Super easy salmon lettuce wraps loaded with fluffy brown rice, crunchy cucumbers, carrots, cashews, and a flavorful honey ginger dressing.
Why I love salmon lettuce wraps (and why you will too):
- Quick and easy: this healthy recipe takes about twenty minutes to throw together and is perfect for busy weeknights or a quick lunch!
- Nutritious: salmon is a powerful source of protein and heart-healthy fats. Protein helps you feel full and satisfied longer and the omega-3 fatty acids are important for brain health, eye health, heart health and more!
- Meal prep-able: these past few weeks I’ve tested this recipe several times. Since my husband works out of town we don’t plow through quite as much food as usual so I love how well these lettuce wraps keep. I store each of the components separately (dressing, salmon, brown rice, veggies) and then I can throw together lettuce wraps for a quick lunch or dinner.
- Versatile: customize these to your heart’s content. Use different veggies, a different grain, or a different sauce like teriyaki sauce to make teriyaki salmon lettuce wraps or avocado sauce to make summery salmon avocado wraps. This is a healthy meal the whole family can enjoy!
The simple ingredients you’ll need:
Salmon: I love to use wild-caught Alaskan salmon- I get it from Costco!
Honey ginger dressing: this simple vinaigrette combines avocado oil, honey, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper for an incredibly simple but astoundingly flavorful sauce.
Butter lettuce: this is generally sold in stores as ‘living butter lettuce’ which means it comes with roots attached to help prolong its freshness and shelf life! You could also use romaine lettuce, Bibb lettuce, green leaf lettuce or even iceberg lettuce.
Cucumber: crunchy cucumber pairs beautifully with the flaky salmon.
Carrots: peel and julienne whole carrots or take a shortcut and grab a bag of julienned carrots at the grocery store!
Green onions: also called scallions, these add a wonderful finish to the crisp lettuce cups!
Cashews: cashews add crunch and texture to these lettuce wraps. I like to use roasted and salted cashews.
Brown rice: this is technically optional and if you’d like a low-carb salmon lettuce wrap feel free to omit, but I love including a hearty whole grain like brown rice to make these a satisfying, well-rounded meal!
How to make easy salmon lettuce wraps:
Whisk or blend together the dressing. Add all ingredients to a small blender or food processor and blend until creamy and smooth. Alternatively, you can whisk vigorously in a small bowl or shake the salad ingredients together in a mason jar or salad shaker. (Blending will make the dressing more emulsified/cohesive but it is delicious either way)
Roast up the salmon with some of that ginger-y sweet sauce. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add 1-2 tablespoons honey ginger dressing to each piece of salmon, making sure to thoroughly coat. Roast salmon for 10-12 minutes until just cooked through. Cooking time might vary depending on the thickness of your fillet (wild-caught is usually thinner and cooks quicker while farm-raised is quite a bit thicker and may need a few extra minutes). Internal temp should be 145 degrees when checked with an instant-read thermometer. Remove salmon from oven and drizzle with dressing.
Assemble baybay! While the salmon cooks, arrange lettuce leaves on a plate. Add a spoonful of brown rice, cooked salmon, cucumber, carrots, green onions and cashews. Drizzle the wraps with more dressing and dig in!
Expert tips and variation ideas:
- Watch closely and take care not to overcook the salmon, friends! Remember that there will be a little carryover cooking when you take it out of the oven. Your cooking time is going to vary based on the thickness of the fillet.
- Different sauce ideas to use on these wraps: homemade teriyaki sauce, fresh pesto, creamy jalapeño dressing, spicy mayo or Thai peanut sauce
- Instead of lettuce, you could serve all of the components in a tortilla or as a rice bowl!
- Add whatever other veggies you love! Red bell pepper, red onion, broccoli, shredded cabbage, avocado, edamame, radishes and bean sprouts would all work well.
- This recipe is a great way to use leftover salmon.
FAQs
Although I haven’t tried it, I’m sure that this ginger dressing would be amazing on baked tofu! I’d recommend replacing the salmon with tofu or edamame.
Any sturdy lettuce will work- romaine, Bibb, iceberg, green leaf or red leaf lettuce are good options.
Different proteins I think would be yummy: tofu, chicken, halibut or mahi mahi, shrimp, ground pork or ground chicken.
I recommend storing each component (salmon, rice, dressing, vegetables) in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
Prep ahead instructions: whisk together the dressing, chop the veggies, cook the brown rice, wash the lettuce. Right before serving: bake the salmon and assemble!
I love buying a tube of fresh ginger from the produce section (near the herbs) to keep in my fridge in case I run out of ginger root. In a pinch, you could also substitute ground ginger- start with ½ teaspoon and add more depending on your desired level of ginger flavor.
Sure! You can use quinoa or for a low-carb option, cauliflower rice. Or, simply omit and fill the lettuce leaves with salmon and veggies!
If you love these salmon lettuce wraps you’ll love these other salmon recipes!
Taste the rainbow. 🤤🌈
If you try and like this recipe please don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating down below! If you love more lifestyle, behind the scenes and ‘eating in real life’ type of content come find me over on Instagram, @itsaflavorfullife, I love connecting with you all there!
PrintSalmon Lettuce Wraps with Honey Ginger Dressing
- Total Time: 20-25 minutes
- Yield: 3–4 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Light but filling, nutrient-dense and wildly flavorful, these salmon lettuce wraps are on my regular meal prep rotation!
Ingredients
Salmon
- 1 lb salmon fillets
- 1/2 teaspoon each kosher salt and black pepper
Dressing
- 1/2 cup avocado oil
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 inch knob ginger, freshly grated (or 1 heaping tablespoon ginger purée)
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Wraps
- Butter lettuce leaves
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 1 small cucumber, chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 1/3 cup roasted cashews, chopped
- garnish: lime, sesame seeds, extra dressing
Instructions
Dressing: add all ingredients to a small blender or food processor and blend until creamy and smooth. Alternatively, you can whisk vigorously or shake the salad ingredients together in a jar. (Blending will make the dressing more emulsified/cohesive but it is delicious either way)
Salmon: preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat and add the salmon fillets. Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add 1-2 tablespoons honey ginger dressing to each piece, making sure to coat the salmon. Roast salmon for 10-12 minutes until just cooked through. Cooking time might vary depending on the thickness of your fillet (wild caught is usually thinner and cooks quicker while farm-raised is quite a bit thicker and may need a few extra minutes). Internal temp should be 145 degrees when checked with an instant read thermometer. Remove salmon from oven and drizzle with dressing.
Wraps: in each butter lettuce leaf add a spoonful of brown rice, some flaked honey ginger salmon, cucumber, carrots, green onions and cashews. Drizzle the wraps with more dressing and a little lime juice and dig in!
Notes
You will likely have leftover dressing (I did), this is a GOOD thing. This dressing is so good on salads, wraps, rice bowls and beyond. It keeps in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Refer to the above blog post for expert tips, variation ideas, answers to frequently asked questions and more!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-12 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Roast
- Cuisine: American
This post contains affiliate links which means if you click and make a purchase, I receive a small commission. Thank you so much for your support and helping me continue to do what I do!!
Kristin
This was so good and so quick and easy to make. My husband loved it and gobbled up every last bit. The dressing is light and refreshing but flavorful (I mean, that’s Erica’s vibe, amiright?).
★★★★★
Erica
riiiiight!?! Love it Kristin, thanks for sharing!