Lettuce Wraps
This lettuce wraps recipe turns a restaurant favorite into an easy 30 minute dinner you can make any night of the week. Savory ground chicken gets tossed in a sweet and tangy hoisin sauce, then piled into crisp lettuce cups for the perfect low carb bite.
Equipment
- Large wok or skillet A carbon steel wok works best for a fast sear
- Chef's knife and cutting board
- Mixing bowls For the sauce and prepped ingredients
- Garlic press (optional) handy for mincing garlic quickly
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Wooden spoon or spatula For breaking up and stirring the chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil toasted sesame oil preferred
- 1 pound ground chicken 455g; or ground turkey
- 1 small yellow onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
- 1 can (8 ounces) water chestnuts 227g; drained and finely chopped
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce 60ml
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce 30ml
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 15ml
- 1 teaspoon sriracha 5ml; plus more to taste
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 1 head butter lettuce leaves separated; also called Bibb or Boston lettuce
For Garnish (Optional)
- 1/4 cup chopped peanuts for garnish (optional)
- sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Dice the onion, mince the garlic, grate the ginger, and chop the drained water chestnuts. Wash and pat the lettuce leaves completely dry.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sriracha until smooth and fully combined.
- Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add the ground chicken, break it apart with a wooden spoon, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until no longer pink.
- Push the chicken to one side of the pan. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger to the empty side and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until the onion softens and turns translucent. Stir everything together.
- Pour the prepared sauce over the chicken mixture and stir in the chopped water chestnuts. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken evenly.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sliced green onions. Taste and add extra sriracha if you want more heat.
- Lay the dried lettuce leaves on a serving platter. Spoon a few tablespoons of the warm chicken filling into the center of each leaf and top with chopped peanuts and sesame seeds, if using. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Pat the lettuce leaves completely dry, since wet lettuce makes the wraps soggy.
- Cook off as much liquid as possible so the filling holds together in the leaf.
- Use butter lettuce or Bibb lettuce for the sturdiest, most cup shaped leaves.
- Chop the water chestnuts small so every bite has a bit of crunch.
- Taste the sauce before adding it to the pan and adjust the sriracha to your spice preference.
- Make it gluten free by using tamari or certified gluten free soy sauce and checking that your hoisin sauce is labeled gluten free.
- Swap the ground chicken for ground turkey, pork, or crumbled tofu for a vegetarian version.
- Add shredded carrots or diced red bell pepper for extra color and crunch, or stir in a spoonful of peanut butter for a nuttier flavor.
- Store the cooked filling in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; keep the lettuce leaves wrapped separately in a paper towel to keep them crisp.
- Freeze the filling in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
Serving: 1ServingCalories: 290kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 24gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 680mgPotassium: 520mgFiber: 2gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 20IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 4mgIron: 12mg
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