Kona Grill Lettuce Wraps Recipe

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Asian lettuce wraps (copycat recipe) are a simple, light appetizer that are far superior to lettuce wraps from any restaurant in terms of dipping sauces.

Lettuce wraps from Kona Grill ahead of Taste of Liberty

Asian Lettuce Wraps 🔗

Super easy, super flavorful, super fast Asian lettuce wraps that everyone will love! Perfect main dish for busy weeknights or make them as an appetizer for a Chinese take-out style dinner party on the weekend.

Prep: 10min

Total: 20min

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 305 kcal, Carbohydrate 19 g, Protein 23 g, Fat 15 g, Saturated Fat 3 g, Cholesterol 84 mg, Sodium 606 mg, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 8 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

  • 3 tsp olive oil, (divided)
  • 1 lb 93% lean ground turkey or chicken
  • 4 – 5 Tbsp hoisin sauce,* (to taste)
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce, ((low-sodium or regular))
  • 2 tsp sriracha ((optional))
  • 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp honey ((optional))
  • 1 Tbsp minced fresh garlic ((3 cloves))
  • 1 Tbsp peeled and minced fresh ginger
  • 2/3 cup sliced green onions, (white and light green portion, plus more green portion for serving)
  • 1 medium carrot, (peeled and shredded (1/2 cup))
  • 1 (8 oz) can water chestnuts, (drained and chopped small)
  • 1 large head Bibb lettuce or iceberg lettuce

Instruction:

  1. Heat 1 1/2 tsp oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Add turkey or chicken in large crumbles then let cook until slightly browned on bottom, about 3 minutes, then break up and continue to cook until it’s fully cooked through, about 3 minutes longer.
  3. Meanwhile while turkey is cooking in a mixing bowl whisk together hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sriracha, rice vinegar, sesame oil and honey, set aside.
  4. Drain of excess liquid from turkey (if there is any) then push to one far side of pan and pull that side of pan off heat.
  5. Heat remaining 1 1/2 tsp oil in now empty side of skillet.
  6. Add green onions and carrots and saute 1 1/2 minutes. Add in garlic and ginger and saute 30 seconds longer.
  7. Pour in sauce and water chestnuts then cook and toss 30 seconds longer.
  8. Serve warm in lettuce leaves garnished with sliced green onions.

FAQ

What lettuce is best for lettuce wraps?

Pass on floppy, thin, or wilted lettuces in favor of hardy head lettuces with thick ribs on each leaf, such as iceberg, bibb, Boston, and little gem. Each leaf should be deep enough to hold the filling and resilient enough not to wilt with heavy or warm additions.

How do you make lettuce wraps not soggy?

If you want to make this for later, I suggest making it the morning of and then cutting it in half when ready to eat. I don’t suggest making this a day in advance because you run the risk of the lettuce wrap getting soggy. If you’re going to eat it right away, cut in half, pull back foil as you eat, and enjoy.

How do you make the perfect lettuce wrap?

If you have perilla leaves (shown above) that you can lay into the lettuce first, that’s probably the most authentic Korean way to eat ssam. Let’s start with the lettuce. Some will argue that you have to use red leaf lettuce, but I think red leaf, green leaf, romaine, or Bibb lettuce all works.

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