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Thai Basil Turkey Lettuce Cups

Name: Thai Basil Turkey Lettuce Cups
Prep time: 12 min
Total time: 12 min
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: fish sauce — 44 g; oyster sauce — 30 g; soy sauce — 15 g; light-brown sugar — 13 g; low-salt chicken broth — 59 g; vegetable oil — 27 g; garlic — 18 g; fresh serrano chile — 200 g; turkey meat — 680 g; red bell pepper — 100 g; fresh thai basil leaves — 89 g; cos lettuce — 100 g; lime — 65 g

Thai Basil Turkey Lettuce Cups reads umami 9.0, salinity 6.0 and funk & ferment 5.9 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Thai main, about 12 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 10.0 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 4.3 / 10
Sour & Bright — 6.5 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 1.2 / 10
Rich & Fat — 4.4 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.1 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 9.0 · Salinity 6.0 · Funk & Ferment 5.9 · Citrus 5.1 · Sourness 4.6 · Marine & Briny 4.6 · Richness 4.1 · Sweetness 3.8 · Herbaceous 3.5 · Allium 3.5 · Heat 2.4 · Fruity 1.7 · Floral 1.3 · Bitterness 1.1 · Nutty 1.0 · Warm Spice 0.8 · Earthy 0.7

What's in it (13)

fish sauce — 44 g
oyster sauce — 30 g
soy sauce — 15 g
light-brown sugar — 13 g
low-salt chicken broth — 59 g
vegetable oil — 27 g
garlic — 18 g
fresh serrano chile — 200 g
turkey meat — 680 g
red bell pepper — 100 g
fresh thai basil leaves — 89 g
cos lettuce — 100 g
lime — 65 g

Time & effort: about 12 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 86.7 kcal, 11.1 g protein, 3.3 g fat, 4 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

In a small bowl, whisk together the fish sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, and chicken broth; set the sauce aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat until shimmering, about 1 minute, then add the garlic and chiles and stir-fry until fragrant and just starting to turn golden at the edges, about 30 seconds — pull the pan off the heat immediately if it starts to smoke.
Add the ground turkey in an even layer and let it sear undisturbed for 2 minutes to build color on the bottom before touching it.
Break the turkey into smaller pieces and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink and it reaches 165°F internally, 4-5 minutes.
Push the turkey to one side of the pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the bell pepper to the cleared space, and stir-fry until crisp-tender, 2-3 minutes.
Pour in the reserved sauce, toss everything together, and simmer until it clings to the meat and turns glossy, about 2 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and fold in the basil leaves until just wilted, about 30 seconds.
Spoon the turkey mixture into the lettuce leaves and serve immediately with lime wedges for squeezing over the top.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Drunken Noodles with Chicken (Pad Kee Mao) — Thai
Grilled Pork Banh Mi Bowls — Vietnamese
Drunken Noodles with Shrimp — Thai
Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken — Vietnamese
Thai Fried Rice with Chicken (Khao Pad Gai) — Thai

Keep reading: what umami, salinity, funk & ferment mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.