The 11 best lettuce wrap recipes (2024)

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These 11 recipes for easy lettuce wraps are perfect anytime you need a light and fresh meal. Each wrap is healthy, low-carb, and packed with flavor.

The 11 best lettuce wrap recipes (1)

The 11 best lettuce wrap recipes (2)

The Best Easy Lettuce Wrap Recipes

You won’t miss the bread with these easy lettuce wraps! A great way to make a sandwich, burger or taco fresher, lighter and healthy but still flavorful. They have everything that you love about sandwiches or tortilla wraps, but without the heavy ingredients, gluten or carbs. Fill them with your favorite chicken salad, leftover roast beef, egg salad, cold cuts, ground beef taco meat, or use them in place of buns for burgers.

To help you get started, I’ve put together 11 of my favorite lettuce wrap recipes. They’re all light, quick and easy to make, and most importantly, fantastic tasting!

What is a Lettuce Wrap?

Lettuce wraps are exactly what they sound like: wraps that use lettuce in place of bread or tortillas. It’s that simple! Sometimes the lettuce is rolled up just like a wrap, while other times it’s more like a taco or an open-faced sandwich. You can turn any sandwich, burger or wrap into a lettuce wrap simply by replacing the bread or tortilla with a big piece of lettuce. Just place your filling in the center of a lettuce leaf and roll it up. It’s really that easy!

What’s the Best Lettuce to Use for Lettuce Wraps?

Look for leaves big enough to accommodate the meat, cheese, veggies, and sauce in your tasty wrap. Here are some of my favorite lettuce types for making wraps:

  • Romaine. Romaine is nice and thick, with big leaves. So it’s perfect for holding fillings! It also is a pretty flavorful lettuce, so it adds a nice fresh taste to your wrap.
  • Iceberg. Iceberg lettuce doesn’t have much flavor, but I just love the texture. It has that signature crunch that I can’t get enough of.
  • Butter lettuce leaves. Butter lettuce has a natural bowl shape, so it can hold a lot of ingredients. Sometimes the leaves are big enough to roll up, but usually, butter lettuce is best for a taco-style wrap.
  • Endive. Endive leaves aren’t as big as the other lettuces on this list. But they have an awesome canoe shape that’s perfect for holding ingredients!

11 Quick and Easy Lettuce Wrap Recipes to Try:

All of these recipes are packed with healthy and fresh ingredients. They’re quick and easy to make, and oh-so delicious!

The 11 best lettuce wrap recipes (3)

Shrimp Dumpling Lettuce Wraps

Shrimp and lettuce go together perfectly. They’re a super refreshing pair. This recipe is sweet and spicy, but the star is the pickled carrots. They add the perfect kick that helps the shrimp and lettuce shine.

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The 11 best lettuce wrap recipes (4)

Turkey Santa Fe Lettuce Wraps

This recipe is bursting with southwestern flavors. There’s corn, jalapenos, turkey, beans, cheese, and lots of spices. But the best part just might be the mouth-watering avocado and cilantro ranch dressing.

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The 11 best lettuce wrap recipes (5)

Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Who doesn’t love buffalo chicken? It’s one of the most iconic flavors out there. This chicken is made in a slow cooker to maximize flavor and juiciness. That also makes the recipe a lot easier!

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The 11 best lettuce wrap recipes (6)

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

This wrap has an unbelievable amount of flavor, but it’s so quick and easy to make. It has strong flavors like garlic, soy sauce, and oyster sauce, and the ground chicken absorbs all the seasoning. It also has mushrooms, water chestnuts, and scallions, which add complexity to the wrap.

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The 11 best lettuce wrap recipes (7)

BLT Lettuce Wraps

It doesn’t get more classic than a BLT. If you think you like BLT sandwiches, wait until you try this lettuce wrap. After all, the “L” in “BLT” does stand for “lettuce!” Diced tomatoes are mixed with mayo and pepper, and topped with chopped-up bacon. It’s a perfect wrap.

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The 11 best lettuce wrap recipes (8)

Steak Taco Lettuce Wraps

This recipe is basically your favorite taco, but in a piece of crispy lettuce instead of a taco. Juicy sirloin steak is cooked with a unique spice blend of cumin, oregano, and garlic. Strips of the meat are topped with not just homemade pico de gallo, but homemade guacamole, too!

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The 11 best lettuce wrap recipes (9)

Buffalo Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

Buffalo sauce isn’t just for chicken. If you want all the flavor of buffalo chicken, but with a lighter protein, then this recipe has your name on it. Shrimp goes wonderfully well with buffalo sauce, and with either ranch or blue cheese dressing.

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The 11 best lettuce wrap recipes (10)

Ground Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps

Lettuce wraps work well with pretty much any kind of taco filling. Made with lean turkey meat and five different spices, this recipe is as flavorful as it is healthy. And it’s so easy to make!

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The 11 best lettuce wrap recipes (11)

Tuna Salad Endive Wraps

This is a fun recipe that you can make in just a few minutes. It’s a simple (but perfect!) tuna salad, with large chunks of broccoli added to it. The ingredients are stuffed in endive leaves to make perfect finger food.

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The 11 best lettuce wrap recipes (12)

Chicken Club Lettuce Wrap Sandwich

This keto-friendly wrap only uses five ingredients. But I bet you love all five! All that’s in this recipe are lettuce, chicken, bacon, tomatoes, and mayo. What’s not to love? And as you could probably guess, it only takes a few minutes to make!

