Seasoned with Chipotle BBQ pistachios and glazed in a smoky homemade sauce, these succulent BBQ Meatball Lettuce Wraps make for an easy and delicious meal!

smoky, meaty, tangy homemade lettuce wraps? YES please!

It’s National Pistachio Day, and to celebrate, I’m sharing this delicious and easy recipe for BBQ Meatball Lettuce Wraps featuring Setton Farms Chipotle BBQ Pistachio Kernels!

These lettuce cups have it all! They’re:

• Crispy
• Fresh
• Flavorful
• Juicy
• Meaty
• Smoky

Basically all kinds of delicious, if ya  catch my drift. The meatballs are seasoned with crushed pistachios, which lend a nice bite – then they’re tossed in the tastiest homemade BBQ glaze, and served over a bed of tangy coleslaw. These are all the flavors I crave in one perfect lettuce cup … and I think after you make these, you’ll be craving them time and time again, too!

Grab a drink and let’s make the best BBQ Meatballs Lettuce Wraps!

homemade BBQ Meatball Lettuce Wraps – bold flavors, simple ingredients

For these BBQ Meatball Lettuce wraps, I wanted big, bold flavors, but also wanted a recipe that was easy and tasty enough for everyone to enjoy! This recipe is vegan, but you’d never know because they’re so juicy and delicious! And the best part? No weird ingredients! Here’s what you’ll need:

• Vegan ground
• Setton Farms Chipotle BBQ Pistachio Kernels (if you can’t find this brand, any pistachio will do! Don’t skip ’em though!)
• Bread crumbs
• Vegan Egg (flax or chia will work, too)
• Ketchup
• Chipotles in adobo sauce
• Vegan mayo
• Vegan-friendly worchestershire
• Apple cider vinegar (regular vinegar works too)
• Sweet pickle relish
• Celery seed
• Coleslaw mix
• Butter lettuce
• A handful of seasonings

how to make BBQ meatball lettuce wraps

All you need is about 30 minutes for these lettuce wraps to come together – and the oven does most of that work! Here’s what you’ll need to do:

1. Mix all the meatballs ingredients in a large bowl, form 1-inch meatballs, and pop ’em in the oven.
2. While those are in the oven, quickly whisk together the homemade BBQ glaze.
3. Toss the meatballs in the glaze and pop back in the oven so they get extra sticky and glaze-y!
4. While they’re in the oven during the second round, toss together the coleslaw ingredients
5. Serve! Let the meatballs cool about 5 minutes. Fill each lettuce cup with a generous amount of slaw, 2 to 3 meatballs, cilantro, red onion, and a sprinkle of crushed pistachios and enjoy!

So easy, right?!

lettuce celebrate!

I hope you love these BBQ Meatball Lettuce Wraps as much as I do! If you give this recipe a try, I want to know! Snap a photo or video and show me your lettuce wraps by tagging me on Instagram at @eat_figs_not_pigs and #EatFigsNotPigs.  I love seeing all your recreations of my recipes! Until next time, friends!

Chipotle Pistachio BBQ Meatball Lettuce Wraps

Ashley

Seasoned with Chipotle BBQ pistachios and glazed in a smokey homemade sauce, these succulent BBQ Meatball Lettuce Wraps make for an easy and delicious meal!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Vegan

Servings 2 - 4

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Meatballs:

• 12 oz vegan ground meat *see recipe notes
• ¼ cup finely chopped Setton Farms Chipotle BBQ Seasoned Pistachio Kernels plus more for garnish
• ¼ cup vegan-friendly plain breadcrumbs sub gluten-free if needed
• 2 prepared vegan eggs *see recipe notes
• 6 cloves minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt & pepper

Chipotle BBQ Sauce:

• ½ cup ketchup
• 3 tablespoons minced chipotles in adobo sauce
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vegan-friendly Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon each: garlic powder smoked paprika, salt, and pepper

Slaw and Lettuce Wraps:

• 3 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon celery seeds
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups tri-color coleslaw mixture
• Butter lettuce or lettuce of choice
• Fresh minced cilantro for garnish
• Fresh minced red onion for garnish

Instructions

 

• Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 425° F.
• To prepare the meatballs, place all its ingredients in a large bowl. Using your hands, mix well to combine. With about 1 tablespoon, roll the mixture in 1-inch meatballs – you should have about 24 meatballs. Place the meatballs on a parchment paper-lined baking tray and bake for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
• Meanwhile prepare the BBQ sauce. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and whisk well to combine. Add the meatballs to the bowl and toss gently to combine. Please back into the oven for another 10 minutes.
• To make the coleslaw, whisk together the mayonnaise, relish, vinegar, celery seeds, salt and pepper until combined. Fold in the coleslaw mix until well incorporated.
• Spoon about 1 ½ tablespoons of the coleslaw mixture onto a lettuce wrap, place 2 to 3 meatballs on top of the coleslaw, garnish with additional chopped pistachios, fresh cilantro and red onion. ENJOY!

Notes

*The best vegan ground that works for this recipe is similar to that of ground beef, usually located in the “plant-based” refrigerated section by regular ground meat in the grocery store – crumbles will not hold up together to form a meatball.

*Flax or Chia egg will work as well

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!