Fresh and flavorful, these easy Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps feature savory ground chicken with crisp vegetables and crunchy peanuts in a sweet and salty sauce. It’s the perfect weeknight dinner or party appetizer!
I Make these Lettuce Wraps all the Time!
Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps are at the top of my mental list of easy dinners to make during the week, and I make them often.
They’re so flavorful, with a sweet and savory sauce based on my Hoisin Chicken recipe. Plus, chicken lettuce wraps are easy to make gluten-free and are a bit healthier as well since we’re using lettuce instead of the rice or noodles that would traditionally go with an Asian stir-fry.
My homemade chicken lettuce wrap recipe is even better than what they serve at P.F. Changs!
When I make this at home, my husband and I can each have two or three lettuce wraps for dinner, with a little bit leftover for a quick and easy lunch the next day.
I know you’re going to love this one!
Ingredient Notes
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Ground Chicken: One of my favorite lean proteins to cook with! Ground chicken can do just about anything that ground beef or ground turkey can do, and it’s the perfect protein to soak up all the delicious flavors in this dish.
- Veggies: For flavor and crunch, add diced onion, diced red bell pepper, and chopped water chestnuts. You’ll find water chestnuts in a can in the Asian section of the supermarket, or sometimes near the other canned vegetables.
- Ginger and Garlic: These aromatics are key to the flavor of this dish. I always recommend using freshly grated garlic root and freshly minced garlic cloves, rather than jarred versions that lack freshness.
- Green Onions: Add some to the filling, and save the rest as a colorful garnish at the table.
- For the Sauce: If you do a lot of Asian cooking, you might already have these ingredients in your pantry. You’ll need hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sweet chili sauce, and a bit of brown sugar and freshly squeezed lime juice.
- Soy Sauce: Use gluten-free soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos if needed.
- Peanuts: Chopped peanuts as a garnish add crunch and nutty flavor. Leave them out to make this a nut-free recipe.
- Lettuce: Leaves of soft bibb or butter lettuce are my favorite, but you can just as easily use green leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, or the softer outer leaves of a head of iceberg. Carefully remove whole leaves from the head of lettuce, and wash and dry them before serving.
Asian Lettuce Wraps Recipe Tips
- Adjust the Flavors: Use more sweet chili sauce to add extra heat, or drizzle your finished lettuce wraps with sriracha or hot sauce before enjoying. You could also add diced jalapeno to the stir-fry along with the bell peppers.
- Low Carb Swaps: To reduce the carbs of this meal further, skip the brown sugar and replace it with a low-carb sweetener. Most of the other carbs in the dish come from the flavorful veggies.
- Chopped mushrooms can be a nice addition and will add bulk to the filling without adding more meat. Sauté the mushrooms with the chicken.
- You don’t need a wok to make this stir fry! I usually use a large skillet instead.
- Instead of lettuce, serve the ground chicken mixture over rice or noodles. I will sometimes make Instant Pot fried rice to go with it. You can also enjoy the lettuce wraps with rice and the chicken mixture inside. At P.F. Chang’s, they also serve this with fried rice sticks. I say, the more texture the better!
- Add a sauce! Make an easy peanut sauce with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, and enough water to thin to a drizzle consistency. Add the peanut sauce to individual lettuce wraps when serving.
- If you have leftovers, store the chicken mixture separately from the lettuce wraps. The leaves will wilt quickly, so it’s best to use fresh lettuce when you enjoy your leftovers the next day.
Save this recipe, and stock your cupboards with the necessary asian flavor ingredients. Asian lettuce wraps can be ready in less than 30 minutes, whenever the craving strikes!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Equipment
- Large skillet
- Cutting board and sharp knife
- Small mixing bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) sweet chili sauce (adjust to taste)
- Juice of ½ lime
Filling:
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) avocado oil
- 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
- 1 pound (450 g) ground chicken
- 1 small red bell pepper finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) fresh ginger minced
- 1 cup (150 g) finely diced water chestnuts
- 3 green onions thinly sliced (reserve some for garnish)
- ¼ cup (30 g) roasted peanuts chopped (for topping)
- Fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
- 1 head butter lettuce leaves separated, washed, and dried
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, sweet chili sauce, and lime juice. Set aside.
- Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened.
- Add the ground chicken and cook, breaking it apart, until browned and fully cooked, about 5-6 minutes.
- Stir in the bell pepper and garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the ginger, water chestnuts, and prepared sauce. Stir well and cook for 2-3 minutes until heated through.
- Remove from heat and stir in most of the green onions.
- Spoon the mixture into butter lettuce leaves, sprinkle with chopped peanuts, cilantro, and remaining green onions. Serve immediately.
Notes:
- For extra creaminess, drizzle with a quick peanut sauce (2 tablespoons peanut butter, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and enough water to thin to drizzle consistency).
- Ground turkey or pork can be used in place of chicken.
- Make ahead: Prepare filling up to 2 days in advance and reheat before serving.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Make Ahead Asian Lettuce Wraps
This recipe is ideal for meal prep, freezer meals, or planned leftovers!
The ground chicken filling can be made and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days, or frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Reheat on the stovetop over low heat, and serve with fresh lettuce.
Linda Dilley says
Why are the carbs so high?
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Hi Linda. Most of the carbs in the recipe are coming from the sugar and sauces used. Red bell pepper also has a fairly high amount of carbohydrates. For a lower carb dish, I’d suggest skipping the peppers and replacing the brown sugar with a low carb sweetener that you enjoy.