Move over, P.F. Chang’s. There’s a new Asian chicken lettuce wrap star in town!
Nestled inside crisp butter lettuce is ground chicken with a medley of veggies, including mushrooms and water chestnuts, coated in an irresistible umami sauce.
Between the flavor and texture, I dare say this homemade version is even better than the restaurant!
One bite, and I’m sure you’ll agree!
Why You’ll Love These Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Quick & Easy: In under 30 minutes, you can nosh on these fresh and savory wraps. So they’re even great for weeknights!
Light & Fresh: Not too hot or heavy, these lettuce wraps are perfect for a healthy, refreshing summer meal.
Build-Your-Own: The family will love building their own wraps and customizing their toppings. Scallions, crushed peanuts, and Sriracha are just some ideas. Feel free to mix and match!
Better Than Takeout: Enjoy a restaurant-quality meal at home at a fraction of the price! With the savory filling, umami sauce, crisp wrapper, and fresh toppings, you’ll forget all about takeout.
Ingredients
You can find all the ingredients at a typical supermarket chain — no specialty store required!
- Ground Chicken: The lean, healthy protein readily absorbs the sauce for optimal flavor.
- Sauce: It’s a blend of hoisin sauce, low-sodium soy sauce, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, and cornstarch. Savory, sweet, and tangy, it takes the dish up a notch.
- Vegetable Oil: Add a splash to sauté the chicken and vegetables.
- Veggies: A colorful trio of finely diced onion, red bell pepper, and carrots.
- White Button or Cremini Mushrooms: To add an earthy depth of flavor to the filling.
- Water Chestnuts: Drained and finely chopped, these add a unique texture and subtle nutty taste.
- Garlic and Ginger: Minced fresh garlic and ginger infuse the dish with aromatic notes.
- Scallions: They’re thinly sliced for a burst of color and subtle onion flavor.
- Butter Lettuce: Tender, crisp lettuce leaves are the perfect vessel for the flavorful chicken filling.
- Crushed Peanuts, Red Pepper Flakes, Sriracha Hot Sauce: These toppings customize the lettuce wraps to your liking.
How to Make Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Once you make these lettuce wraps at home, you’ll never need to dine out again!
1. Prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Set aside.
2. Cook the chicken. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil. Add the ground chicken. Cook until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
3. Sauté the vegetables. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil to the skillet. Add the onion, bell pepper, carrots, and mushrooms. Cook until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the aromatics. Stir in the water chestnuts, garlic, ginger, and half of the scallions. Cook until fragrant.
5. Combine the ingredients. Return the cooked chicken to the skillet and pour in the prepared sauce. Toss and cook until the sauce is bubbling and has thickened slightly.
6. Serve. Transfer the chicken mixture to a serving dish and garnish with the remaining scallions. Serve with toppings on the side.
7. Assemble. Place a spoonful of the chicken mixture into a lettuce leaf. Top with extra toppings as desired. Wrap the leaf around the filling and enjoy!
Tips For the Best Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Follow these tips for restaurant-worthy wraps:
- Get a step ahead. Have all your ingredients chopped and ready before you start cooking to ensure a smooth process.
- Be selective. Select sturdy yet flexible lettuce leaves that can hold the filling without tearing. Butter lettuce, iceberg, or Romaine hearts are the best lettuce for wraps.
- Be careful! Handle lettuce leaves gently to avoid tearing and ensure they can hold the filling.
- Don’t overfill! Place the filling in the center of each lettuce leaf, taking care not to overstuff. Otherwise, more will wind up on your plate than in your mouth!
- Don’t hesitate. To prevent the wraps from getting soggy, keep the filling and lettuce leaves separate until ready to serve. Enjoy right after assembling.
- Serve them your way. There are so many ways to customize these wraps! You can substitute ground chicken with pork, tofu, or plant-based crumbles. Add bean sprouts, zucchini, or bok choy. Or swap the sauce with your favorite.
How to Store
Nobody wants a soggy lettuce wrap! Therefore, I highly recommend storing the filling and lettuce separately.
To Store: Store the chicken filling in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Keep the lettuce leaves separate in a zip-top bag, ideally wrapped in a paper towel to maintain their crunch.
To Freeze: Place the chicken filling in an air-tight, freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating and serving with fresh lettuce leaves.
To Reheat: Reheat the chicken filling in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through. You can also can microwave in 30-second intervals until hot. Assemble the wraps with fresh lettuce just before serving.
Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
4
servings10
minutes16
minutes290
These Asian chicken lettuce wraps are better than P.F. Chang’s! They’re savory, crunchy, and so easy to make at home.
Ingredients
For the sauce:
4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch
For the filling:
1 pound ground chicken
2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
1 small onion, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 cup finely chopped or grated carrots
8 ounces white button or cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions, divided
For serving:
2 small heads butter lettuce, leaves separated
Red pepper flakes
Sriracha hot sauce
Crushed peanuts
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and cornstarch until smooth. Set aside.
- Heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground chicken and cook, breaking it up into small pieces, until browned and cooked through, about 7-8 minutes. Transfer the cooked chicken to a bowl and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil to the skillet. Add the onion, bell pepper, carrots, and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 4-5 minutes.
- Stir in the water chestnuts, garlic, ginger, and half of the scallions. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Return the cooked chicken to the skillet and pour in the prepared sauce. Toss everything together and cook, stirring, until the sauce is bubbling and has thickened slightly, 1-2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Transfer the chicken mixture to a serving dish and garnish with the remaining scallions. Serve with butter lettuce leaves, crushed peanuts, red pepper flakes, and Sriracha on the side.
- To eat, place a spoonful of the chicken mixture into a lettuce leaf. Next, top with extra scallions, crushed peanuts, red pepper flakes, or Sriracha as desired. Wrap the leaf around the filling, and enjoy!
Notes
- Cornstarch alternatives. Cornstarch helps to thicken the sauce and coat the chicken. If you’re out, you can use all-purpose flour, arrowroot powder, rice flour, or potato starch.
