Description
These healthy and low-carb meatball lettuce wraps are easy to make and easy to eat.
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 6 scallions (white and light green parts only), chopped
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound ground turkey
For serving
- ½ cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon chili garlic sauce
- 3 medium carrots, peeled
- Fresh cilantro and thai basil leaves, torn
- 8–10 cup-shaped leaves from a head of bibb or butter lettuce
Instructions
For the meatballs
- Prep pan. Lightly spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Prep seasonings. In a medium bowl, stir together the cilantro, scallions, water, fish sauce, sugar, and black pepper until the sugar is dissolved.
- Make meatballs. Add the ground turkey and mix together thoroughly. Form the mixture into 20 meatballs (about 1 rounded tablespoon each). Place the meatballs on prepared baking sheet.
- Chill. Chill the meatballs in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.
- Prep oven. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Prep meatballs. Remove the meatballs from the refrigerator and lightly spray the top of the meatballs with cooking spray.
- Cook. Bake meatballs in oven until they are cooked through, 15-20 minutes, turning half-way through.
For serving
- Make sauce. In a small bowl, stir together the lime juice, fish sauce, water, sugar, and chili garlic sauce until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
- Marinade carrots. Using a vegetable peeler, cut the carrots into long ribbons. Toss the carrots with 4 tablespoons of the fish sauce mixture. Reserve the remaining fish sauce mixture for serving on the side.
- Serve. Serve meatballs with shredded carrots and fresh cilantro and basil leaves wrapped in the lettuce leaves. Spoon additional sauce onto the wraps, if desired.
Notes
- Moisten your hands slightly with water if the meat mixture sticks to your hands too much while forming the meatballs. I prefer to wear food-safe disposable gloves. It’s less messy and your hands stay cleaner.
- Recipe adapted from Milk Street.
