Sweet and Sour Shrimp Lettuce Wrap
This sweet and sour shrimp recipe comes together in under 30 minutes and it feels like you fussed for hours. The shrimp is delicious on its own, but we pair it with fresh mango, shredded cabbage, carrots, cilantro, and chopped peanuts, wrapped in crisp iceberg lettuce.
A Note from Teri on A Sweet and Sour Shrimp Lettuce Wrap
This sweet and sour shrimp lettuce wrap is the most divine summer lunch or dinner. I absolutely love making lettuce wraps, and this recipe is one of my new favorites. The grilled shrimp takes it over the top. If you can, keep the shell on for the best flavor and texture on your shrimp.
The shrimp typically cook in about 5-6 minutes. However, this is a time to focus on your visual cues rather than follow the recipe exactly. To avoid overcooking your shrimp, here’s the visual cue I always tell people: you’re looking for a C-shape. C is for cooked and O is for overcooked. If you’ve got an O-shaped shrimp, it’s gone too far. Feel free to do a few test shrimp to figure out your timing if you are worried about overcooking.
We paired this wrap with a simple sweet and sour sauce. It starts with apricot jam, which gives it the perfect sweetness and texture. Then the chili crisp stirred in at the end offers a tiny bit of heat and so much flavor.
On Substack, we made this recipe with a cold noodle salad. If you have leftover cold noodles in the fridge, you tuck them into the wrap alongside everything else. It makes the whole thing more substantial and incredibly satisfying.
Ingredients and Variations
- Water, divided – use both to dissolve the jam and vinegar over heat, and separately to make the cornstarch slurry
- Apricot jam – the secret to your sauce. It provides natural fruit sweetness and a lovely golden color
- Apple cider vinegar – this adds the sour to your sweet and sour sauce with a fruity acidity
- Soy sauce or tamari – this provides the umami that takes the sauce to the next level. Use tamari to keep the recipe gluten-free.
- Cornstarch – this is what makes the sauce thick and perfectly clingy on the shrimp and vegetables.
- Chili crisp, chili flakes, or sriracha – these are optional but I highly recommend using one of them for just a touch of heat. My favorite is the chili crisp
- Shrimp, deveined – use shell-on, deveined shrimp. Leaving the shell on during marinating and cooking protects the shrimp from the grill heat and adds extra flavor.
- Extra virgin olive oil – the oil is the base of your shrimp marinade
- Lemon zest and juice – the lemon adds brightness and acidity to make the shrimp vibrant
- Garlic, thinly sliced – the garlic adds a ton of extra flavor to your marinade
- Celtic Sea Salt® and freshly ground black pepper – use these to season your shrimp
- Red pepper flakes – these add a little heat to the marinade that tastes delicious with the sweet and sour sauce
- Iceberg lettuce – this is the only lettuce that holds its shape for a wrap like this
- Yellow mango – a bit of sweetness tastes so delicious paired with the shrimp and sauce
- Cabbage – the cabbages gives a perfect crunch. I prefer to slice my own, but you can use pre-sliced in a pinch
- Shredded carrots – add some extra crunch with carrots. I prefer to cut my own, but you can buy pre-shredded in a pinch
- Cilantro leaves – I love a little herby flavor to bring everything together in your sweet and sour shrimp wrap
- Chopped peanuts – this little bit of nuttiness makes for the perfect flavor to balance out the wrap
- Marinated red onions – optional but highly recommended. If you have them or can make them, it’s a must-do moment
- Cold cooked noodles – Make the wrap more substantial with some cold noodles to pair with all the crunch. For more ideas on building out meals like this, check out Teri’s Substack.
How to Make a Sweet and Sour Shrimp Lettuce Wrap
Step One: Prep Your Lettuce and Make Sauce
Slice about an inch deep around the core to remove it, submerge it in a bowl of cold water, and let the water do all the work for about 8 minutes. The water slips between the layers, the leaves loosen on their own, and you end up with clean, perfect cups with almost no effort. You should get about six leaves, and you can use the rest for a lovely chopped salad.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, add water and jam, vinegar, and soy sauce. While everything dissolves in the pan, mix 1 tablespoon cold water and the cornstarch in a small bowl to make a slurry. Add the cornstarch slurry to the pan, bring to a boil and let boil for 1-2 minutes. Turn the heat off and transfer the sauce to a bowl to cool. If you want to add chili crisp (highly recommended), chili flakes, or sriracha you can stir it in now. Set aside.
Step Two: Make The Shrimp
Preheat the grill to medium. With a sharp knife or with kitchen shears, cut the top of the shell open and carefully devein the shrimp. Add the shrimp to a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, lemon zest and juice, and garlic, then pour over the shrimp and toss to coat. Let marinate for 20 minutes.
Add the shrimp in a single layer to the grill or pan and cook for about 3 minutes per side, until they are pink and curled up. Shrimp cooks quickly, so the total cook time should be 5 – 6 minutes. Visually, you’re looking for C shaped shrimp. If they turn to O’s they are overcooked. Let the shrimp cool for a few minutes then remove the shells of the shrimp and set aside.
Step Three: Assemble Wrap
Remove the lettuce leaves from the fridge and, if necessary, overlap two leaves together to create a lettuce cup or bowl. Sprinkle with salt then layer in some shrimp, cabbage, carrots, cilantro, peanuts, and marinated onions. Liberally drizzle the sweet and sour sauce over everything.
