In China, I once had this dish of stir-fried vegetables and ground pork combined in a tasty mix and served with freshly steamed buns. You take the tasty filling and eat it with the bread, making for a delicious combination. This turkey lettuce cups recipe is a healthier alternative, using ground turkey and lettuce cups.
The addition of avocado just makes it even better. Avocado always makes everything better. You can use iceberg, romaine, or any kind of lettuce that’s strong enough to hold up to a filling.
The best part of this Asian turkey lettuce cups recipe is that you can substitute whatever meat you like, or leave it out and just have the tofu. Feel free to change the ingredients to your liking. That’s the great thing here. You can use whatever you have and just make it work.
Recipe Instructions
Start by prepping your veggies. Take out the edamame, corn, and chopped carrot.
Dice the onion…
And mince up the garlic and ginger…
Then heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for a minute until fragrant.
Then add the ground turkey and cook for a few minutes until it’s browned.
Take the turkey out of the pan and add another tablespoon of oil. Add the firm tofu. See? These little vehicles of flavor won’t bite. Take the plunge! Tofu is your friendddd…
Turn up the heat to high and break up the tofu into small pieces. Cook until all the liquid evaporates and the tofu starts to get some color, about 10 minutes. Make sure to stir it occasionally to prevent burning.
Add the carrot, corn, edamame, and onion. Stir everything together and cook until the vegetables start to go tender, about five minutes.
Add the turkey back to the pan. If I haven’t mentioned it already (and if I have, then I’m a-sayin’ it again!), you can use whatever ground meat you like here. Beef, chicken, pork, lamb…whatever strikes your fancy.
Add the sesame oil, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and Chinese black vinegar. Cook down until most of the liquid is reduced and the veggies, tofu, and turkey are a rich, dark color.
Add the crushed red pepper flake and cook for another minute.
Take your lettuce leaves and put them on a plate. Spoon some of the mixture into each lettuce cup. Garnish with a slice of avocado and a sprinkling of chopped peanuts and sesame seeds. Just put all the fixin’s out on the table and let everyone assemble their own.
These Asian turkey lettuce cups are a healthy, low-carb (for you low-carbers out there), quick meal! Done and done.
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Recipe
Asian Turkey Lettuce Cups with Avocado
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon ginger (very finely minced)
- ½ pound ground turkey (225g)
- 1 pound firm tofu (450g)
- 1 carrot (diced)
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup edamame (if you can’t find this, you can also substitute frozen peas)
- 1 small onion (diced)
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 3 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons Chinese black vinegar
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Iceberg or romaine lettuce leaves
- 1 avocado
- 2 tablespoons chopped roasted unsalted peanuts
- Sesame seeds (for garnish)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for a minute until fragrant. Then add the ground turkey and cook for a few minutes until it’s browned.
- Take the turkey out of the pan and add another tablespoon of oil. Add the tofu. Turn up the heat to high and break up the tofu into small pieces. Cook until all the liquid evaporates and the tofu starts to get some color, about 10 minutes. Make sure to stir it occasionally to prevent burning.
- Add the carrot, corn, edamame, and onion. Stir everything together and cook until the vegetables start to go tender, about five minutes. Add the turkey back to the pan.
- Add the sesame oil, the 2 kinds of soy sauce, and vinegar, and cook down until most of the liquid is reduced and the veggies, tofu, and turkey are a rich, dark color. Add the crushed red pepper flake and cook for another minute.
- Take your lettuce leaves and put them on a plate. Spoon some of the mixture into each lettuce cup. Garnish with a slice of avocado and a sprinkling of chopped peanuts and sesame seeds. Fold up each lettuce cup kind of like a taco and enjoy!
