Salsa Turkey Lettuce Wraps are an easy, light and refreshing make-ahead lunch that are perfect for summer
This past weekend I spent three glorious days with 3 of my best friends for a girl’s weekend. While we felt sad that some of our other friends couldn’t make it, we had an amazing weekend!
We were in Grayton Beach, and the weather could not have been any more perfect. The sun was brightly shining, the wind was blowing, and the white sandy beaches were hardly crowded.
Every morning, we woke up without alarm clocks, had a leisurely breakfast, took a bike ride, then trekked out to the beach with our chairs, towels, books, ice chest filled with water & adult beverages, and lunch/snacks.
I was in charge of the food for the weekend, so I made sure we ate one million veggies. Every morning we had tons of veggies in our eggs and ate lettuce wraps for lunch. When I’m on the beach, I don’t really love to feel super stuffed, which is why lettuce wraps are my go-to lunch option for the summer. They’re light and refreshing plus they don’t make you feel overly full.
I also like that you can make the filling ahead of time and fill your lettuce leaves when you’re ready to eat. I like to make this in the morning and keep it in the fridge to eat at lunch. It’s also nice to make this at the beginning of the week and eat throughout the week. Yay for make-ahead, time-saving meals!
This is a version of the lettuce wraps I made this weekend, and they’re incredibly simple. Brown your turkey with onions (and/or bell peppers) then drain off any grease. Add in garlic, your salsa of choice, broth & your beans of choice, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 15 minutes until most of the liquid has absorbed, and Voila! You’re ready for lunch. You can serve immediately or transfer to a container to keep in the fridge.
The great thing about this Salsa Turkey mixture is that you can use whatever you want. The first batch I made, I used salsa verde & black beans. This round I used fresh salsa and kidney beans. Use whatever salsa and/or beans you like. It would also be equally delicious in a tortilla, served over eggs, or topped with cheese. But will you promise me that if you don’t serve it in lettuce wraps, you will add extra veggies on the side pretty please?
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 2 cups diced onion (1 large)
- 1 tsp minced garlic (1 clove)
- 1 1/2 cups beans (15 ounce can), rinsed & drained
- 1 1/4 cup salsa
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
- lettuce for serving
Instructions
- Add the turkey and onion to a large skillet. Heat over medium-high heat and crumble the turkey. Cook until the turkey is done.
- Drain off any excess fat. Return the turkey & onions to the skillet and stir in garlic. Heat to medium.
- Add in beans, salsa, chicken broth, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper if using.
- Simmer for 15 minutes until most of the liquid has absorbed. Remove from heat.
- If serving immediately, transfer about 1/3 cup mixture to lettuce. Otherwise, transfer to a container and refrigerate until ready to enjoy.
Notes
*You can use diced onions and/or bell peppers. Just use about 2-3 cups of veggies. The more the better 🙂
Meme
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Hi,what a lovely time sounds like you had!How blessed to have not 1 but 3 best buds!Am loving your recipes and digging on the lettuce wrap idea.Have a lot of recipes,but am wondering what type of lettuce you like to use for them?Looks like butter lettuce? Are there other types you use as well?Thanks a bunch!
Thanks, Teri! It was such a lovely weekend 🙂
You could use any lettuce you want! I used hydroponic lettuce for these but I’ve used iceberg and butter lettuce in the past. I’ve even used romaine lettuce for lettuce wraps.