If you have any leftover noodles, add them to the wrap for a heartier wrap!
Roll the leaves up into a wrap, then tightly roll the paper around the wrap. Twist the ends of the paper, and cut the wrap in half. Repeat to make a second wrap, then serve and enjoy immediately.
How to Roll A Lettuce Wrap
Using both hands, start with the edge of the lettuce leaves closest to you and begin rolling them up and over the filling. As you roll, pull the filling in toward you. This keeps it tight and compact rather than spilling out the front. Tuck or fold in the sides of the lettuce as you go, just like rolling a burrito, and continue rolling as tightly as you can until the wrap is completely closed.
Once rolled, place it seam-side down on a sheet of parchment paper and roll the parchment tightly around the outside of the wrap. Twist both ends of the paper to secure it. Cut the wrap in half through the parchment. Serve immediately. These are best the moment they’re assembled while the shrimp is still warm and the lettuce is still cold and crisp.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. The sauce keeps in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to a week. The flavors deepen as it sits and it stays perfectly thick. Heat slightly when you are ready to use.
Look for large or extra-large shrimp. They hold up better on the grill and are more satisfying in a wrap than smaller sizes. Shell-on, deveined shrimp are ideal since the shell protects the shrimp during cooking and adds flavor to the marinade. Fresh shrimp is wonderful if you can get it, but high-quality frozen shrimp, thawed overnight in the refrigerator, can work as well.
Absolutely. The stovetop version is great. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat and cook the shrimp in a single layer for about 3 minutes per side. The key is not crowding the pan, which will cause the shrimp to steam rather than sear.
Cold cooked noodles tucked into the wrap are a wonderful way to make it more substantial. Rice noodles or soba work best if you have them. Sliced avocado is another great addition.
Try These Other Lettuce Wraps!
If you make this Sweet and Sour Shrimp Lettuce Wrap recipe, be sure to review it below and let me know what you think! If you’re looking for more inspiration, subscribe to my Substack, and follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok to join in all the fun!
Sweet and Sour Shrimp Lettuce Wrap
Ingredients
For the Shrimp
- 1 ½ pounds shrimp deveined
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
For the Sweet and Sour Sauce
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon water divided
- 3 tablespoons apricot jam
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon soy sauce or tamari
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch
- Chili crisp, chili flakes, or sriracha optional
For the Wrap
- 1 – 2 heads iceberg lettuce
- 1 small yellow mango peeled, sliced, and cut into thin strips
- ½ cup cabbage thinly sliced
- ¼ cup carrots shredded
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves
- ¼ cup peanuts chopped
- Marinated Red Onions optional
- Cold cooked noodles optional
Instructions
- Prep the lettuce leaves: Slice about an inch deep around the core to remove it, submerge it in a bowl of cold water, and let the water do all the work for about 8 minutes. The water slips between the layers, the leaves loosen on their own, and you end up with clean, perfect cups with almost no effort. You should get about six leaves, and you can use the rest for a lovely chopped salad.
- Make the sweet and sour sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, add ¼ cup water and the jam, vinegar, and soy sauce. While everything dissolves in the pan, mix 1 tablespoon cold water and the cornstarch in a small bowl to make a slurry. Add the cornstarch slurry to the pan, bring to a boil and let boil for 1-2 minutes. Turn the heat off and transfer the sauce to a bowl to cool. If you want to add ½ teaspoon of chili crisp (highly recommended), chili flakes, or sriracha you can stir it in now. Set aside.
- Make the shrimp: Preheat the grill to medium.
- With a sharp knife or with kitchen shears, cut the top of the shell open (making sure to leave the shell on) and carefully devein the shrimp. Add the shrimp to a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, lemon zest and juice, and garlic, then pour over the shrimp and toss to coat. Let marinate for 20 minutes.
- Note: If cooking on the stovetop, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the shrimp in a single layer to the grill or pan and cook for about 3 minutes per side, until they are pink and curled up. Shrimp cooks quickly, so the total cook time should be 5 – 6 minutes. Visually, you’re looking for C shaped shrimp. If they turn to O’s they are overcooked.
- Let the shrimp cool for a few minutes then remove the shells of the shrimp and set aside.
- Note: You can save the shells for a seafood stock in the freezer.
- Assemble the wraps: Remove the lettuce leaves from the fridge and, if necessary, overlap two leaves together to create a lettuce cup or bowl. Sprinkle with salt then layer in some shrimp, cabbage, carrots, cilantro, peanuts, and marinated onions (if using). Liberally drizzle the sweet and sour sauce over everything.
- Note: If you have any leftover noodles, add them to the wrap for a heartier wrap!
- Using both hands, carefully begin to roll the leaves up into a wrap starting with the edge of the leaves closest to you. Wrap the leaves over the filling, pulling the filling in toward you as you roll. Tuck or fold in the sides of the lettuce as you go and continue rolling as tightly as you can until the sandwich is completely wrapped, like a burrito. Then tightly roll the paper around the wrap. Twist the ends of the paper, and cut the wrap in half. Repeat to make a second wrap, then serve and enjoy immediately.
Notes
- For a cold noodle salad option on this recipe, check out this Substack.
- Watch your shrimp closely to avoid overcooking. You do not want your shrimp to turn into an O-shape. That means it is overcooked.
- If you don’t like shrimp, you could substitute every day roasted chicken breasts.
