Summer Body Turkey Lettuce Wraps (Printable)

Light, fresh turkey wraps paired with colorful crunchy veggie sticks for a satisfying summer meal.

# Components:

→ Turkey Filling

01 - 1.1 lbs lean ground turkey
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 1 small red onion, finely chopped
05 - 1 medium carrot, finely grated
06 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
07 - 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
08 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
09 - 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
10 - 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
11 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
12 - 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes, optional
13 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

→ Lettuce Wraps

14 - 1 large head butter lettuce or iceberg lettuce, leaves separated, washed, and dried

→ Crunchy Veggie Sticks

15 - 2 small carrots, cut into sticks
16 - 1 small cucumber, cut into sticks
17 - 1 red bell pepper, cut into sticks
18 - 1 celery stalk, cut into sticks

→ Garnishes

19 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, optional
20 - 2 green onions, sliced, optional
21 - Lime wedges, optional

# Method:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and chopped red onion, sautéing for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and softened.
02 - Add ground turkey and cook, breaking it apart with a spatula, until no longer pink, approximately 5 minutes.
03 - Stir in grated carrot, diced bell pepper, fresh ginger, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, black pepper, and chili flakes. Cook for 3-4 minutes, allowing flavors to meld and vegetables to soften slightly.
04 - Remove from heat and stir in freshly chopped cilantro.
05 - Lay lettuce leaves on a serving platter. Spoon turkey mixture evenly into each leaf.
06 - Sprinkle wraps with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve with lime wedges on the side and arrange veggie sticks on a separate plate for a complete, refreshing meal.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes indulgent while being genuinely light, with that umami-rich filling that makes you forget you're being virtuous.
  • Everything comes together in thirty minutes, which means you can have dinner on the table faster than you can order takeout.
  • The prep is therapeutic in a strange way, all that dicing and grating feels like cooking meditation.
02 -
  • Pat your lettuce leaves completely dry after washing, otherwise they'll wilt the moment the warm filling touches them and you'll have a mushy situation instead of a satisfying crunch.
  • Don't skip the resting period at the end—letting everything cool just slightly before serving means the lettuce stays crisp and the flavors have actually melded instead of just existing in the same bowl.
03 -
  • Buy your turkey from the butcher counter and ask them to grind it while you wait—it tastes fresher and browns more evenly than anything pre-packaged.
  • Keep your ginger knob in the freezer; frozen ginger grates more easily than fresh and actually releases its flavor more readily once it thaws in the pan.
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