Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Chicken lettuce wraps are a weeknight DREAM. They’re super fast and easy, and they’re simply delicious!! I doubled this recipe (my sister came to visit), and it worked perfectly. Why eat out when you can make this at home tonight?
Why You Will Love This Recipe
If you’re a fan of PF Chang’s lettuce wraps, this recipe is for you. It has all the flavors you would expect from that very famous and beloved appetizer.
Now, with the smallest amount of prep work and 10 minutes of cook time, you can prepare this delicious dish anytime you desire.
All the flavors come together in a perfect symphony of sweet, sour, umami, and heat. Then, you get all the great textures from the mixture itself and the crisp snap of the lettuce. It is truly a great dish that everybody would love again and again.
The ease of getting these ingredients, the light prep work, and the speed at which this tasty dish comes together make this chicken lettuce wrap recipe a keeper!
Need a main dish or other appetizer ideas? Check out our Grilled Chicken Teriyaki Skewers, Smoked Spicy Korean Gochujang Chicken Legs, Spicy Garlic Noodles, and Asian Meatballs. Any would make a great addition to these chicken lettuce wraps!
Ingredients Needed
Base Ingredients:
Ground Chicken Provides the primary protein, offering a neutral base that absorbs and complements the other flavors.
Aromatics:
Garlic and Onion: Contribute a foundational savory depth, enhancing overall flavor complexity.
Ginger: Adds a spicy, warm note, vital for the characteristic Asian zest.
Umami Boosters:
Hoisin Sauce: Delivers a sweet and salty umami depth, crucial for the dish’s signature taste.
Soy Sauce: Intensifies the umami presence and balances the dish’s flavor profile with its salty notes.
Sesame Oil: Infuses a nutty, rich dimension, elevating the umami complexity.
Acid, Heat, And Texture Components:
Rice Wine Vinegar: Introduces a mild acidity, brightens flavors, and cuts through the richness.
Sriracha: Provides a spicy kick, adding a layer of heat that can be adjusted to taste.
Water Chestnuts: A crunchy contrast to the soft chicken enhances the dish’s sensory appeal.
Green Onions: Add a slight bite and fresh, sharp accents, contributing to flavor and texture.
Seasonings:
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper: Essential for overall seasoning, amplifying all the other flavors.
Lettuce:
Lettuce (Butter, Iceberg, Romaine): Serves as a crisp, fresh wrapper, adding texture and a refreshing contrast to the rich, flavorful filling.
This recipe is all about mixing up those savory and umami-packed ingredients with a bit of warmth, a splash of tang, and a bunch of different textures. Each ingredient is there for a reason, bringing together all those awesome flavors and textures you love in Asian food.
What’s The Best Lettuce for Chicken Lettuce Wraps?
- Butter Lettuce: Soft and tender leaves with a mild flavor, perfect for creating a delicate wrap that doesn’t overshadow the filling.
- Romaine Lettuce: Crunchy and sturdy, offering a satisfying texture contrast while holding up well under the weight of the filling.
- Green Leaf Lettuce: Vibrant and slightly crisp, adding a fresh, light texture that complements the savory filling without being too heavy.
- Iceberg Lettuce: Very crisp and watery, providing a refreshing crunch that balances richer flavors, though it may be less pliable for wrapping.
- Boston Lettuce: Similar to butter lettuce, with soft, cup-shaped leaves that make for easy wrapping and a gentle, buttery taste that enhances without competing with the wrap’s flavors.
Each type of lettuce impacts the wrap by either highlighting the filling with a soft, gentle embrace or adding a crunchy, refreshing texture contrast.
How to Make Chicken Lettuce Wraps Like PF Chang’s
Healthy, quick, easy, delicious, and a great recipe my family loves!
Tips
Cooking the ground chicken until it’s nicely browned is crucial for developing deep flavors in the meat. Don’t rush this step; allow the chicken to get a good sear by letting it cook undisturbed for a couple of minutes before stirring.
Garlic, onion, and ginger are key to creating the foundational flavors of this dish. Make sure they are finely chopped to ensure they blend well with the ground chicken and other ingredients, providing a uniform flavor throughout the wraps.
This recipe relies on the interplay of sweet (hoisin sauce), salty (soy sauce), acidic (rice wine vinegar), and spicy (Sriracha) elements. Taste the filling as you cook and adjust these ingredients if necessary to achieve a balanced flavor profile that suits your palate.
Choosing the right lettuce is essential for the wraps’ texture and overall eating experience. Whether you opt for butter, iceberg, or romaine lettuce, ensure the leaves are crisp and fresh. Rinse and dry the lettuce leaves gently but thoroughly before assembling the wraps to avoid any sogginess.
Variations
Although this recipe is a copycat and tastes like PF Chang’s lettuce wraps, you can mix up your own toppings. Such as:
- Chopped roasted peanuts
- Shredded carrots
- Shredded cabbage
- Sesame seeds
Replace the ground chicken with a plant-based alternative, such as crumbled tofu or tempeh. To mimic the texture and flavor of ground chicken, first freeze the tofu, then thaw and crumble it before browning it in the skillet. Add a bit more soy sauce or tamari to enhance the umami flavor that would otherwise come from the chicken.
Introduce a Thai twist by adding chopped cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice, and a tablespoon of fish sauce (or vegan fish sauce for a vegetarian version) to the chicken mixture. Top the wraps with thinly sliced red chili or a spoonful of chili garlic sauce for extra heat and garnish with fresh mint leaves to enhance the Thai flavor profile.
For a low-carb version, substitute the hoisin sauce and soy sauce (such as coconut aminos) with reduced-sugar versions and increase the amount of ginger and garlic for added flavor without the carbs. You can also add more green onions and water chestnuts to bulk up the filling without adding significant carbs. Serve in crisp iceberg lettuce for a refreshing crunch.
More Delicious Asian-Inspired Recipes
Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Vegetable oil
- 1 pound Ground chicken
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 small Onion diced
- 1/4 cup Hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons Soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Ginger or 2 tsp fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoon Sriracha or more, to taste
- 1 tbsp Sesame oil
- 5 oz Water chestnuts drained, diced
- 3 – 4 Green onions thinly sliced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 head butter lettuce iceburg, romaine (your choice) lettuce
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.1 tablespoon Vegetable oil
- Add ground chicken and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the chicken as it cooks; drain excess fat.1 pound Ground chicken
- Stir in garlic, onion, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger, sesame oil, and sriracha until onions become translucent, about 2-3 minutes.2 cloves Garlic, 1 small Onion, 1/4 cup Hoisin sauce, 2 tablespoons Soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Rice wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon Ginger, 2 teaspoon Sriracha, 1 tbsp Sesame oil
- Stir in water chestnuts and green onions until tender, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.5 oz Water chestnuts, 3 – 4 Green onions, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- To serve, spoon several tablespoons of the chicken mixture into the center of a lettuce leaf.1 head butter lettuce
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from damndelicious