• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Listen to Lena

Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion

  • All
  • Family
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Decor
  • About Lena
  • Contact

Break Up With Ground Beef: Asian Lettuce Cups

July 5, 2013 By Lena

You know how sometimes, you develop “a taste” for something? For the last few months, I’ve been substituting ground beef with ground chicken or turkey, and I have to say… I’m hooked. Ground chicken tacos. Ground turkey chili. Chicken meatballs and turkey meatloaf. Mmm… so, so good.

Beyond really enjoying the taste and texture, I love that it’s lower in saturated fat, calories and cholesterol, and way easier on the waistline than ground beef. Plus, because of the naturally mild flavour, it absorbs spices and flavourings easily, so your dishes taste brighter and bolder with proper seasoning.

My love affair with ground chicken reached a whole new level this past May, when we dined at the Yak & Yeti Restaurant inside the Animal Kingdom of Walt Disney World. Situated at the base of Mt. Everest in the small town of Anandapur, Yak & Yeti offers Pan-Asian cuisine, including delicacies such as Prawn crisps, Seared Miso Salmon and Dim Sum Basket – or old standbys like Sweet and Sour Chicken or Pork.

If you’ve been to Disney World, you know that quick service restaurants can get old – quickly. There are only so many chicken fingers you can ingest! Hence, we made it a point on this visit to indulge in as many family restaurants as possible. Sitting down, taking a break, and enjoying a delicious, healthy meal as a family only complements your Disney experience, and I strongly suggest you budget for at least one dining adventure per trip. You won’t be disappointed!

At the Yak & Yeti, the Asian Lettuce Cups were highly recommended. Perfect! Being on my ground chicken kick, I was only too happy to enjoy what was described as “Minced chicken breast, chopped veggies, maple tamarind sauce, and crisp lettuce cups.” And OMG – were they ever delicious. With Indo-Chinese flavours and just the right amount of kick, the dish was meant to be shared as an appetizer, but I quickly converted it to my main course and swatted away curious hands. Mine, all mine! (Image courtesy of wdwinfo.com)

Upon returning home, I quickly scoured the Internet for a recipe; however, while searching “Yak & Yeti Lettuce Cups Recipe” yielded 923 results, not one offered a concrete ingredient list or method for how I could duplicate these wonders at home. So, I got creative, and created a mash-up of several recipes for Asian Lettuce Cups until I was certain all of the elements were covered. And this is what I came up with:

ASIAN LETTUCE CUPS

1 pound Maple Leaf Prime ground chicken breast
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Asian chili pepper sauce
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

1 tablespoon unsalted peanuts, chopped
2 tablespoons sweet red pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts, drained, finely chopped
2 shitake mushrooms, finely chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced

16 iceberg lettuce leaves, washed and patted dry
shredded carrot and bean sprouts, for garnish

Okay, so it’s a lot of chopping. But it’s easy chopping; and then you just have to throw everything together and stir-fry it until done. And the method couldn’t be more simple: stir-fry the first 5 ingredients together until chicken has browned (about 6-8 minutes); add the second group of 5 ingredients until the sauce is bubbly (about 2 minutes); and finally, add the last set of 5 ingredients and heat through to allow flavours to mingle (about 5 minutes).

Then, dollop about two tablespoons of the ground chicken mixture onto a lettuce cup, and garnish with shredded carrot and/or bean sprouts, if desired. You can also grab a store-bought tamarind sauce for dipping, or find a recipe to make your own. Super easy, super healthy, and a chance to break up with ground beef! Enjoy!

Filed Under: Food Tagged With: Asian Lettuce Cups, easy meal ideas, ground chicken recipes, recipe

Previous Post: « Orange You Glad it’s a Summer Trend?
Next Post: A Party Isn’t a Party Until Someone Gets Dirty »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anne Taylor

    July 5, 2013 at 10:55 am

    These look delicious and most of all fun! I know that my grandkids would love to make these for themselves! It would be messy but it would be a great dining experience for them! Thanks

    • Lena

      July 29, 2013 at 7:56 am

      You’re welcome! Enjoy Anne!

  2. Debbie Bashford

    July 5, 2013 at 12:29 pm

    These would be really fun to serve I know my grand kids would get a big kick out of everyone eating with their hands

    • Lena

      July 29, 2013 at 7:57 am

      Yup. That’s the best part!

  3. Lindsay Cyr

    July 5, 2013 at 2:46 pm

    These sound delicious and I bet my kids would love them too!

    • Lena

      July 29, 2013 at 7:57 am

      They are definitely a kid pleaser!

  4. Tricha

    July 5, 2013 at 3:09 pm

    This sounds yummy but a lot of ingredients to chop. I guess you could have this with rice as well.

    • Lena

      July 29, 2013 at 7:57 am

      You could definitely!

  5. Marissa

    July 5, 2013 at 4:00 pm

    Looks delicious and sounds like a really easy recipe. Hope to try it this weekend and thanks for sharing.

    • Lena

      July 29, 2013 at 7:57 am

      Enjoy!

  6. Shirley

    July 5, 2013 at 8:28 pm

    This looks yummy and a change from the traditional Chinese Peking duck wrap.

