Chicken Lettuce Wraps are a healthy and fun option that can be made so easily and quickly! Chicken, bell peppers, and green onions are tossed in a homemade Asian sauce and served in a fresh crisp lettuce cup.
This chicken lettuce wraps recipe is perfect served as an appetizer, a delicious dinner or even a side dish with other Asian-themed fares, like teriyaki grilled chicken thighs or chicken chow mein.
What Kind of Lettuce for Lettuce Wraps
Your Asian lettuce wraps recipe will look as good as the lettuce you use, so be sure to choose bright green and crispy looking leaves.
Besides that though, nearly any kind of lettuce will work!
- Butter Lettuce or Bibb Lettuce: butter or bibb lettuce has a great shape and doesn’t crack but is soft so it can’t be overfilled.
- Iceberg Lettuce: is fresh, sturdy and crunchy but the larger leaves can crack if you bend them so cut them if they’re really big.
- Other: Romaine lettuce, kale…. pretty much any kind of lettuce you like will work.
How Do I Cut It? Carefully separate the lettuce leaves and rinse and pat dry. Keep them whole, and if you must, slice off any white or hardy ends that won’t wrap well.
How to Make Lettuce Wraps
With these lettuce wraps, it’s really all about the sauce! Feel free to add red pepper flakes or Sriracha for a spicier flavor!
To Make the Sauce:
- Combine the sauce ingredients and whisk well.
- Make a slurry by dissolving the cornstarch in a little bit of water and then add to the sauce mixture to thicken. Set the sauce aside.
To Make the Chicken Filling:
- Finely dice chicken, toss with cornstarch and put in the fridge.
- Heat olive oil, garlic, ginger & green onions. Cook everything down until fragrant and soft.
- Add the chicken, and cook about 4 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, including the sauce and cook down until the sauce is thickened.
To serve, scoop into a section of lettuce leaf and top with chopped peanuts, extra hoisin sauce, peanut dressing, or Sriracha!
What to Serve with Lettuce Wraps
The original PF Chang’s lettuce wraps are served on a bed of deep fried rice noodles but we put out a huge plate of shredded veggies. Cabbage, carrots, peppers, cucumbers, cilantro… the sky’s the limit!
If the lettuce wraps are part of an entire Asian-fusion inspired meal, serve them alongside some slow cooker honey garlic chicken, or a hot and sour soup for something lighter!
Asian Inspired Appetizers
- Honey Garlic Chicken Wings Recipe – perfectly sweet & sticky
- Asian Beef Skewers – delicious Asian marinade
- Hoisin Glazed Meatballs – ready in 30 minutes!
- Crab Rangoon – easy crab & cream cheese filled wontons
- Sweet and Sour Meatballs – 2 ingredient sauce
Favorite Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 chicken breasts diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger minced/grated
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 green onions sliced, whites & greens separated
- 8 ounces water chestnuts diced
- ¼ cup red bell pepper diced
- lettuce leaves iceberg or butter lettuce for serving
- toppings as desired
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce plus extra for serving
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Combine diced chicken with cornstarch. Refrigerate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Combine all sauce ingredients and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add ginger, garlic and the whites of the green onions and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add chicken and cook until almost cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. Add water chestnuts, bell pepper and sauce. Simmer 2-3 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
- To serve, place a scoop of the warm chicken filling in a lettuce leaf. Add desired toppings and drizzle with a little bit of hoisin sauce.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer
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Recipe inspired by Food Network Magazine
Serves 6. Is that 6 lettuce wraps.
Restaurant Style Lettuce Wraps – Spend With Pennies