Spicy Thai Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

Spicy Thai Shrimp Lettuce Wraps with sweet pineapple and savory peanut sauce is a refreshing, spicy-sweet dish perfect for easy weeknight dinners.

Fire up a skillet or grill, mix the peanut sauce, and in just a few minutes you’ll have Thai lettuce wraps ready to serve!

This recipe is not only a simple lunch or dinner, it’s also beautiful on an appetizer tray. Hints of garlic and lime infuse every bite of this Thai shrimp lettuce wrap recipe, and the juicy-sweet pineapple brings a nice balance to the spice.

Easy to customize, simply add more chili-garlic sauce for a spicier bite or tone the heat down with more lime juice; either way, they’re sure to be a hit!

Ingredient Highlight

Shrimp Counts (Size)

Shrimp is sold in various forms—head and tail on, no head but with body scale and tail, or completely peeled and deveined—and different sizes indicated by count.

The “count” sizes are usually displayed in a number range somewhere on the package indicating the number you can expect to get in a single pound of shrimp.

My recommendation is to use a medium-size shrimp (31-35 count) for this recipe because they are small enough to fit in a single bite yet big enough to stand out for presentation.

Buying shrimp already peeled and deveined saves prep time for sure, but will cost a little more per pound.

TIP: If purchasing shrimp in their full form with heads and tails on, remove the entire shell exterior, including the head and tail. Additionally, you will want to remove the vein (intestinal tract) along the back of the shrimp. Here’s a handy video to show you how: Peeling and deveining shrimp video.

Sambal Oelek (Chili Garlic Sauce)

Sambal Oelek (chili garlic sauce) is used to give the dish its fiery heat. What is Sambal Oelek? Sambal Oelek is a spicy chili paste made from hot red peppers. It’s seasoned with vinegar and salt, and you’ll find this in many Indonesian and Thai dishes. It’s perfect with these spicy Thai shrimp wraps.

You should be able to find Sambal Oelek in the Asian food section of your supermarket or a specialty Asian market.

Butter Lettuce a.k.a. Bibb, Boston Lettuce

Bibb lettuce, soft butter lettuce, is my first choice for the wraps because the leaves are tender, yet sturdy, and naturally cup-shaped. Iceberg lettuce and romaine lettuce will also work if Bibb is not available, though it may take a little more effort to get those perfect-sized cups.

How Spicy Are Thai Lettuce Wraps?

As this recipe is written, we consider it a medium-spiced dish. A nice balance of spice and sweet as the pineapple diffuses the heat that comes from the chili-garlic sauce. 

The beauty of this dish is that you control how spicy you want it to be. If you like spicier foods, I suggest serving the wraps with a splash of sriracha sauce to kick it up or garnish with fresh Thai red chilis.

TIP: Adjust seasoning in your lettuce wraps by adding fish sauce for salt, honey for sweetness, lime juice for tang, or chili sauce for spice.

Are Shrimp & Pineapple Wraps Easy to Make?

Yes! This recipe uses lettuce leaves instead of traditional rice paper wrappers, making them SO much easier to wrap and handle. Just three easy steps and you’re ready to assemble the wraps!

6 Easy Steps for Lettuce Wraps

1. Marinate the shrimp. 
2. Wash and separate the lettuce.
3. Dry the pineapple. 
4. Mix the sauce. 
5. Pan-sear the pineapple and shrimp (skillet or grill). 
6. Assemble the wraps.

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Spicy Thai Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

A light and fresh, spicy-sweet dish with hints of garlic and lime covering every bite of shrimp and pineapple. Quick and easy for weeknight dinners or an impressive party appetizer.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time45 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Grilled, Lunch

Cuisine: Asian Fusion

Servings: 8

Author: Judy Purcell

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• ▢ 12 whole Bibb lettuce leaves (about 2 heads)
• ▢ 2 cups pineapple chunks drained, cut into bite-size chunks NOTE: keep the pineapple in rings if grilling and cut once grilled
• ▢ 2 tablespoons avocado oil for frying the shrimp and pineapple

FOR THE SHRIMP

• ▢ 1 pound medium shrimp (31-35 count) peeled and deveined, tails removed
• ▢ 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• ▢ 2 whole limes — juiced
• ▢ 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• ▢ 1 tablespoon honey
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt

FOR THE SAUCE

• ▢ 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions save green tops for garnish, if desired
• ▢ 3 whole limes zested (1 teaspoon) and juiced (about 1/4 cup)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon honey
• ▢ 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• ▢ 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• ▢ 2 teaspoons chile garlic sauce such as sambal oelek
• ▢ 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• ▢ 2 cups roasted peanuts chopped
• ▢ 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (leaves and stems)

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Instructions

MARINATE THE SHRIMP, PREP LETTUCE & PINEAPPLE

• Mix the oil, lime juice, garlic, honey, and salt. Toss with the shrimp until coated and set aside to marinate while prepping the rest of the ingredients.
• Prep the bibb lettuce leaves by washing the head of lettuce and peeling each leaf off to serve as a wrap. Dry each leaf with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Set aside until ready to serve or prep-ahead and slide into a zip-type bag and store in the refrigerator crisper.
• Spread the pineapple chunks out on paper towels to absorb excess juices. (The pineapple will sear better if dry.)

MIX THE SAUCE

• Whisk the 1/4 cup lime juice, 1 teaspoon lime zest, honey, chile paste, and fish sauce in a bowl until combined. Add the peanuts and cilantro and stir until evenly dressed with the sauce.

STIR-FRY OR GRILL PINEAPPLE AND SHRIMP

• Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Swirl the oil to be sure it covers the skillet in a thin layer. Once the skillet is hot, add the pineapple and pan-sear, stirring occasionally, until caramelized in spots, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a mixing bowl. (If grilling, grill over high heat 5-6 minutes.)
• In the same skillet, stir-fry the shrimp 4-6 minutes over med-high heat until pink and cooked through. (If grilling, grill over high heat 4-6 minutes.)

TOSS AND SERVE

• Toss the shrimp with the pineapple and the sauce and serve with the bibb lettuce at the table or pre-fill the lettuce leaves and serve on a platter. Garnish with chopped scallions.

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Notes

Recipe TIPS

• Wash and dry the lettuce and store the leaves in a plastic bag with a paper towel inside in the crisper for up to 5 days
• Make the sauce up to 3 days in advance, just wait to mix in the peanuts until just before serving so they don’t get soggy
• Spice it up with more chili-garlic sauce or top your wraps with some finely sliced Thai red chilis, sriracha sauce, or crushed red pepper flakes
• Adjust seasoning by adding fish sauce for salt, honey for sweetness, lime juice for tang, or chili sauce for spice

Recipe Variations

• Substitute grilled chicken, or ground chicken, turkey, or pork
• Substitute mango or fresh peaches for the pineapple
• Substitute cashews or walnuts for the peanuts in the sauce
• Top wraps with bean sprouts, a dash of soy sauce, chopped fresh green onions, or fresh herbs like fresh basil.
• Serve this dish as more of a salad with torn greens on the bottom, and top with the pineapple, shrimp, and sauce.
• Turn into spring rolls with rice paper wrappers! Tuck all the ingredients inside and save some sauce for dipping.

Nutrition

Calories: 384kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 698mg | Potassium: 556mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 187IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 2mg

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