These simple Shrimp Lettuce Wraps are a quick and easy way to add a healthy and refreshing meal even when you don’t have a lot of time on your hands. Made with plump and juicy shrimp, warm rice, and a light lettuce wrap, this is a great go-to recipe for a busy weeknight.
Sometimes, you need a quick and easy meal to keep things from getting monotonous without having to spend too much time in the kitchen. Particularly on a busy weeknight or when the weather is making you feel completely lazy, these are the types of meals you want to bust out.
These Shrimp Lettuce Wraps are not only extremely light and refreshing, but they’re filling and super healthy. Shrimp is a low-calorie food that is rich in several nutrients, including protein, vitamin B12, phosphorus, and more. Lettuce is similarly a low-calorie vegetable with a great source of both vitamins (A and K) and minerals, as well as fiber.
Of course, you can always add or substitute ingredients to aid in getting more protein, nutrients, and other daily requirements and creating a well-balanced meal to add to your diet.
The best part about these Shrimp Lettuce Wraps is that aside from marinating your protein, the entire recipe takes maybe 15 minutes from start to finish – including clean-up.
All you need is shrimp, rice, lettuce, and a marinade of your choice. The marinade I use in this recipe is a super simple, Asian-inspired one that uses honey, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. However, you can opt for your go-to marinade if you prefer!
I love that it only takes a few ingredients to make because it makes it such a buildable dish. For instance, you can always add vegetables or sauces to this lettuce wrap recipe to bulk it up if you have more time. If you need some ideas, here are some suggestions:
Bell peppers
Onions
Carrots
Cucumbers
Avocado
Mango
Chopped peanuts
Sesame seeds
Crispy fried noodles
Peanut sauce
Sweet chili sauce
If you’re not a fan of shrimp or have an allergy, you can use other cooked proteins like chicken, salmon, or even beef. For a vegetarian option, try roasted chickpeas, plant-based meat, or tofu. The options are truly endless!
How to Make the Best Shrimp Lettuce Wraps
These lettuce wraps are truly fool-proof, so there’s not much to it! The star of the show is the shrimp, which means the key is to pay attention to it in the pan while it’s cooking.
Shrimp goes from pure perfection to rubbery and hard in a matter of moments.
In other words, once you see your shrimp start to turn pink on both sides, remove it from the heat! It will continue to cook a little in the heat of the pan, so you’ll have perfectly cooked, succulent shrimp if you watch it closely.
The other thing to pay attention to in this lettuce wrap is the variety of lettuce you choose to use. Romaine lettuce is the most popular option to use for wraps, and it’s the most commonly found in grocery stores.
Another great option is butter lettuce (also known as bibb lettuce), which has large leaves that allow you to really load up each piece of lettuce with your rice and shrimp filling. If you only have smaller leaves, you can double up. Worst case scenario, turn it into a rice bowl and chop your lettuce instead!
Overall, these lettuce wraps are a nutritious and satisfying meal option. They’re especially good if you’re looking for a low-carb meal to add to your rotation. Plus, the beautiful, hydrating crunch of the lettuce makes this a refreshing meal for warmer days.
These refreshing shrimp lettuce wraps are perfect for a light and healthy meal. Juicy shrimp are cooked with fragrant spices and paired with crisp lettuce leaves for a low-carb, gluten-free, and flavorful dish.
Ingredients
Scale
INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1lb shrimp
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp cornstarch (to thicken second batch of sauce)
romaine or butter lettuce to hold it all
Instructions
INSTRUCTIONS:
Whisk honey, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger in a medium bowl. Save half the sauce and use the other half to marinate the shrimp overnight.
When ready to cook, place the sauce in a pan over medium-low heat with cornstarch. Once it’s thickened, toss in your marinated shrimp.
Cook shrimp on one side until pink, about 45 seconds, then flip shrimp over.
Pour in the remaining marinade/sauce and cook it all until the shrimp is cooked through.
