16 Healthy Lettuce Wraps for Low-Carb Lunches

March 21, 2017
Credit: Photo: John Autry
Buns are great for burgers and brats, but when you just need something a little lighter and brighter, fresh lettuce wraps are a delicious option for lunch or dinner. These healthy lettuce wraps recipes are filled with tasty combinations of bright sauces, tender meats, and crispy-crunchy vegetables. Chicken lettuce wraps are classic, but you will really enjoy putting steak, pork, even vegetables between the delicate lettuce leaves.
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Low-Carb Chicken and Cheddar Lettuce Wraps

Credit: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Low-Carb Chicken and Cheddar Lettuce Wraps

This fresh, crunchy wrap sandwich is brimming with vegetables, yet still delivers a satisfying amount of protein thanks to the chicken and cheese. Crisp iceberg lettuce is what keeps this wrap sandwich ultra low in carbs (just 4 grams per serving). The hardest part of this 10-minute recipe is rolling the sandwich, but our parchment paper trick makes it infinitely simpler.

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Thai Turkey Lettuce Cups

Credit: Photo: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Thai Turkey Lettuce Cups

A little sugar balances the vinegar tang in the turkey mixture and helps develop wonderful crispy bits in the pan. Delicate butter lettuce leaves have a nice cup shape for filling; you could also use romaine.

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Korean Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Credit: Photo: Justin Walker
View Recipe: Korean Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Chicken lettuce wraps are an adventurous way to introduce new flavors and cuisines to your table of eaters. They're a lot like tacos—handheld and highly customizable—and often very fast to prepare. For this Korean-inspired version, we let chicken marinate in big-flavor ingredients—gochujang, sesame oil, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Think of gochujang as Korean steak sauce, adding savory depth to the chicken. You can find it at many supermarkets, or substitute equal parts Sriracha and white/yellow miso (soybean paste). The marinated chicken only needs a quick sauté before you pair it with crunchy refreshing toppings like cucumber and green onions and a crisp Bibb lettuce leaf.

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Sweet Potato and Shrimp Cakes with Nuoc Cham

Credit: Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas
View Recipe: Sweet Potato and Shrimp Cakes with Nuoc Cham

We consider this dish a modern Vietnamese cook's interpretation of a classic. If you can find white sweet potatoes, use them—they're drier and less sweet than their orange cousins, but traditional sweet potatoes will work just fine, too. Place the dipping sauce in a bowl surrounded by the lettuce and herbs so guests can build their own lettuce wraps as they like. If your family enjoys crab cakes or salmon cakes, break out this recipe to expand the weeknight menu rotation and give everyone a chance to practice their chopstick skills. This dish cooks from start to finish in only about 30 minutes.

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Slow Cooker Beef Lettuce Wraps with Quick Pickles

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Slow Cooker Beef Lettuce Wraps with Quick Pickles

The low, even heat of the slow cooker helps flavor powerhouses like miso, sesame oil, and soy sauce to impart tenderizing moisture, umami depth, and savory personality to common pot roast.

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Spicy Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Credit: Photo: Peter Frank Edwards
View Recipe: Spicy Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Here's a low-carb twist on a taco: shredded white-meat turkey dressed with sweet-tart cranberry sauce spiced with adobo and chipotle. Tuck it all into tender lettuce leaves. 

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Beef and Lamb Kofta Lettuce Wraps

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Beef and Lamb Kofta Lettuce Wraps

We love the distinct savoriness ground lamb brings to these crunchy wraps, but you can go all ground sirloin for a version that still delivers loads of flavor. Try subbing in a different precooked whole grain, like farro or barley, for the rice to add a textural twist.

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Crispy: Pulled Pork Lettuce Wraps

Credit: Photo: Romulo Yanes
View Recipe: Pulled Pork Lettuce Wraps

Inspired by Momofuku chef David Chang's Korean bo ssäm pork, these deliver crunch and succulence, all in one bite.

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Stir-Fried Tilapia, Dill, and Scallion Lettuce Wraps

Credit: Photo: Brian Kennedy
View Recipe: Stir-Fried Tilapia, Dill, and Scallion Lettuce Wraps

Inspired by the classic Vietnamese dish Cha Ca La Vong, these wraps are a fun way to serve up stir-fry. Swap black cod for tilapia if you prefer a heartier fish.

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Chipotle Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Chipotle Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

English cucumber, red bell pepper, and ripe avocado add fresh flavor to this Mexican-style salad featuring two cups of leftover shrimp mixture.

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Veggie Lettuce Wraps

Credit: Photo: Brie Passano
View Recipe: Veggie Lettuce Wraps

Because of their strength and malleability, Bibb lettuce leaves are some of the best for loaded lettuce wraps. It's worth picking up a couple of heads if you only have iceberg or romaine in your crisper.

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Mu Shu Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Credit: Photo: Brian Woodcock; Styling: Cindy Barr 
View Recipe: Mu Shu Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Lettuce wraps are a fresh alternative to pancakes or tortillas. If you can't find Bibb lettuce, iceberg will work.

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Lettuce Wraps with Hoisin-Peanut Sauce

Credit: Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Lettuce Wraps with Hoisin-Peanut Sauce

If you think of veggies as containers for tasty ingredients, dinner gets more interesting. You'll love these Asian-inspired lettuce wraps with their tangy hoisin-peanut sauce.

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Spicy Steak Lettuce Wraps

Credit: Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Spicy Steak Lettuce Wraps

Give traditional lettuce wraps a kick in the tastebuds with the addition of zesty spiced steak.

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Korean Sesame Beef with Lettuce Wraps

Credit: Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Korean Sesame Beef with Lettuce Wraps

Based on the classic Korean barbecue dish bulgogi, this recipe offers savory-sweet-garlicky beef wrapped in lettuce leave with rice and kimchi.

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Crisp Lamb Lettuce Wraps

Credit: Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Crisp Lamb Lettuce Wraps

Lettuce leaves offer a light, fresh alternative to pita or flatbread. If you can't find red pepper hummus, plain hummus is a welcome substitute.

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Spicy Thai Basil Chicken

Credit: Photo: John Autry
View Recipe: Spicy Thai Basil Chicken

Lettuce wraps make for a fresh burst of crunch and flavor, or spoon the stir-fry over rice. Look for fish sauce in your grocery store's Asian foods section.

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