These sweet chili turkey lettuce wraps are the ultimate slow cooker meal. This easy, toss-and-go dish is a must-make treat filled with ground turkey, veggies, and delicious spices!
Looking for an easy, healthy slow cooker meal? You have come to the right place! This simple recipe for healthy lettuce wraps is easy to make and so incredibly delicious!
This toss-and-go dinner recipe is made with lean ground turkey and fresh veggies. The yummy flavor is sweet with a hint of spice. The heat can be easily dialed or down up making it a perfect, healthier option for the whole family. Even your pickiest eaters!
The best part is that, unlike some other ground turkey recipes, this does not require any advanced browning. All ingredients, including the ground turkey, get tossed into your slow cooker as-is. This makes it perfect for busy weeknights!
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📝Shopping list
To make this delicious, healthy meal you will need these simple ingredients:
- ground turkey - fat-free works best with this recipe
- carrots and celery - finely diced or shredded
- sweet chili sauce - for some sweet heat
- lime juice - for a touch of tart flavor
- sesame oil - for added flavor and moisture
- ginger - minced or crushed
- garlic powder
- lettuce leaves - large enough to wrap all the yummy turkey in
- garnish - sriracha, sesame seeds, and a fresh lime wedge are a great place to start
🚀Jump to recipe card for exact quantities and other details
What is the best lettuce to use for a wrap?
Naturally cup-shaped, larger lettuce leaves make for the best wraps. A few top choices are:
- Romaine - Romaine lettuce has long leaves with a strong center making it pliable but crunchy with a nice mild flavor. Romaine hearts, the smaller inner leaves of the lettuce, are sweeter and crunchy. Perfect for smaller wraps!
- Iceberg - iceberg leaves are round shaped and can hold more ground turkey. They have a mild flavor with just the right amount of crunch!
- Butter - this cup-shaped lettuce is very soft and slightly sweet. A delicious and refreshing option.
- Radicchio - this reddish-purplish lettuce has a more bitter flavor than the others. The round shape makes it perfect for smaller turkey lettuce cups.
🔪How to make it
Prepare your slow cooker by coating it with a non-stick agent of some sort. You can use a nonstick cooking spray or oil of choice.
NOTE: Some slow cookers come with a nonstick surface. They often still recommend using a nonstick agent, but suggest using an oil rather than a spray.
Alternatively, you can choose to use a slow cooker liner.
Add ingredients
Add all ingredients on the list, other than lettuce and garnishes to your greased or lined slow cooker. Use a spoon or spatula to break up the uncooked, ground turkey.
Be careful not to mix it up too much. Overworked ground turkey can become mushy.
Cooking time
Cook your sweet chili turkey lettuce wraps filling on low until the turkey is cooked through. Turkey is safe to eat once it reaches 165℉. This generally takes me about 3-4 hours on the low heat setting.
If you are crunched for time, you can cook this dish on high heat for 1.5 - 2 hours. Turkey can go from cooked to overcooked more quickly this way. Therefore, it is important to keep a closer eye on it the first time you try it out.
🍽Serving suggestions
Spoon cooked turkey mixture into lettuce wraps. Now, it is time to top with some yummy garnishes! Some delicious toppings for your Asian lettuce wraps are:
- Sriracha sauce
- Sesame seeds
- Carrot matchsticks
- Diced red onion
- Sliced green onions
- Diced bell peppers
- Diced water chestnuts
- Crushed crunchy peanuts
These wraps are great served with extra soy sauce, sweet Thai chili sauce, or hoisin sauce for dipping.
If you would rather not wrap this delicious turkey in lettuce, it is amazing served over rice or riced cauliflower. Alternatively, try spooning mixture into halved red peppers for a different and deliciously crunchy dish.
🔁Substitutions
If you aren't a fan of turkey, use ground chicken in its place.
Some other great slow cooker lettuce wrap dishes include beef lettuce wraps and Asian chicken lettuce wraps.
Storing leftovers
Store leftovers of these Thai turkey lettuce wraps in an airtight container or zip top bag. They will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator or about 3 months in the freezer.
Note: Do not store leftovers wrapped in lettuce. The lettuce leaves will quickly become soggy.
If you love this recipe, please let me know in the comment section below!
😉Hints & hacks
- Using a slow cooker liner is an optional step. I like to purchase my liners in bulk for a less expensive per-piece price
- Use a meat thermometer for confirmation that turkey is safe to eat. According to the FDA, turkey is ready to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F
- This sweet chili turkey lettuce wraps recipe is perfect to double for a crowd. Just double all ingredients in the same proportions. Do not change the cooking time.
- In the market for a new slow cooker? I love mine!
- Always double check to make sure your slow cooker is on and plugged in!!! Coming home to a cold slow cooker is the worst feeling ever!
❓❔❓FAQ
A: No! This is a true dump-and-go recipe that does not require you to cook anything in advance. However, please note the the recipe assumes the use of fat-free turkey. If using ground turkey with a higher fat percentage, you may want to brown in a large skillet first. Drain the excess, liquid fat after cooking before adding to your slow cooker.
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📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Sweet Chili Turkey Lettuce Wraps
Equipment
- cutting board and knife
- measuring cups and spoons
- non-stick cooking spray
Ingredients
- 1 - 1½ lbs ground turkey extra lean or fat free
- ½ cup carrots shredded or diced
- 1 cup celery diced
- 1 cup sweet chili sauce
- 2 tablespoon lime juice or the juice of one lime
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoon ginger minced or crushed
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Romain or butter lettuce for serving
- sriracha, sesame seeds and fresh lime for garnish
Instructions
- spray or coat your slow cooker with a non-stick agent
- add ground turkey into your greased slow cooker and use a spatula to break it up a bit. Do not fully break it apart as it can become mushy if it is stirred too much1 - 1½ lbs ground turkey
- add remaining ingredients into slow cooker (except lettuce) and stir gently to combine
- cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours, until turkey is fully cooked
- once cooked, use a spatula or spoon to further break apart any remaining turkey clumps and fully stir all ingredients together
- serve in lettuce leaves and top with sriracha (if you want more heat), sesame seeds and a squeeze of lime.sriracha, sesame seeds and fresh lime
Notes
Nutrition
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