Cashew Shrimp Lettuce Wraps Recipe - Cookin Canuck (2024)

Cashew shrimp is always a favorite takeout meal, but it's super simple (and healthier!) to make at home. Cook up a batch and serve as lettuce wraps for a light meal or appetizers. 169 calories and 3 Weight Watchers SP

Cashew Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

Cashew shrimp lettuce wraps have all of the flavor of your favorite takeout, but with a fraction of the fat, sodium and sugar. I usually find myself cycling my favorite shrimp recipes when dinnertime rolls around because they're always quick to prepare. According to my family, these lettuce wrap earned a permanent place in the dinner rotation!

In this recipe, I added zucchini and red bell pepper for an extra dose of veggies. Broccoli, snow peas, mushrooms and carrots are also good options. Use whatever is available in your fridge! For extra crunch, add some diced water chestnuts, which are sold in a can and available in the international aisle of most grocery stores.

What is the best lettuce for lettuce wraps?

• The most common greens used for lettuce wraps are iceberg, butter, Boston bibb and romaine lettuces.
• While iceberg lettuce is one of the most popular options because of its availability, affordability and wonderful crunch, I find that it can be a bit difficult to roll.
• Butter lettuce is my favorite option because it's so easy to roll and has a pleasing buttery texture. Boston bibb lettuce is a type of butter lettuce and can be found in most grocery stores.

Tips for making cashew shrimp:

• The nuttiness of raw cashews is intensified when toasted, and a quick turn in a dry skillet is the easiest way to lightly toast the nuts. If you've ever toasted cashews, pine nuts or any other types of nuts, you know how quickly they can turn from golden brown to scorched. Stir often and keep a close eye on them!
• If you've tried any of my shrimp recipes, you know that I'm going to warn you about overcooking shrimp. They cook quickly and can turn rubbery when left in the skillet too long. For large shrimp like I used in this recipe, it only takes about 1 minute per side when cook over medium-high heat.
• To sear the shrimp rather than steaming it, as tends to happen when the pan is crowded, cook the shrimp in two separate batches. When adding the shrimp back to the stir fried veggies, use a slotted spoon to avoid including the accumulated juices.
• The bell pepper and zucchini are cut into small pieces, so don't take long to cook. I don't know about you, but I'm not a big fan of overcooked zucchini! Stir fry the veggies for 2 to 3 minutes until they are slightly undercooked, then finish them off in the sauce.
• One of the sauce ingredients is cornstarch, which helps to thicken the sauce as it bubbles away in the pan. This should take no more than two minutes! The longer the sauce cooks, the more it will reduce, intensifying the salty flavor.

Other healthy shrimp recipes:

Shrimp Corn Tomato Salad {Cookin' Canuck}
Grilled Moroccan Shrimp Potato Salad {Cookin' Canuck}
Healthy Skinny Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles {Foolproof Living}
Shrimp & Asparagus Stir Fry with Lemon Sauce {Home Cooking Memories}

Printable Recipe

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