Lettuce wraps have gotten increasingly popular as a healthy alternative to bread. Why place all your food in a carb-heavy bunch when a crunchy leaf of lettuce adds texture, style and health benefits in its place? Here are 15 great lettuce wrap recipes to get you started aboard the hype train.
Chipotle Shrimp Lettuce Wraps
Chipotle shrimp lettuce wraps offer a variety of fresh ingredients that provides tons of flavor along with numerous health benefits. The recipe requires you to make a shrimp mix before assembling the rest of the ingredients, but the end result is well worth the effort. :
Artichoke And Beef Lettuce Wraps
Artichoke and beef lettuce wraps are packed with a diverse set of ingredients that offer different flavors — the deli meat roast beef, capers and parmesan add a nice touch of saltiness, the artichoke hearts and chickpeas give the dish a crunchier texture and the lemon juice adds a nice acidity that perfectly compliments the zucchini and basil. The great thing about these wraps is that no cooking is required — simply combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl, toss the mix and place the mixture onto the lettuce leaves.
Tuna Avocado Lettuce Wraps
This recipe for tuna avocado lettuce wraps will get you the all protein you need in your diet and then some. Two hard-boiled eggs mashed up with some tuna make for a very heavy filling, while the diced avocados and olive oil also load up the dish with some healthy fats. To top it off, the smoked paprika, cayenne pepper and white pepper add a spicy kick to the seafood dish, making it a delicious treat for anyone who likes food with a little heat.
Taco Lettuce Wraps
This is a classic taco recipe, but instead of using a tortilla shell, replace it with large lettuce leaves. A pound of ground beef seasoned with traditional taco seasonings such as chili powder, cayenne pepper and salt, some diced tomatoes and shredded cheese make for an incredibly simple but undeniably tasty dish. To complete the tacos, top them off with some sour cream and a salsa of your choice.
Sweet and Sour Pork Lettuce Wraps
A common Chinese cuisine, sweet and sour pork packs a diverse set of flavors that go well with the neutral crunch of lettuce leaves. One pound of ground pork cooked with garlic, onions, honey, Asian fish sauce, sesame oil and lime juice creates a very juicy pork mix with a slight kick. After cooking down the pork, add some lime zest, salt and pepper to taste before portioning the pork into the lettuce wraps.
Lettuce Wraps with Hoisin-Peanut Sauce
This Asian-inspired recipe is great for vegetarians, and the mixed-in rice makes this dish a very filling lettuce wrap. A simple peanut sauce made from peanut butter, sesame oil, shallots, crushed red pepper and hoisin sauce combines with a tofu mixture of cucumber, carrots, ginger and green onions, as well as other spices to make this not only a dish with a diverse flavor palette, but one that’s full of nutrient-rich vegetables and other ingredients.
Chicken Salad Wrap
A simple and delicious recipe that, once you’ve cooked the chicken, just requires a little extra chopping and a quick assembly of all the ingredients. The mayonnaise and peanut butter add a nice moisture throughout the mix, while the apples, grapes and honey give it a nice touch of sweetness. If you think you want a little more flavor, salt and pepper the mixture to taste. The preparation for this recipes takes 15 minutes, so it’s perfect for those on a tight schedule or in a rush.
Spicy Thai Basil Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Another Asian-inspired dish, spicy Thai basil chicken requires cooking a pound of ground chicken with shallots, red bell peppers and garlic. After the chicken is cooked, create a flavorful Thai sauce that includes serrano chili peppers, fish sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce, lime juice and basil leaves. Add salt and pepper to taste, scoop the filling into some lettuce leaves and serve the wraps with lime wedges.
Veggie Lettuce Wraps
Loading up lettuce with a veggie mix is a vegetarian’s dream food. This recipe yields a mix of edamame, asparagus, tofu, shiitake mushrooms, red bell peppers and green onions. It’s cooked with garlic, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce and rice vinegar that gives the dish a nice kick of flavor without overloading on salt. A quarter cup of crunchy peanuts helps add some texture to the vegetable mix as well. If you’re looking to get a nice helping of a wide variety of veggies, this recipe is for you.
Mango and Zucchini Lettuce Wraps
A sweeter dish, the mango and zucchini lettuce wraps combine sliced mangoes with an array of sliced vegetables such as zucchini, radishes, scallions and red peppers, with some edamame and fresh mint to top it off. Mix these veggies with soy sauce, rice vinegar, fresh ginger, sesame oil and honey, and you’ll have yourself a sweet blend of vegetables with a nice Asian-style kick.
Barbeque Chicken Kale Wraps
This recipe calls for kale to be used in lieu of romaine lettuce. A chicken mix made from barbecue sauce, rice vinegar, cajun seasoning and salt combines well with chopped red cabbage, shredded carrots and chopped green scallions to give a smokey dish with a little bit of kick that’s perfect for your next barbecue.
Spicy Steak Lettuce Wraps
Spicy steak lettuce wraps are a tasty, spicy dish. Place your cut of steak in a Ziploc bag with brown sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, grated shallots, chili paste, ginger and sesame oil. Give the bag a good shake and let the steak sit for one hour in the fridge. When it’s time to cook, place a skillet over medium-high heat with some oil and sear your steak for one minute on each side.
Cut your steak and portion it evenly amongst all your lettuce leaves, then top the steak with chopped cucumbers, chopped onions, chopped carrots and some cilantro for a fresh and zesty steak wrap.
Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps
If you’re one who likes your food super spicy, this is the recipe for you. On a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat hot sauce and honey before adding cooked shredded chicken and salt to taste. Stir the chicken until it’s completely coated in the sauce before removing from the heat and portioning the chicken into the lettuce wraps. Then, top it off with some blue cheese, ranch dressing and chives. It’s not the healthiest of options, but the flavor is undeniably good.
BLAT Lettuce Wraps
Bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato are the main ingredients in this recipe. Shred 12 ounces of cooked chicken breast into a bowl and combine with vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Portion the chicken into each lettuce leave and then top them off with diced avocado, bacon bits, diced tomatoes and some cilantro.
Black Bean And Corn Lettuce Wraps
A protein-heavy dish for vegetarians, black bean and corn lettuce wraps get you plenty of healthy nutrients while also being very easy to make — simply combine all the ingredients into a bowl, mix and season to taste, then serve on lettuce leaves. A great choice for those who want something healthy but just don’t have the time to prepare something extensive.
