These Green Chile Turkey & Lentil Lettuce Wraps are high in protein with 37 grams per serving, helping fuel your days! They’re also incredibly easy to prep ahead and assemble when needed throughout the week! Even if you’re not a fan of spice, don’t let the chiles scare you, they’re quite mild and this recipe is easily customizable to turn down the heat, or kick it up a notch to your liking.

Green Chile Turkey & Lentil Lettuce Wraps ingredient notes:

Ground Turkey: Lean ground turkey is an easy source of protein that’s also low in saturated fat and nutrient dense, making it a perfect protein option to help you reach your health goals.

Dried Lentils: Lentils are an excellent source of iron, protein, and fiber. To make this dish vegetarian, you can always omit the turkey and double the lentils for a nourishing plant based meal. Please note, the protein levels will not be as high if you do so.

Green Chiles: Green chiles are the perfect way to spice up a dish with minimal effort. I like to buy the canned ones to save time and energy, plus the juices help thin out the yogurt sauce. You can opt for fresh green chiles, however you will need to roast, peel, and seed them before adding.

Greek Yogurt: A simple trick to up your protein is making your sauces and dressings at home with greek yogurt. It’s filling, gut friendly, and easy to whip up in just a few minutes. Yogurt sauces are also great for mellowing out heat if the chiles are a bit too spicy, or kick it up a notch and add your favorite hot sauce directly into the sauce.

Green Chile Turkey & Lentil Lettuce Wraps

Recipe by Jenn Lueke

5.0 from 1 vote

Servings

–

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cook time

minutes

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

FOR THE TURKEY AND LENTILS
1 pound ground turkey (93/7)
1/2 cup dried lentils (green or brown), rinsed
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (plus more for garnish)
1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
red pepper flakes, to taste, optional
2/3 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1/3 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 lemon, zest and juice
FOR THE LETTUCE WRAPS
1 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
4 -ounce can green chiles
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
5 ounces butter lettuce leaves (about 16 leaves)
FOR THE GREEN CHILE SAUCE
1 cup 0% fat Greek yogurt
4 -ounce can green chiles
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro, additional for topping
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Cook the lentils: In a medium pot, combine lentils with 3 to 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cook uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes until tender but not mushy. Drain and set aside.
Sauté aromatics: In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until soft. Stir in garlic, salt, oregano, paprika, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 to 2 more minutes until fragrant.
Cook the turkey: Increase heat slightly and add ground turkey. Cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and fully cooked, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes to deepen the flavor. Add the cooked lentils, more salt if needed, pepper, parsley, balsamic vinegar, lemon zest, and juice. Stir until everything is well coated and heated through.
Add the ground turkey and lentils, mozzarella, green chiles, chili powder, and cumin to a large bowl and toss to evenly combine. Set aside.
Make the sauce: add the Greek yogurt, chiles, cilantro, garlic powder, and salt to a small bowl. Whisk to evenly combine.
Divide the lettuce leaves (about 4 each) between four plates. Fill each one with the turkey and lentil mixture, evenly dividing between each. Drizzle the yogurt sauce on top and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro.

Notes

Store it: Refrigerate the sauce, turkey and lentils, and lettuce in separate sealed containers for up to 4 days, or freeze turkey and lentils for up to 3 months.
Reheat it: From the refrigerator, microwave the turkey and lentil mixture until warm, about 90 seconds or return to a pan over medium heat, until warm, about 2 to 3 minutes minutes. From frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then follow microwave or stovetop instructions. Assemble your wraps following step 7.