Sweet and Sour Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

This healthier spin on your favorite Chinese takeout! These Sweet and Sour Shrimp Lettuce Wraps will be ready quicker than calling up an order!

Hi there food lovers! It’s Megan from The Housewife in Training Files and I am thrilled be a new contributor on Rachel Cooks! I have adored Rachel’s blog and spunk for quite awhile. Plus we have the same wedding anniversary. So clearly we both have great taste. With Rachel’s family friendly and healthier spin on dishes, I knew we were a match made in heaven!

I have a passion for creating dishes that are lighter yet full on flavor. I am the mess maker, healthy cookie eater and creator of these delicious Sweet and Sour Shrimp Lettuce Wraps. 

Whenever my husband and I venture out for Chinese, it is a sure thing he will order Sweet and Sour Shrimp.  Crispy shrimp, fresh peppers, juicy pineapple with a sweet glaze is pretty irresistible. But the sugary sauce and boat full of rice, are less than figure friendly! For a healthier spin on our favorite takeout dish, I thought to remake a version at home that is right on the money for flavor. But will fit your New Year’s resolution to eating more nutritious.

To make the dish a bit lighter, I combined another favorite: lettuce wraps. Let’s be real, the filling is the best part! A homemade sauce of soy sauce, honey, apricot jam, vinegar and tomato paste coat each piece of slightly sweet shrimp.  After a quick dice of peppers and onions, all goes into a hot pan to get a nice char then the shrimp is added.  They will cook quickly which is why shrimp is ideal for getting dinner on the table in a jiffy! The sauce is then added to the pan. As the shrimp finish cooking, the sauce will thicken up.

If you like shrimp, sweet and spicy flavors and having a healthier dinner on the table quicker than you can dial up the local Chinese restaurant, then you need to add shrimp lettuce wraps to your weekly menu pronto!

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Sweet and Sour Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

This healthier spin on your favorite Chinese takeout! These Sweet and Sour Shrimp Lettuce Wraps will be ready quicker than calling up an order!

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds shelled and deveined shrimp, 51-60 count

Sauce:

• ¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• ¼ cup apricot jam
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame chile oil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• Pinch crushed chili flakes or sriracha (optional)

Remaining ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 small onion, diced into 1/2″ pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2” pieces
• 1 orange bell pepper, cut into 1/2” pieces
• 1 cup pineapple chunks (fresh or canned – I used fresh)
• 8 large pieces of bibb lettuce
• 1/3 cup chopped cashews
• 2 green onions, sliced thin

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl whisk together chicken broth, soy sauce, apricot jam, honey, vinegar, tomato paste, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, black pepper and cornstarch. Set aside. 
2. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Add coconut oil and allow to melt. Add the onion and peppers. Allow to soften, 8-10 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Add the shrimp and allow to cook on one side until slightly pink and they shrimp start to curl, 3-4 minutes. Flip the shrimp and add the reserved sauce. Finish cooking the shrimp until no longer pink, 2-3 more minutes. 
4. Add the pepper and onions back to the pan. Toss to cook with the shrimp and sauce. 
5. To serve, spoon shrimp mixture into each lettuce cup, top with cashews and green onion slices. 

Notes

Note: If you use larger or smaller shrimp than the 51-60ct, your cooking times will be longer or shorter based on the size of shrimp you use. Serving size: 2 lettuce wraps

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 463Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 4gCarbohydrates: 62gFiber: 8gSugar: 39gProtein: 34g

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Craving more lettuce wraps similar to these shrimp lettuce wraps? Try Lamb Lettuce Wraps (with Red Pepper Hummus Sauce!), Chicken Lettuce Wraps, or Baked Turkey, Quinoa and Zucchini Meatball Lettuce Wraps from Cookin’ Canuck.