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Take a break from heavy takeout rice and noodles. As delicious as asian takeout may be, chances are it doesn’t fit into your New Year’s resolution diet. Instead, try these flavorful and low carb asian turkey lettuce wraps. Full of flavor with none of the guilt, every day feels like a cheat day!
I LOVEEEE asian takeout, and crave it probably 2-3 times a week. But starting 2021 off on the right foot means no eating out for me. Luckily this recipe saved the day for me. I can satisfy all my cravings for delicious sticky, sweet, savory meat, with none of the guilt or shameful next day scale adventures.
Asian Ground Turkey
Now I do not know much about asian cuisine, but I know the cornerstone of quintessential Asian flavors include soy, garlic, and ginger. That, plus a some crisp veggies and a great protein equals a great meal! For this recipe, I decided to use ground turkey, although chicken works just as well. Turkey is leaner than beef, with less fat and cholesterol, making it a great protein for diets, or even just trying to eat lighter.
To begin, heat about 2 tbsp of vegetable or sesame oil in a wide shallow pan over medium high heat.This recipe (and any stir fry asian dish) works great in a wok, especially due to the high heat needed for quick cooking, but if you don’t have one, a heavy bottomed skillet or cast iron pan.
To the pan, add in 1 pound of ground turkey and cook about 3-4 minutes, or until mostly cooked through, but still pink. Break it up with a wooden spoon as you cook. Next, add in:
- 1 small onion, diced
- 8oz baby bella or button mushrooms, diced
- 8oz water chestnuts, drained and diced
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
Cook the meat and veggies another 3-4 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through and the veggies are slightly tender. Add in 2 cloves of minced garlic and 1/2 inch of grated ginger. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, stirring constantly. At this point, you may feel inclined to add salt and pepper, but don’t! The sauce will be full of sodium, so hold off on seasoning until the very end, if needed.
Asian Lettuce Wrap Sauce
While your turkey is cooking, in between stirring, make your sauce. It requires a few ingredients, but if you make asian food a lot at home, these are all great staples to have in the pantry. Whisk together:
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 2-3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 3 tsp brown sugar (or Swerve to keep it more keto-friendly)
- 2 tsp sriracha
- 2 tsp garlic chili sauce/sambal
Pour this sauce over the turkey mixture and crank the heat up to bring the sauce to a simmer. Let the sauce reduce by half until thick and sticky. Scoop the meat into individual whole lettuce leaves (bibb, romaine, and iceberg work well for this). Garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds and serve!
Want More Low Carb Recipes?
- Bacon And Veggie Egg Muffins
- Avocado California Chicken
- Spaghetti Squash Chicken Alfredo With Broccoli And Shrimp
- Chicken Caprese Salad With Avocado
- Italian Roasted Vegetables
Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable or sesame oil
- 1 lb ground turkey or chicken
- 1 small white onion chopped
- 8 oz baby bella or button mushrooms diced
- 8 oz water chestnuts drained and minced
- ½ cup shredded carrot
- ½ inch ginger grated
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 head romaine, bibb, or iceberg lettuce separated into individual leaves
- green onion, white and black sesame seeds for garnish
Sauce
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
- 2-3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tbsp chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar or white vinegar
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 3 tsp brown sugar or honey
- 2 tsp sriracha
- 2 tsp garlic chili sauce or sambal
Instructions
- In a hot wok or skillet, heat oil. Add ground turkey and cook for 3-4 minutes, until almost cooked through
- Add in onions, mushrooms, water chestnuts and carrots. Cook another 3-4 minutes until meat is cooked through and veggies are slightly tender.
- Mix in garlic and ginger, cooking 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Combine all ingredients for sauce in a bowl and pour over turkey. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, until the liquid has reduced by half and is thick and slightly sticky.
- Scoop the turkey mixture into lettuce leaves and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
