These ground chicken lettuce wraps are so light and fresh, making them perfect for lunch or dinner on a hot summer day. Cold, crisp butter lettuce, paired with a delicious Asian ground chicken mixture that is not only sweet and savory, but has the perfect kick of spice. But my favorite part I think has to be the water chestnuts, they bring the perfect crunch tieing everything together. These remind me so much of the chicken lettuce wraps from PF Changs, which are insanely good and healthyish of course. They are also so quick and easy to make! Plus what's better than getting to enjoy them in the comfort of your own home?
Bonus: this recipe can easily be made gluten-free. Click here to see how.
Choosing Lettuce
When it comes to choosing a type of lettuce for the wraps, you are going to want a leaf with more support. Butter lettuce happens to be the best choice in this matter for a few reasons. It is the most tender, yet supportive leaf, plus it has such a delicious flavor and texture to it, making it perfect for lettuce wraps.
Let's Get Started...
First things first, you are going to want to carefully remove all the leaves from the butter lettuce bulb. Be careful not to tear the leaves, as the tips can be a bit fragile and you won't want any tears or holes. Gently wash the leaves to get any dirt off and set them aside on a paper towel to dry.
Meanwhile, in a medium-large pan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil or avocado oil, over medium-high heat. Add in 2 large cloves of garlic (minced) and 1 medium-sized yellow onion (diced) and cook until the onions become translucent. This will take about 5 minutes or so.
Once the onions are translucent, go ahead and add in 1 lb ground chicken. Break apart with a wooden spoon and cook until browned. Next, you're going to add in the ingredients to make the mixture saucy and flavorful.
What's the Difference Between Oyster and Hoisin Sauce?
Most Asain lettuce wrap recipes call for Hoisin sauce instead of Oyster sauce. Although they are pretty similar in taste and consistency, Hoisin Sauce tends to be much sweeter, which is why is choose to use Oyster instead. I prefer my lettuce wraps a little less sweet than some recipes can call for. If you prefer yours on the sweeter side, you can either use Hoisin or add a pinch of sugar to your mixture.
Back to the Recipe...
Now that we have the garlic, onion, and chicken done, it is time to add in the rest of the ingredients to really create that delicious mixture of flavors. Add in 1/4 cup of Oyster sauce,1 1/2 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tbsp of sriracha, 1 tbsp of rice wine vinegar, 1 tbsp of fresh ginger (grated), 1 8oz can of water chestnuts (drained and diced), and 2 green onions(thinly sliced and save a small amount for garnish).
Stir until all the ingredients are well-combined. Then, cook for a few minutes to ensure all
the flavors have melted together nicely. Next, go ahead and taste the mixture with a separate spoon and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper if needed. Salt most likely won't be necessary, but I always add some freshly ground black pepper to add a nice pop of earthy flavor.
Remove the pan from the heat and let it sit for a couple of minutes. Then, generously spoon the chicken mixture into each butter lettuce leaf, starting the best-looking and most supportive leaves first. The leaves should act as a taco shell and the wraps should be eaten like so.
Garnish with crushed peanuts (optional), thinly sliced green onions, and togarashi seasoning. Serve and enjoy immediately. This makes a perfect appetizer or a light lunch or dinner.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! Let me know if you have any questions XO
Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe
Serves: 4 | Prep Time: 10 Minutes | Cook Time: 15 Minutes | Total Time: 25 Minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- 1lb ground chicken
- 1 head of butter lettuce
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 8oz can diced water chestnuts, drained and diced
- 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1/4 cup Oyster sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp shoyu (soy sauce) - can use coconut aminos for extra low sodium
- 1 tbsp avocado/olive oil
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- togarashi spice blend, for garnish
Optional:
- crushed peanuts, for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Gently break off the leaves of butter lettuce. Wash and set aside to dry.
2. In a medium-sized pan, heat avocado/olive oil over medium-high, add in the garlic and onions, cook until the onions become translucent.
3. Add in the ground chicken, break apart, and cook until browned.
4. Add in the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sriracha, rice wine vinegar, ginger, water chestnuts, and green onions (save a small amount for garnish). Stir until well-combined. Cook for a few minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
5. Place a generous spoonful of the chicken mixture into the butter lettuce leaves. Choose the largest and best-looking leaves to start with. The leaves should act as a taco shell.
6. Garnish with crushed peanuts, togarashi spice, and green onions. Serve immediately.
NOTE:
*GLUTEN-FREE VERSION*
- Substitute the Oyster/Hoisin sauce out for a Gluten-Free version (Kikkoman makes a really good one) and use Coconut Aminos as your substitute for the soy sauce.
Enjoy!!