Best Lettuce Wraps Ever!

So if you haven't already figured it out, Recipe Gurl is soooooo NOT me.  It's actually my best friend who is a whiz in the kitchen.  I, on the other hand, struggle tremendously with anything remotely related to baking and cooking.  I can follow the recipe to a tee and still end up with a disgusting, inedible mess.  So when I decided to tackle the most amazing lettuce wraps my mom made awhile back, I had very low hopes.  I'm not sure why, but every single time I make something, I always forgot atleast one ingredient - this time was no exception - I forgot the large onion!  Great, I was about to give up, but something told me to push through it.  Somehow, even with the missing onion and disaster of a kitchen, I ended up with the most delicious lettuce wraps I've ever had.  Yes, these beat out PF Changs and Pei Wei anyday!  Not to mention, MUCH healthier!  I used ground turkey instead of the beef ( I don't eat red meat) and even my boyfriend who hates when I sub turkey for beef, could not get enough of these yummy morsels. 

16 Boston Bibb or butter lettuce leaves

1 pound lean ground beef -- I used GROUND TURKEY

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 large onion, chopped 

2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

2 teaspoons minced pickled ginger

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

Asian chile pepper sauce (optional)

1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

2 teaspoons Asian (dark) sesame oil

Directions

1. Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not tear them. Set aside.
2. In a medium skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef in 1 tablespoon of oil, stirring often and reducing the heat to medium, if necessary. Drain, and set aside to cool. Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar, and chile pepper sauce to the onions, and stir. Stir in chopped water chestnuts, green onions, sesame oil, and cooked beef; continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.
3. Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large serving platter, and pile meat mixture in the center. To serve, allow each person to spoon a portion of the meat into a lettuce leaf. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito, and enjoy!

You can also find this recipe HERE.