KITCHEN RECIPES

CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS

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These Chicken Lettuce Wraps have a flavorful orange-ginger sauce and cashews (or peanuts) for crunch. They’re just as good, if not better than P.F. Chang’s!

You can never have too many quick, healthy meals, and these chicken lettuce wraps are one of my favorites! They’re light and fresh, but also so satisfying. The tangy sauce is what brings these lettuce wraps together and makes them taste so incredible. It’s a lovely balance between sweet and savory, made with ginger, garlic, orange zest, soy sauce and honey. It thickens up beautifully and coats the chicken and veggies so that each bite is bursting with flavor.

For convenience, I use ground chicken to make these lettuce wraps. It cooks quickly in a skillet and you get to skip the step of chopping raw chicken breast. I’ve also added chopped bell pepper and carrots to bulk up the filling of these wraps. When I serve the leftovers (if there are any!) I like to mix in some cooked quinoa to make the leftovers go farther.

INGREDIENTS

  • Olive Oil: For cooking the chicken and vegetables.
  • Ground Chicken: Chicken’s satiating protein makes the wraps nice and filling so you won’t be hungry again right away.
  • Carrots: For color and flavor.
  • Bell Pepper: For color and flavor.
  • Green Onions: Their mild onion flavor pairs well with the tangy sauce.
  • Cashews or Peanuts: They add a delicious crunch and some fat to make the wraps more satiating.
  • Lettuce Leaves: For serving. See below for tips on what kind of lettuce to use for lettuce wraps.

FOR THE SAUCE

  • Soy Sauce: Use a low sodium soy sauce so that the sauce isn’t too salty.
  • Honey: The sweetness balances out the savory flavors.
  • Rice Vinegar: For tanginess.
  • Water: I’ve found that adding just 2 tablespoons of water makes the sauce stretch a bit farther without having to add more soy sauce. You can substitute orange juice from the orange after zesting it, but I like to slice up the orange to serve on the side instead.
  • Fresh Ginger: It’s warm, spicy flavor is so good in Asian-inspired recipes like this one. Fresh ginger will give you the best flavor, but in a pinch you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger.
  • Garlic: For flavor.
  • Orange Zest: The orange zest is that special something that makes the flavors of the sauce pop.
  • Cornstarch: To thicken the sauce.
  • Red Pepper Flakes: For a touch of spice. You can add more or less red pepper flakes depending on your preferred spice level. I use less when I’m serving this to my kids, and more if I’m making these for just Brad and I.

HOW TO MAKE LETTUCE WRAPS

Here is an overview of how to make this recipe. Find the full recipe with measurements below.

Make the sauce. Whisk together all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

Brown the chicken. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, add the chicken, and cook, crumbling the meat, until it starts to brown. (The chicken does not have to be fully cooked yet.)

Add the veggies. Add the chopped bell peppers and carrots to the skillet. Cook until the veggies are softened and the chicken is cooked through.

Add the sauce and cook for 1-2 minutes until thickened. Then stir in the green onions and nuts.

Serve! Place the chicken and vegetable mixture in a serving bowl and let everyone assemble their own lettuce wraps at the table.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS

  • This Fried Rice is an excellent side dish for lettuce wraps. Or, keep it extra simple and cook a batch of Brown Rice.
  • Work some extra veggies into the meal with a Vegetable Stir Fry or Broccoli Stir Fry.
  • Make an appetizer-y meal by serving egg rolls or spring rolls and lettuce wraps.
  • As an alternative way to serve this meal, serve the chicken lettuce wrap mixture over noodles, rice or quinoa instead of wrapping the filling in lettuce leaves.

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