Chicken lettuce wraps for quick weeknight meal

Throughout all the times I’ve ordered chicken lettuce wraps at places like P.F. Chang’s, I’ve always just taken in the whole “appetizers” by myself, savoring every bite and feeling a sense of joy as the sticky sauce clung to my fingers. It never crossed my mind to attempt to make this dish at home. A big part of it was that lettuce wraps seemed like a treat best enjoyed out of a restaurant. Another part was that I thought the secret to their deliciousness must be in a complex list of ingredients a tricky cooking method, or maybe both.

But where am I going with this, right? Absolutely, we can whip up chicken lettuce wraps at home. But, It’s surprisingly simple and can be ready in no time, making it a great option for a quick weeknight dinner. Grab the necessary ingredients on your way back, and you’re good to go for tonight’s dinner.

Essential Ingredients

1. Sauce components: The star of the show is hoisin sauce — a sweet, salty, slightly tangy, and spiced sauce. Here, it’s combined with soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil to create a sticky glaze for the ground chicken.
2. Ground chicken: Using ground chicken is convenient, but if you prefer, you could also finely chop some chicken breasts or thighs.
3. Mushrooms: To add some depth to the filling, throw in some finely chopped white buttons or cremini mushrooms.
4. Water chestnuts: Their crunchy texture is always a delightful surprise with each bite!
5. Bibb or butter lettuce: Bibb or butter lettuce is our go-to choice for these wraps. They have broad, sturdy leaves that can hold a lot of filling without the risk of everything falling apart. Look for heads that are small and have fresh outer leaves that are free from any signs of wilting.

How to Prepare Chicken Lettuce Wraps

1. Start by making the sauce. Mix 3 tablespoons of hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil in a small bowl and whisk until well combined. If you want a thicker, glossier sauce, whisk in some cornstarch and set it aside near the stove.
2. Cook the ground chicken. Cook the ground chicken in a separate bowl and set it aside.
3. Cook the veggies and aromatics. Add the mushrooms and any optional veggies, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re tender. Stir in the water chestnuts, garlic, and ginger until fragrant.
4. Mix the veggies and chicken. Place the chicken back in the pan and sprinkle in half of the scallions.
5. Add the sauce and stir. Pour in the sauce and stir it in, cooking over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it bubbles and the sauce is warmed through. Taste it and add more hoisin sauce if you like it more that way.
6. Serve with the lettuce. Break off all the lettuce leaves and place them in the center of the table, along with small dishes for hot sauce, red pepper flakes, and the remaining scallions. Transfer the warm chicken mixture to a serving dish or serve it straight from the skillet.

Alternative Options

• Gluten-free version: To make this recipe gluten-free, opt for gluten-free hoisin sauce and use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
• Ground turkey alternative: Feel free to switch out the ground chicken for ground turkey.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe

• PREP TIME
  20 minutes to 30 minutes
• COOK TIME
  15 minutes to 20 minutes
• SERVES
  2 to 4

INGREDIENTS

• 3 to 5 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch (optional)
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
• 8 ounces white button or cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
• Choice vegetables: finely chopped onions, finely chopped bell peppers, finely chopped or grated carrots
• 1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions (from about 6 scallions), divided
• 2 small heads Bibb or butter lettuce
• Serving options: red pepper flakes, sriracha hot sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place 3 tablespoons of the hoisin sauce, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil in a small bowl and whisk. If you’d like a more thickened, glossy sauce, whisk in 1 teaspoon cornstarch (optional); place it near the stove.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Add 1 pound of ground chicken and cook, breaking it up into small pieces until it’s cooked through and no longer pink, about 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean bowl; set it aside.
3. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil to the same pan. Add 8 ounces of finely chopped white button or cremini mushrooms and any optional vegetables, and cook, stirring occasionally until they’re tender, about 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Stir in finely chopped water chestnuts, 3 cloves minced garlic, and 1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger. Cook until they’re fragrant, around 30 seconds.
5. Return the chicken to the pan and add 1/2 of the scallions.
6. Mix in the sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, until it bubbles and is warmed through, about 30 to 60 seconds.
7. Taste and add more hoisin sauce if you like it more.
8. Break off all the lettuce leaves and arrange them on a plate in the center of the table, along with small dishes with sriracha hot sauce, red pepper flakes, and the remaining scallions. Transfer the hot chicken mixture to a serving dish, or serve it straight from the skillet. Hand out spoons to everyone and encourage them to make their own wraps. Place a generous spoonful of chicken mixture in the center of a lettuce leaf, top it with scallions and sriracha hot sauce or red pepper flakes, and enjoy.