it family style, with a bowl of the filling and a platter of lettuce leaves. Don’t forget to put out a small bowl of hoisin sauce to drizzle over the lettuce wraps.

Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Makes 6 to 8 lettuce wraps

For the filling:

• 1 pound lean turkey
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 cups peanut oil
• 1 ounce rice stick noodles
• 1 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and very finely chopped
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1 cup water chestnuts, rinsed and drained, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup bite-size pieces sugar snap peas, optional

For the sauce:

• 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

For serving:

• 1 head iceberg lettuce, leaves separated into 6-8 individual, depending on the size of each leaf
• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce

1. In a medium bowl combine the turkey with the soy sauce, vinegar and sesame oil. Set aside.

2. In a wok over high heat, add the peanut oil and heat until smoking or 425 F. Add the rice stick noodles and fry for 5 seconds on one side, or until just barely golden. Turn over with a spatula or strainer and cook briefly on the other side.

3. Remove the noodles with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Let the oil cool and then remove to a heatproof container and reserve for another use. Meanwhile, in a small bowl assemble the ingredients for the sauce, stir to blend and set aside.

4. Return the wok to high heat and add 3 tablespoons of the reserved peanut oil. When the oil is hot but not quite smoking add the turkey and toss every 15 to 20 seconds for 1 to 2 minutes or until no pinkness remains, breaking it up as you toss. When cooked, push all the turkey up the side of the wok and out of the way and then add the red pepper, scallions, ginger, water chestnuts and sugar snap peas and toss for 1 minute. Add the reserved sauce ingredients and toss every 10 to 15 seconds with the turkey and vegetable mixture until well blended and slightly thickened, about 1 minute.

5. Turn off the heat and add the fried noodles, reserving a few for garnish, mixing well with the turkey mixture. Arrange the lettuce on a platter or on individual plates and mound with an equal quantity of the turkey mixture. Serve with hoisin sauce immediately.

Recipe note: If you are using smaller lettuce leaves, you will have more lettuce wraps.

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