How to Make a Lettuce Wrap Sandwich

Lettuce Wrap Sandwiches are a great option for an easy, low carb/low calorie lunch. Making this recipe is simple, create a lettuce "bun" and load it up with your favorite sandwich fillings.

Lettuce wrap filled with sliced chicken, avocado, and tomato, cut in half to show layers of fresh vegetables and protein.

This was my first time using parchment paper to roll a lettuce sandwich and it made things so simple! I used iceberg lettuce because it was what I had on hand and added my favorite chicken salad with juicy tomatoes. It had a nice crunch and most importantly, it didn't fall apart when I ate it.
Mariah S.

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Easy Lettuce Wraps so good, you won't miss the bread!
Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions
Variations
Storage
Equipment
FAQ's Lettuce Wrap Sandwich
VIDEO: How To Make A Lettuce Wrap Sandwich
Recipe
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Easy Lettuce Wraps so good, you won't miss the bread!

Bailey standing in a white kitchen pouring a smoothie out of a blender and into a glass.

Sometimes I spend Sunday afternoon preparing elaborate healthy lunch options like chicken burrito bowls or Thai Chicken Salads and .... sometimes I don't. These lettuce wrap sandwiches are a go-to when it's lunch time, I'm hungry and weekend me didn't meal prep.

This recipe was inspired by the time that I ordered an "unwich" at Jimmy John's and subsequently spent $10 on iceburg lettuce, 3 pieces of deli turkey and a squirt of mustard. Delicious, healthy, low carb, but $$$$.

The concept of lettuce wrap sandwiches is simple, ditch the bread for fresh leafy greens. Pile them high with all your favorite sandwich ingredients and use your secret weapon (parchment paper) to makes sure that everything stay wrapped up all nice and tight.

I'll be honest, this isn't a whole family favorite. In fact, all my bread loving boys were appalled, but hey ... that just means that I can roll up 1-2 ahead of time, store them in the fridge, and hungry teenage boys won't bother them. I'd say it's a win all around.

Ingredients

Admittedly, this is more of a technique than a recipe. There is room for all the ingredient options. Think Subway... pick your meat, add your toppings and then finish the whole thing off with a condiment or two.

Leafy Green Lettuce - large pliable leaves without thick centers work best - use butter lettuce, collard greens, dinosaur kale or the outer layers of iceberg lettuce.
Deli Meat - use what you have on hand - roasted turkey breast is my go to
Cheese - cheddar, provolone, Monterrey jack - thin slices work best
Veggies - tomatoes, cucumbers, pickles, jalapeno ... use what you love and have on hand
Condiments - hummus, mayo, mustard, ranch, vinaigrette - it's all delicious

Instructions

The easiest way to learn how to wrap your lettuce sandwich wrap is to watch the video included in this post.

Step 1: Lettuce Wrap Sandwich. Arrange the lettuce on parchment paper.

Step 1: Arrange your lettuce on parchment paper. Arrange 4-6 (depending on size) lettuce leaves onto a square of parchment paper at a diagonal. Once arranged, the lettuce should measure about 9 x 10 inches. It is ok to layer pieces on top of one another.

Step 2: Lettuce Wrap Sandwich. Add your favorite toppings - turkey, cheese, pickles, tomatoes cucumbers and mustard.

Step 2: Add your toppings. Layer on your ingredients. Start with meat and cheese, add veggies and finish with desired condiments. Do not overfill your lettuce wrap or it will be messy to eat.

Step 3: Lettuce Wrap Sandwich - use parchment paper and roll the sandwich like a burrito.

Step 3: "Roll" your lettuce wrap. Use 2 hands and the parchment paper as your guide. Start with the end closest to you, wrap the parchment paper all the way over the top of your ingredients. Tightly roll the lettuce up, tucking the ends of the parchment paper towards the center as you go. Make sure not to roll the parchment into the sandwich, you may have to gently pull it out a few times. Wrap tightly.

Step 4: Lettuce Wrap Sandwich. Use a serrated knife to slice the wrap into 2 pieces.

Step 4: Slice and serve. Use a serrated knife to partially slice through the center of the lettuce wrap. Do Not cut all the way through the second layer of parchment. this will help to hold the sandwich together while in fridge and or transit.

Top Tip: To avoid your parchment paper wrapped into the layers of the lettuce wrap, use the paper and both hands to help you roll, but continuously pull the paper out so it doesn't get folded into the wrap. See video for visual.

Substitutions

Lettuce - butter lettuce is my go-to lettuce leaf when making lettuce wrap sandwiches, Iceberg is a close second. Dinosaur kale and collard greens are both easy to work with - but have a bit more distinct taste.
Cold Cuts - cold cuts can be replaced with sliced or shredded chicken breast, egg salad, tuna salad, chicken salad or any simple sandwich protein.
Sliced Cheese - shredded cheese or soft cheeses can be subbed for cheese slices

Variations

The options for these lettuce wrap sandwiches are endless, but here are a few of my favorites to help spark your imagination.

BLT Lettuce Wraps: add cooked bacon and fresh tomatoes with EVOO, salt and pepper
Keto Club Lettuce Wrap (low net carbs): cheese, ham, bacon tomato, pickle, mustard, mayo, salt and pepper
Kid Friendly: classic ham and cheese only is a favorite around our house
Healthy Sandwich: skip the cheese and replace mayonnaise with hummus - add extra veggies and a lean protein like turkey breast

Storage

Lettuce wraps can be made in advance and stored for about 24 hours until the lettuce loses its crunchiness. Assemble lettuce wrap sandwich, roll tightly in parchment paper and store in the refrigerator.

Equipment

Parchment paper - it is VERY important not to skip using parchment paper. Things will get messy. It is the base that holds all the ingredients together. The parchment paper should not be much larger than your arranged lettuce. Too much paper makes rolling the sandwiches more difficult.

FAQ's Lettuce Wrap Sandwich

What type of lettuce is best for sandwich wraps?

There are lots of lettuce types that will work, but I find working with large butter lettuce leaves to be the easiest.

Are lettuce wrap sandwiches healthy?

Substituting lettuce for bread lowers both the calories and the carb content. Whether or not a lettuce wrap sandwich is u0022healthyu0022 depends on the meats, cheeses and condiments you choose to include.

Why is my lettuce wrap sandwich falling apart?

It is very important to use the parchment paper to hold all your ingredients together. If your sandwich is falling apart, may not have used the right kind of lettuce or you may have added too many toppings.

VIDEO: How To Make A Lettuce Wrap Sandwich

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