If you’re a big sandwich or wrap eater and you’re looking to cut carbs, lettuce wraps will probably be the first thing you turn to. There are so many great fillings that can complement a crispy lettuce leaf, and the versatility of lettuce wraps are always surprising.
Want to give it a shot yourself? Here are 15 recipes to try, featuring everything from Asian chicken lettuce wraps to ground turkey specialties.
What Is the Best Lettuce for Lettuce Wraps?
Before you dive into your lettuce-filled kitchen, you probably want to know what you should be using when you assemble the lettuce wraps.
Romaine Lettuce: Our good friend Romaine is probably the king here, offering a sturdy base that most other lettuces can’t compete with. If you're using a lot of heavy or large ingredients, this is probably the lettuce you want to use. That said, Romaine isn’t the softest or most malleable lettuce, so keep that in mind if you’re trying to make a fully enclosed wrap.
Butter Lettuce: Butter lettuce tastes great and is soft and flexible, so it’s easy to wrap around your fillings. Unfortunately, because it’s so soft, you’re gonna lose a lot of the crunch that lettuce was designed to bring.
Iceberg Lettuce: Iceberg will work. Since its consistency is somewhere in between Romaine and butter lettuce, you can fold it around whatever you need. You’ll probably need a few lettuce leaves overlapping to pull this off, though. Looking at you, In-N-Out.
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1. Spicy Tuna Poke Lettuce Wraps
Obviously, this hinges on your ability to acquire fresh, raw tuna (oh, and don't even worry about the sushi-grade label). The rest is easy, so if you know where to get the tuna, this will be something you come back to again and again.
Related:40 Cheap and Easy One-Pot Meals
2. Greek Gyro-Style Lettuce Wraps
Lettuce wraps may not close all the way around its innards as well as a tortilla, but neither does pita most of the time. Lean into that, and go Greek.
Recipe:Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
3. P.F. Chang’s Lettuce Wraps
Perhaps the most sought-after Asian lettuce wrap recipe is the infamous P.F. Chang’s dish. As far as I’m aware, this is the sole reason why people go to Chang’s anymore.
It’s incredibly easy to make at home. All you need is ground chicken, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, water chestnuts, soy sauce, and a few other kitchen staples.
Recipe:Damn Delicious
4. Carnitas Lettuce Wraps
If you think about it, a small lettuce cup isn’t that much of a different shape than a tiny corn tortilla. Give them the taco treatment with this tasty carnitas recipe, and don’t forget onions and cilantro.
Recipe:The Endless Meal
5. Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps
One of the best parts of any good Korean meal is scooping up that umami-bombed beef into a lettuce cup. Make sure you’ve got plenty of soybean paste to top it off.
Recipe:Cooking For My Soul
6. Philly Cheesesteak Lettuce Wraps
Who says a messy sandwich can’t be eaten in lettuce cup form? Cheese this wrap up as much as you desire, but I’d recommend sturdy lettuce for this one.
Recipe:Delish
7. Thai Peanut Turkey Lettuce Wraps
Lime juice-soaked salads of ground meat are common in Thailand, making these Thai peanut-sauce lettuce cups perfect for ground turkey. You might find yourself fixing up that peanut sauce over and over again.
Recipe:Taste of Home
8. Buffalo Shrimp Lettuce Wraps
Chicken and cauliflower aren’t the only vessels suited for Buffalo flavors. Grill up some shrimp, toss them with Buffalo sauce in a small bowl, and add whatever fixin's you like. Celery and dash of ranch dressing seem mandatory.
Recipe:Skinny Taste
9. Crispy Tofu Lettuce Wraps With Peanut Sauce
For a vegan option, crispy baked tofu is a winner every time. That zippy peanut sauce is a great opportunity to use up any peanut butter you’ve been looking to get rid of.
Recipe:Minimalist Baker
10. Chicken Bacon Ranch Lettuce Wraps
You’re not reinventing the wheel, but bacon’s shape and fragility make for a perfect lettuce wrap ingredient. If you’ve got goopy ranch dressing seeping out, you probably want to use lettuce without any holes in it.
Recipe:Life in the Lofthouse
11. Hibachi Steak Lettuce Wraps
Bring the Benihana experience home and whip up some hibachi-style steak. All you need is a large skillet, and, if necessary, you can swap out ground beef for the sirloin steak. Fried rice on the side is a fun addition, though it kind of ruins the whole no-carb thing.
Recipe:Blackberry Babe
12. Sweet and Spicy Pork Lettuce Wraps
Pork is a terrific complement to a lot of Asian lettuce wraps, and if you can nail the sweet-spicy balance, these things are winners. Top with lots of fresh green onion.
Recipe:What Molly Made
13. Teriyaki Salmon Lettuce Wraps
All you really need for a good salmon lettuce wrap is an air fryer, some everything bagel seasoning, and coconut aminos, but this recipe kicks it up to a mouth-watering level.
Recipe:Our Salty Kitchen
14. Shrimp Salad Lettuce Wraps with Avocado
Shrimp salad is a dish that has roots all over the world, but this recipe seems like its main inspiration is deviled eggs, judging from the mayo and paprika. No complaints here.
Recipe:Braised and Deglazed
15. Chicken Club Lettuce Wraps
Most classic sandwiches have a place in the lettuce wrap world, but the chicken club might be one of the most suited. With proper chicken and good bacon, you can have salt, fat, acid, and heat in every bite. Can’t get better than that.
Recipe:Yellow Bliss Road