Thai Turkey Lettuce Wraps with Creamy Ginger Tahini Sauce

My Thai turkey lettuce wraps get their depth from vegetables cooked until dark and sweet, then tossed with ground turkey in a sweet and spicy red curry and fish sauce glaze. A drizzle of ginger tahini sauce cools everything down.

In my recipe, the flavor in the lettuce wraps starts before the turkey ever hits the pan. I cook the onion, carrot, and red pepper for a full 12 minutes, until they’re deeply browned and smell sweet. In my testing, that slow start is what matters most. Ground turkey is mild, so it needs something to carry it, and caramelized vegetables give it a deep sweetness a quick sauté can’t.

The turkey goes in last and only needs about five minutes, then everything gets tossed in a sauce of red curry paste, fish sauce, soy sauce, and honey. It’s salty and a little spicy, with just enough sweetness to echo the vegetables.

The ginger tahini sauce is the cool, nutty counterpoint to all that heat. I drizzle it over right before serving, then add red cabbage for crunch, sesame seeds, and a squeeze of lime to brighten it up.

Other ways to serve the Thai turkey filling

I most often serve these with lettuce, but the filling doesn’t need it. When lettuce isn’t what everyone at the table wants, I keep the filling and swap what goes under it.

Serve it over a bowl of warm jasmine rice to make a rice bowl. Drizzle the ginger tahini sauce over the top and let it soak into the rice.

Warm flour tortillas turn it into a soft wrap that’s easier for kids to hold. Add the red cabbage here, since the tortilla loses the crunch the lettuce gives you.

If any filling is left in the pan, it’s good straight off the spoon. One reader, Gail, told me in the comments that her husband got a spoon and ate it right out of the pot.

Tap stars to rate!

4.88 stars (32 ratings)

Thai Turkey Lettuce Wraps with Creamy Ginger Tahini Sauce

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 20 minutes mins

Total: 35 minutes mins

Rate Print

• Pin

Remove Ads

Give the vegetables the full 12 minutes, until they're deeply browned. Mix both sauces while they cook, and the rest comes together fast.

Add to Preferred Sources

4

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 tablespoon neutral-flavored oil
• ▢ ½ medium onion (minced)
• ▢ 1 medium carrot (julienned or grated)
• ▢ 1 medium red bell pepper (minced)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons minced ginger
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• ▢ 1 lb ground turkey
• ▢ ¼ cup sliced green onions
• ▢ 12 Bibb lettuce leaves
• ▢ Optional toppings: sesame seeds, lime wedges, and thinly sliced red cabbage

Thai-Inspired Sauce

• ▢ 2 tablespoons EACH: Thai red curry paste and soy sauce
• ▢ 1 tablespoon EACH: honey and fish sauce

Creamy Ginger Tahini Sauce

• ▢ 4 tablespoons tahini
• ▢ 1 tablespoon EACH: lime juice and honey
• ▢ 2 teaspoons grated ginger
• ▢ 2 small garlic cloves (finely minced)
• ▢ 3 tablespoons cold water (more if you want a thinner sauce)

Instructions 

• Heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, and bell pepper and cook for about 12 minutes, or until dark and sweet-smelling. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
  1 tablespoon neutral-flavored oil, ½ medium onion, 1 medium carrot, 1 medium red bell pepper, 2 tablespoons minced ginger, 3 cloves garlic
• While the veggies are caramelizing, mix the Thai-inspired sauce ingredients in a small bowl. In another small bowl, mix the ingredients for the creamy ginger tahini sauce.
  2 tablespoons EACH: Thai red curry paste and soy sauce, 1 tablespoon EACH: honey and fish sauce, 4 tablespoons tahini, 1 tablespoon EACH: lime juice and honey, 2 teaspoons grated ginger, 2 small garlic cloves, 3 tablespoons cold water
• When the veggies are cooked, push them to the side of the pan and add the turkey. Cook until it is no longer pink, about 5 minutes, breaking up any larger chunks as it cooks. Mix the turkey into the veggies, then add the Thai-inspired sauce and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, then stir in the green onions.
  1 lb ground turkey, ¼ cup sliced green onions
• Serve the Thai turkey on bibb lettuce leaves with the tahini sauce drizzled over the top and any or all of the optional toppings.
  12 Bibb lettuce leaves, Optional toppings: sesame seeds, lime wedges, and thinly sliced red cabbage

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving = ¼ of the recipe, Calories: 335kcal (17%), Carbohydrates: 23g (8%), Protein: 31g (62%), Fat: 15g (23%), Saturated Fat: 2g (13%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 62mg (21%), Sodium: 603mg (26%), Potassium: 716mg (20%), Fiber: 3g (13%), Sugar: 13g (14%), Vitamin A: 6255IU (125%), Vitamin C: 47mg (57%), Calcium: 76mg (8%), Iron: 3mg (17%)

© Author Kristen Stevens

We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.