Chicken Lettuce Wraps

These chicken lettuce wraps are fresh, exciting and full of intense and spicy flavors from soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes. A terrific appetizer or even main course that’s fast and easy to make.

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• How to make lettuce wraps:
• How to eat lettuce wraps:
• Questions and Answers:
• More delicious light chicken dishes:
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This is a recipe I’ve been making for years and it’s an adaptation from America’s Test Kitchen. I love everything about it, it’s savory, a little bit spicy, very satisfying and takes little effort to put together.

You can serve these wraps as an appetizer but they are pretty filling so I find that they also make a great main course.

How to make lettuce wraps:

Step 1. Cut 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast into 2-inch cubes and put in the freezer for 10 minutes to make it easier to process. Transfer the chicken to the food processor.

Step 2. Pulse the chicken a few times to grind.

Step 3. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 teaspoons rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil and 1/2 teaspoon corn starch. (The corn starch helps to keep the meat tender during the frying process later, a technique called velveting.)

Step 4. Mix the ground chicken into the marinade, cover and chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Step 5. While the chicken is marinating, finish the prep work for the sauce:

In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together:

• 1/4 cup sake
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 minced or pressed garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon corn starch (to thicken the sauce)
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Step 6. Set the sauce aside and get 5 shiitake mushrooms, 4 green onions and 1 celery stalk ready.

Step 7. Dice the vegetables, then set aside.

Step 8. Drain the chicken from the marinade.

Step 9. Heat a bit of vegetable oil in a non-stick pan and fry the chicken until cooked through.

Take the chicken out of the pan, then fry the vegetables (no need to clean the pan in between). 

Add the chicken back in, then pour in the sauce and cook until it starts to thicken.

Step 10. Transfer the filling into lettuce leaves and drizzle with hoisin sauce.

How to eat lettuce wraps:

Spoon the filling into fresh lettuce leaves, drizzle with a bit of hoisin sauce and eat with your fingers.

Questions and Answers:

What is the best lettuce for wraps?

I like to use butter lettuce for wraps. It tastes great and the individual leaves of a head of butter lettuce are sized and shaped perfectly to make individual wraps. Each leaf is like a miniature bowl with lots of nooks and crannies, so it’s perfect for holding the filling.

How do you cut lettuce for lettuce wraps?

As long as you use butter lettuce you don’t need to cut the lettuce at all. The individual leaves have just the right shape and size to make a wrap.

How do you keep lettuce wraps crisp?

The secret to crisp lettuce wraps is keeping the lettuce leaves cold and moist right until serving. Keep the lettuce leaves in a sealed plastic bag in the fridge and stuff a moist paper towel into the bag with them. That way the lettuce will stay fresh and crisp.

How to store leftover wraps:

Transfer any leftover filling into an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 1 day. Keep leftover lettuce leaves in a sealed plastic bag in the fridge along with a moist paper towel.

Are chicken lettuce wraps gluten free?

No, both the soy sauce and the hoisin sauce in this recipe contain wheat.

What goes with chicken lettuce wraps?

Chicken lettuce wraps make a terrific appetizer and work great with this Chicken Noodle Stir Fry.

More delicious light chicken dishes:

• Mediterranean Chicken Salad
• Marinated Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
• Sumac Chicken with Broccolini and Brown Butter Almonds
• Spicy Pulled Chicken (Oven Baked)

Made this recipe? It would be awesome if you could leave a rating. Either tap or click the stars in the recipe card or leave a comment below. Thanks!

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