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Lettuce Wraps with Shrimp and Mango Slaw

ByCheryl Avrich Updated on
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If you believe that a low calorie, low carb, healthy, gluten-free and low fat dish can’t be absolutely delicious, lettuce wraps with shrimp and mango slaw will prove you wrong.

These little gems are loaded with healthy ingredients and present beautifully.

single shrimp lettuce wrap on tray

The ingredients, all easily accessible at your local grocery store, include flavorful shrimp, crunchy veggies (broccoli slaw), silky mango and avocado, green onions and a tangy spicy sauce – all wrapped in a lettuce leaf. Nice flavor, nice crunch.

The ingredient list looks a bit long, but the entire shrimp lettuce wraps recipe is simple to make in about 20 minutes. Don’t worry about exact amounts.

I serve the lettuce wraps as an appetizer, light lunch or healthy dinner along with Vegetable Wonton Soup or Egg Drop Soup. My only suggestion is to serve them around a kitchen island or at the table because they can be a tad messy if you are using soft lettuce.

Tailor To Your Taste

Feel free to make these shrimp wraps your own with a few variations and substitutes.

  • Substitutes for shrimp:
    • cooked crab or lobster instead of shrimp
    • tofu instead of shrimp for a vegetarian version
  • Substitutes and add-ins for mango slaw:
    • peaches instead of mangoes
    • fresh parsley, tarragon or dill instead of fresh cilantro
    • I use undressed store-bought shredded broccoli, but anything crunchy will do such as shredded cabbage, carrot matchsticks or bean sprouts.
    • Add a few drops fish sauce or sesame oil to the dressing if you like for more depth. If you don’t have or like fish sauce, leave it out.
  • Best lettuce for wraps: I like the use butter lettuce (also called Boston lettuce or Bibb lettuce) for this shrimp wrap recipe as it’s very pliable, but some find it too soft to manage the filling well. You can use two lettuce leaves per wrap or, instead, try crunchy, sturdier iceberg lettuce.

How to make spicy shrimp lettuce wraps

ingredients for shrimp lettuce wraps on table
Ingredients: shrimp, fresh lettuce leaves, lime, ginger, broccoli slaw, Thai sweet chili sauce, fish sauce, oil, garlic, green onion, cilantro, mango, avocado
raw shrimp peeled and deveined on pan
Prepare shrimp and lay on pan
cooked shrimp cut in pieces
Bake for 5-6 minutes
sauce for mango slaw in bowl
Mix together dressing ingredients
diced and shredded ingredients in bowl
Make mango slaw.
mixture for lettuce wraps in bowl
Add shrimp and dressing. Toss to combine.
many shrimp lettuce wraps on large bamboo tray
Fill lettuce cups with mango slaw and juicy shrimp mixture.
one shrimp lettuce wrap other others on wooden tray

Shortcuts

  • Buy a pre-made mango salsa to cut the time in half
  • Use garlic and ginger in frozen cubes or in jars
  • Instead of roasting the shrimp, they can be boiled in salted water for 3 minutes. Or even quicker, buy cooked shrimp.

Make Ahead

  • Same day: Make the shrimp and mango slaw dressing a couple hours ahead. Leave the slaw (or at least the dicing of the avocado) and filling the lettuce wraps until just before serving.
  • Leftovers: Store leftover shrimp in an airtight container in the fridge for a day. 

Other quick and easy shrimp recipes you might like

single shrimp lettuce wrap on tray
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4.95 from 18 votes

Shrimp Lettuce Wrap with Mango Slaw Recipe

If you believe that a low calorie, low carb, healthy, gluten-free and low fat dish can't be absolutely delicious,  Shrimp Lettuce Wraps with Mango Slaw will prove you wrong.
Prep Time14 minutes
Cook Time6 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: Asian style
Servings: 4
Author: Cheryl Avrich

Ingredients

  • 3/4 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined (medium shrimp is ok too)
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (or pinch, garlic powder)
  • olive oil (1-2 tsp)
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 Boston/Bibb/Butter lettuce, leaves, separated (iceberg lettuce is ok too)
  • Garnish: lime wedges, chopped cilantro

Mango Slaw

  • 1 small mango, pitted, peeled and diced small (about 1/2 cup/82 grams)
  • 1/2 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced small (about 1/4 cup/37 grams)
  • 2 tablespoons green onion, finely chopped (1 green onion)
  • 1 cup broccoli slaw, undressed (or cabbage slaw) I buy it shredded in package.

Dressing for Mango Slaw

  • 2 tablespoon Spicy Sweet Chili Sauce (I use Thai)
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice (about 1/2 lime)
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) fresh ginger, grated (1/2 tsp fresh)
  • 1 teaspoon Fish Sauce (optional)
  • pinch kosher salt
US Measures – Metric

Instructions

  • PREPARE LETTUCE: Lay out lettuce leaves on a tray or individual plates.
  • ROAST SHRIMP: Heat oven to 425F/218C. Toss shrimp in a mixing bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, garlic, salt and black pepper and lay in single layer on pan lined with foil (for easy clean up). Roast shrimp for 6 minutes or just until they lose their translucence. If shrimp are medium, roast for 5 minutes. Note 1. Cut shrimp into chunks. I cut large shrimp into three pieces and medium into two pieces.
  • MAKE MANGO SLAW DRESSING: Combine ingredients in small bowl and mix well.
  • MIX MANGO SLAW WITH SHRIMP: Add mango slaw ingredients and chopped shrimp in a bowl. Pour on dressing and mix to combine.
  • ASSEMBLE AND SERVE: Divide shrimp and mango slaw mixture among 8-10 lettuce leaves. Garnish with a squeeze of lime and chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

  1. Other ways to cook shrimp: Instead of roasting shrimp, boil them. Place them in boiling salted water, remove from heat and let the sit uncovered for 3 minutes (or 2 if small). Run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Shortcut: buy cooked shrimp.
  2. Variations:
    • Substitutes for shrimp:
      • cooked crab or lobster instead of shrimp
      • tofu instead of shrimp for a vegetarian version
    • Substitutes and add-ins for mango slaw:
      • peaches instead of mangoes
      • fresh herbs like parsley, tarragon or dill instead of cilantro
      • I use undressed store-bought shredded broccoli, but anything crunchy will do such as shredded cabbage, carrot matchsticks or bean sprouts.
      • Add a few drops fish sauce or sesame oil to the dressing if you like for more depth. If you don’t have or like fish sauce, leave it out.
      • Add shredded carrots, finely diced red bell pepper, water chestnuts or English cucumbers.
      • Increase the spice level with sriracha sauce or red pepper flakes.
    • Best lettuce for wraps: I like the use butter lettuce (also called Boston lettuce or Bibb lettuce) as it’s very pliable, but some find it too soft to manage the filling well. You can use two lettuce leaves per wrap or, instead, try crunchy, sturdier iceberg lettuce.
  3. Make Ahead:
    • Same day: Make the shrimp and mango slaw dressing a couple hours ahead. Leave the slaw (or at least the dicing of the avocado) and filling the lettuce wraps until just before serving.
    • Leftovers: Store leftover shrimp in an airtight container in the fridge for a day. 
 
Nutrition values are estimates for about 2 shrimp lettuce wraps.

Nutrition

Calories: 191kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 214mg | Sodium: 876mg | Potassium: 488mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 2098IU | Vitamin C: 55mg | Calcium: 164mg | Iron: 3mg
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