Hawaiian Lettuce Wraps

These Hawaiian lettuce wraps are amazing!! Super easy lettuce wraps to make at home with just 4 ingredients, filled with leftovers or our Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken. A low carb way to make a taco really.

Lettuce Wraps with Kielbasa

You wouldn’t know it by looking at me but I was actually born in Hawaii and LOVE foods that remind me of my time there. All you need are 4 ingredients, and the lettuce of course. It’s a great combination of savory and sweet, and a healthy dinner idea too….even my kids love this one!

I used my rice cooker but you could opt for your Instant Pot instead to make all of the fillings. And of course what to fill this with is totally up to you but we do have a few suggestions with chicken and/or sausage like you see here.

Now this is where the sweetness comes in. You could use cubed fresh fruit, but canned pineapple chunks are sweeter since they are swimming in a sugar sauce of sorts. Add as much or as little as you would like. You will need to pick up:

Pineapple Lettuce Wraps Ingredients

• 1 Hillshire Farm Meat Polska Kielbasa (or you can use one of their other varieties such as their Smoked Turkey Rope if you prefer)
  • that can be cooked all sorts of ways, our air fryer Sausage is great for crisp, or make on the stove like we show you here.
• Ninja Foodi White rice is what we used this go around, you could use brown rice
• 1 can chunk pineapple will give it sweetness
• Jar of teriyaki sauce or make your own homemade
• I chose butter lettuce for the wrap but you could use cabbage leaves if you prefer as well.

Pork Sausage Lettuce Wraps

Now let’s talk about what else you could use instead of pork. Let your imagination go and use what is on sale and/or what you have on hand. Our air fryer teriyaki chicken is another win you can make and then toss in at the end.

What is the best lettuce to use for lettuce wraps?

The best is one that is sturdy enough to hold the filling without tearing or wilting easily, yet flexible enough to wrap around the ingredients. I like butter lettuce the best. Here are a few types we have used, flavor preferences will make a difference too. Great choices are;

Is iceberg lettuce good for lettuce wraps?

1. Iceberg Lettuce is great due to its crisp texture and cup-like shape. Its sturdy leaves provide a good base for holding various fillings. Each piece is quite large though and less pliable than #2.
2. Butter Lettuce also known as Bibb or Boston lettuce, has soft, tender leaves with a delicate flavor. The leaves are large and flexible, making them ideal for wrapping around fillings.
3. Romaine Lettuce has sturdy, elongated leaves with a slight crunch. While not as flexible as butter, romaine leaves can still be used for wrapping and provide a nice contrast in texture.
4. Green Leaf Lettuce has pliable leaves with a mild flavor. It’s similar to butter lettuce but with larger, more elongated leaves, making it a good option for wrapping around fillings.
5. Red Leaf Lettuce has slightly more texture and flavor than green, with vibrant red or purple-tinged leaves. It works well to add a pop of color to your dish.

If you are making a bar out of this for a large crowd, that is a great idea first of all. You will want to make the filling as close to serving as possible. It will stay tender though with a lid on top. You just don’t want the rice to get dry so keep it covered always.

What is lettuce wrap sauce made of?

I just used bottled but this is How to Make Homemade Teriyaki Sauce yourself. This is nice because you can make is spicy if you like with red pepper flakes but will take longer than just pouring it right out already made.

How to store lettuce for lettuce wraps ahead of time?

Rinse the leaves under cold water to remove any dirt or debris. Gently shake off excess water and pat the leaves dry with paper towels. It’s important to ensure that the leaves are completely dry.

1. Wrap in Paper Towels and lay in a single layer, making sure not to overlap too much. Place another layer of dry paper towels on top to absorb any remaining moisture.
2. Store in an Airtight Container to prevent crushing or bruising. Seal the container tightly to keep out air and moisture.
3. Refrigerate where they won’t get crushed. Avoid storing them near foods with strong odors, as they can absorb odors easily.

How do you recrisp lettuce for lettuce wraps?

Fill a large bowl with ice water and submerge the wilted lettuce leaves in the water. Let them soak for 5-10 minutes, allowing the cold water to revitalize and restore their crispness. After soaking, remove the from the water and pat them dry with paper towels before filling them.

What should you fill lettuce wraps with?

There are many ways to use pork for this. One is below and our Instant Pot Hawaiian Pulled Pork is another. Start by putting about 1 1/2 c. of uncooked rice and 3 c. water into your rice cooker so that can get going. Then you will start your skillet dish (which will later be put into your lettuce pieces) by slicing your sausage into pieces like this.

How to Make Hawaiian Lettuce Wraps

• Then you will need about 1 cup of pineapple chunks. Straight out of the can they are a bit too big so cut them into quarters while you’ve got your cutting board out.
• First put a bit of olive oil in your skillet, then add your cubed Hillshire Farm sausage
• Let them get nice and brown like this to bring out the full flavor….so good!
• Then add your cup (or so) of pineapple and about 3 tbsp. of teriyaki sauce (but who’s measuring right).
• Let it cook on low for just for a bit while you mix all of these ingredients together. Below is the Hawaiian lettuce wraps recipe to print out.

Do you have another lettuce wrap recipe you love?? Let me know below, I’d love to try it!