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The 11 best lettuce wrap recipes (13)

Thai Chicken Peanut Lettuce Tacos

Thai chicken lettuce tacos are spicy and exotic, made with my light peanut sauce made with PB2, sriracha, ginger and spices.

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How to Store

It’s best to eat lettuce wraps the day you make them. If you store them in the fridge to make in advance, just make the filling ahead of time, and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Whenever you’re ready for a fresh and tasty lettuce wrap, put the filling on a crisp leaf and you’re good to go!

Looking For Easy and Healthy Lunch Ideas?

Lettuce wraps are my go-to when I need a quick and easy lunch. If you want more healthy lunch ideas, check out my recipe finder. You’ll be able to find all sorts of yummy and easy recipes there!

The 11 best lettuce wrap recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the best lettuce to use for lettuce wraps? ›

You really want cold crisp lettuce that is hearty and will hold up well wrapped around the yummy filling. We've found that iceberg or butter leaf lettuce work best. You would also use romaine hearts though they can be hard to wrap around the filling since they tend to be long and thin.

What is lettuce wrap sauce made of? ›

Ingredients for Chicken Lettuce Wraps

The key ingredient is hoisin — a sweet, salty, slightly tangy, spiced sauce that's like the Chinese equivalent to American barbecue sauce. Here, I mix it with some soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil to make a sticky glaze for the chicken in our wraps.

What is the most nutritious lettuce for wraps? ›

While it may not be as vitamin-dense as its dark green friends, Romaine lettuce contains solid amounts of minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorous. Plus, it has high levels of vitamin K and beta carotene. This crunchy lettuce is great for refreshing salads, sandwich toppers, or even lettuce wraps.

What's the best thing to wrap lettuce in? ›

Roll Up Romaine in Foil

It can keep romaine lettuce crisp for as long as 30 days. Simply wrap individual heads or hearts tightly in aluminum foil. Remove as many crispy leaves as you need for a recipe, and re-bundle the remaining lettuce.

What is a good substitute for butter lettuce in lettuce wraps? ›

Lettuce Leaves.

While I think the best lettuce for lettuce wraps is Boston lettuce (or Bibb or butter lettuce), romaine lettuce would also work well. Iceberg lettuce can be used in a pinch.

Are lettuce wraps healthy for weight loss? ›

Swapping a carb-heavy tortilla with lettuce is a great way to save on calories and carbs.

Is eating lettuce wraps healthy? ›

Looking for a low-carb appetizer or a healthy, light meal? Try a lettuce wrap. Lettuce wraps are like a handheld salad and packed with protein. Whether you crave chicken lettuce wraps or a healthy Asian-inspired lettuce wrap recipe, there's a quick and delicious recipe ahead for you.

What is the healthiest lettuce for weight loss? ›

If you're looking for one of the lowest-calorie vegetables, romaine lettuce has only 8 calories per cup. The downside is that it is pretty low in fiber too, with just 1 g per cup. But it's a great "catch-all" vegetable, says registered dietitian Jennifer Fiske, M.S., RDN, LD.

What is the safest lettuce to eat? ›

Q: Are some types of lettuce safer than others? A: Because contamination can happen anywhere from farm to table, no single type of leafy green is risk-free. But hydroponic lettuces (which are greenhouse-grown) are less likely to be contaminated by bacteria from animal droppings.

What is the healthiest salad you can eat? ›

10 Nutrient-Dense Salad Recipes
  • Low-Carb Asian Chopped Salad.
  • Spicy Shrimp, Avocado, and Arugula Salad.
  • Tofu and Kale Salad.
  • Pear, Grape, and Feta Salad.
  • Mediterranean Chicken Salad.
  • Blood Orange and Quinoa Kale Salad.
  • Golden Beet and Pomegranate Salad.
  • Roasted Chickpea and Kale Salad.
Jul 20, 2021

How do restaurants make their lettuce so crisp? ›

The Keys to Crisp Lettuce

Lettuce actually needs a good amount of airflow, in addition to a bit of moisture (but not too much!), in order to stay crisp. That's why restaurants store their lettuce in special perforated bins that allow for air circulation while it's held in the fridge.

Why does aluminum foil keep lettuce fresh? ›

"Aluminum does not, on its own, have any specific synergies with lettuce. If it's protective it's either protecting it from drying out or it has just the right permeability to allow the lettuce to breathe without drying it out (aluminum foil IS permeable)," says Nestrud.

Does putting a paper towel in lettuce help? ›

Lettuces and Greens: Wrap lettuce and greens in a dry paper towel and place in plastic bag in the fridge. The paper towel will absorb any excess moisture that makes the lettuce rot and will keep it fresher for much longer.

What are the best leaves for wraps? ›

Kale or collards make super stand-ins for tortillas while Iceberg or butter lettuce leaves make great taco shells or “cups” for Asian-style fillings.

What kind of lettuce is in a Chick Fil A wrap? ›

Each Chick-fil-A® Cool Wrap® contains slices of grilled chicken breast nestled in a fresh mix of Green Leaf lettuce with a blend of shredded Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses, tightly rolled in a flaxseed flour flat bread.

Is iceberg lettuce good for lettuce wraps? ›

One of the best ways to enjoy iceberg lettuce is make lettuce wraps. This post was updated on 3/12/2024.

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