American
Turkey Lettuce Wraps
Ground turkey, garlic, and tamari cook into a savory filling for lettuce cups. A teaspoon of honey is in the pan, not a sticky glaze that takes over.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 22 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy

Why you’ll love it
- Lettuce instead of a bun.
- Turkey is the protein.
- Tamari and a teaspoon of honey are the sauce.
- It is a lower-carb plate without tasting bare.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Cook the turkey and salt in the olive oil, breaking it up, until no pink remains and it is 165°F, about 6 minutes.
- 2
Add the garlic and carrot. Stir 1 minute.
- 3
Add the tamari and honey. Cook 1 minute, until the pan looks glossy, not watery.
- 4
Turn off the heat. Stir in the sesame oil and scallions.
- 5
Spoon into lettuce leaves.
- 6
Serve right away so the lettuce stays crisp.
Pro tips
- Tamari keeps this gluten-free. Regular soy sauce would not.
- Pull the turkey when it is just cooked. It dries if you keep chopping it in a hot pan.
- Dry the lettuce or the cups collapse.
Easy substitutions
- Ground turkey
- Ground chicken, cooked to 165°F
- Tamari
- Coconut aminos
- Butter lettuce
- Romaine leaves
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate the filling up to 3 days. Keep the lettuce separate.
Reheating
Warm the filling in a skillet. Use fresh leaves.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 220
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
Moderate · Stovetop · Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Lower-Carb
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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