    • Lena

      July 29, 2013 at 7:57 am

      Yup, kind of the same flavours, but easy to find ingredients!

  7. Judy C

    July 5, 2013 at 9:01 pm

    This sounds really yummy! May have to use my FPC for Maple Leaf Prime Grounds and try this out!!

    • Lena

      July 29, 2013 at 7:58 am

      Sounds like a plan!

  8. MrDisco

    July 5, 2013 at 10:36 pm

    lettuce as a cup? that’s brilliant!!

    • Lena

      July 29, 2013 at 7:58 am

      Isn’t it? And delicious too!

  9. frank

    July 6, 2013 at 9:30 am

    Tried this and loved it!

    • Lena

      July 29, 2013 at 7:58 am

      Awesome!!!

  10. Victoria Ess

    July 6, 2013 at 11:35 am

    I love Asian lettuce wraps, and your recipe looks SOOO flavourful!

    • Lena

      July 29, 2013 at 7:58 am

      Please do try them Victoria!

  11. Flora M

    July 6, 2013 at 11:55 am

    Sound delicious, although I confess would have to omit the pepper sauce or just use a drop or two instead of a teaspoon, I’m not the biggest fan of ground chicken or turkey, but maybe it’s simply because I haven’t found the right recipe for it ;o) This one sounds like a winner and may swing me over to the ground chicken side :o)

    • Lena

      July 29, 2013 at 7:58 am

      Please try them – I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

  12. sarah sar

    July 7, 2013 at 6:57 am

    oh that looks sooooooo good and delicious too! come and cook for me, Lena! :P

    • Lena

      July 29, 2013 at 7:59 am

      Hahaha too funny!

  13. Candace

    July 18, 2013 at 8:13 pm

    Made these for dinner tonight. Delicious! Thx for sharing such a tasting recipe!

    • Lena

      July 29, 2013 at 7:59 am

      Awesome! Thanks for circling back to let me know, Candace!

  14. LindaL

    July 21, 2013 at 8:39 pm

    These look amazing!! Trying to eat healthier and these look like they would be good!! Thanks for the recipe.

    • Lena

      July 29, 2013 at 7:59 am

      You’re welcome – enjoy!

  15. Shell

    August 1, 2013 at 6:41 pm

    MMMM, I have bought lettuce wraps from Costco but this recipe sounds even more delish!

    • Lena

      August 25, 2013 at 10:31 am

      Try it Shell! It’s so good!

  16. stef

    August 1, 2013 at 7:06 pm

    I would love to try this! Thanks for posting!

    • Lena

      August 25, 2013 at 10:31 am

      You’re welcome Stef!

  17. Kim

    August 1, 2013 at 10:17 pm

    love that
    nice alternative to tortillas I think … healthier for sure

    • Lena

      August 25, 2013 at 10:32 am

      For sure! Great for a low carb meal!

  18. Wanda Bergman

    August 2, 2013 at 2:47 pm

    What a unique recipe! This is something I think my hubby would really love! And me, too!

    • Lena

      August 25, 2013 at 10:32 am

      Awesome! Thanks Wanda!

  19. Jo-Anne Pfoh

    August 3, 2013 at 5:29 pm

    I just showed the kids this and guess where I am heading. grocery shopping thanks I think lol

    • Lena

      August 25, 2013 at 10:32 am

      Hahaha enjoy!

  20. Judy C (Cowan)

    August 18, 2013 at 1:09 pm

    We made these the other night and they were very good!

    • Lena

      August 25, 2013 at 10:32 am

      Amazing! Thanks Judy!

  21. Kat E.

    September 5, 2013 at 2:05 pm

    These were SO delish! Everyone loved them! Thanks for the recipe Lena! :)

  22. Chandra Christine O'Connor

    September 19, 2013 at 7:19 pm

    I like the idea of using lettuce for the wrap, makes it fun for kids and they dont realize its veggies.

  23. loriag

    November 11, 2013 at 8:32 pm

    I have not had lettuce cups for a very long time. Thank you for the recipe.

  24. Laura Elise Mccreery

    December 10, 2013 at 9:11 am

    yummy! gotta try

  25. Susan T.

    April 18, 2014 at 4:08 pm

    Those look so good and I love that they don’t use a bun since I’m trying to cut out wheat.

  26. Sharon Beattie

    July 21, 2015 at 7:01 pm

    Made them last night, so yummy!!

  27. kathy downey

    August 27, 2017 at 1:14 pm

    Thanks for the recipe,certainly a recipe i would enjoy !

  28. Debbie White Beattie

    June 11, 2018 at 5:09 am

    This all looks so delicious and it’s not a hard recipe to make

Primary Sidebar

Lena Almeida

Toronto Blogger, Social Media Strategist for Listen to Lena Inc. Television & Radio Personality, Columnist and Speaker. Family Travel Expert. Star Wars Fanatic. Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion. Read More…

Connect with Lena

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Featured

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Virtual Queue Strategies

Five Cool Tips for a Backyard Ice Cream Bar

Beaches Turks & Caicos: Your FAQs Answered!