Served as an appetizer or a main dish, these Chicken Lettuce Wraps are a hit! You could go to PF Changs and spend a lot of money, or make these at home for half the price!
This is not just a pasta blog
I know you might think that I only make pasta dishes. It's true that pasta is my second love, but I'm definitely capable of cooking more than just noodles. So, we'll start off with these Chicken Lettuce Wraps. You might have had these at a certain "fancy" Asian restaurant. They are typically served as appetizers, but when you're making them at home, the recipe definitely makes enough to serve as an entree.
My picky teens
I've talked before about how picky my teens are when it comes to food. I'm convinced that my daughter could live on processed chicken nuggets and bacon cheese fries. My son is a little better, but his life is devoid of condiments. Literally none. They really dislike most vegetables, but these lettuce wraps are a hit. Even my teen daughter, who refuses to eat lettuce, will eat the filling separately from the lettuce. Sometimes you have to take the win where you can get it.
The wrap up
The chicken filler for these lettuce wraps are a little sweet, a little savory, and they have just a little bite from Sriracha. The water chestnuts give them a crunch and the onions add some sweetness and a little umami flavor. The best lettuce to use for the wraps is Butter Lettuce. It's still a little crispy, but easy to wrap. It also tastes terrific! Also, check out this recipe (https://tasteoftravis.com/hibachi-style-fried-rice) for the Fried Rice you see on the plate! You could also quick fry some rice noodles to serve over top to give additional crunch. Ultimately, you're going to love these and you'll have to make sure to have extras around because they'll go fast!
Chicken Lettuce Wraps Better Than PF Changs!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp of cooking oil I used Peanut Oil, but Vegetable or Canola Oil work here for allergies or availability
- 2 lbs. Ground Chicken
- 1 8 oz Can of Sliced Water Chestnuts
- 1 Medium Onion - Diced
- 3 Cloves of Garlic - Minced
- 2 Tbsp of Freshly Grated Ginger
- 3 green onions sliced on a bias
- ½ cup Hoisin Sauce
- 3 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 ½ tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
- 1 Head of Butter Lettuce can also use Boston Lettuce or Bibb Lettuce
- 2 tsp ground black pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high until shimmering
- Add chicken and brown; drain any additional fat
- Add skillet back to heat, add onion, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper, Hoisin Sauce, Soy Sauce, and Rice Vinegar; Fold over chicken and cook until reduced
- Add water chestnuts and green onions; fold in in and cook for roughly 3-4 minutes
- Serve with individual leaves of butter lettuce
I like to use cabbage as my base for the crisp, but that's more of a take on Larb (Thai). Hoisin is one of my faves. Can you believe I've never been to PF Chang's? I'll have to try this!