The Best Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Name: The Best Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil (I use this brand); 1 small yellow onion, diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 pound ground chicken; salt and pepper; 1/4 cup hoisin sauce (I use this brand); 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar (I use this brand); 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger; pinch red pepper flakes; 12 romaine, Bibb lettuce, iceberg lettuce, or butter lettuce leaves; 1/4 cup chopped peanuts, for garnish; 3 green onions, sliced on a bias, for garnish

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These are the absolute best Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps - light and healthy, but loaded with flavor. Ground chicken, sautéed with onions, garlic, and ginger, flavored with soy sauce, rice vinegar, and hoisin, served in lettuce cups, and topped with peanuts, green onions, and fresh cilantro. They are perfect for meal prep or an easy weeknight meal. Best of all, they only dirty one pan and can be ready and on the table in less than 30 minutes. They are even low carb, keto friendly, and gluten free.

a white marble serving dish, topped with lettuce leaves, stuffed with an asian chicken mixture, served with soy sauce.

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Ingredients in the Best Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredient Notes

Ground Chicken: If you can't find ground chicken at your local grocery store, you can make your own by pulsing boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs in a food processor. (More Chicken Recipes)
Onion: To make these Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps you can use white onion, yellow onion, or even red onion. If you do not have any fresh onion on hand, you can add 2 tablespoons of dried minced onions or 1 ½ teaspoons of onion powder.
Garlic: If you do not have fresh garlic on hand, you can use jarred garlic. One clove of garlic is equal to approximately 1 teaspoon of jarred minced garlic, You can also substitute 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
Rice Vinegar: Make sure to get unseasoned rice vinegar as seasoned rice vinegar is loaded with sugar and will make your asian chicken lettuce wraps too sweet.
Peanuts: You can also use cashews, macadamia nuts, pistachios, or almonds.
Soy sauce: This can be substituted with liquid aminos or coconut aminos.

How to make Asian Chicken Lettuce Cups

Step By Step Instructions

STEP 1: Heat the sesame oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic to the pan. Sauté until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant.

STEP 2: Add the ground chicken to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and use a wooden spoon to break it up as it cooks.

STEP 3: Add the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, unseasoned rice vinegar, ginger and red pepper flakes. Mix until all ingredients are well incorporated and cook for 10 minutes or until the chicken is all the way cooked through.

STEP 4: Divide the mixture evenly among the lettuce leaves and garnish with green onions and peanuts.

Recipe Tips and Variations

Storage: Store leftover Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheating: I recommend reheating the chicken mixture in a pan on the stove top. If it is dry, you can add a little extra hoisin sauce or soy sauce to help bring it back to life.
Change up the protein: Instead of using ground chicken, you can also use ground pork, ground beef, or ground turkey. They are also delicious made with shrimp or crab. (Try this California Roll in a Bowl Recipe)
Add extra veggies: Amp up the nutritional value by adding in more vegetables. I like to add carrots, celery, mushrooms, and bell peppers. And adding water chestnut adds a nice crunch.
Dipping sauces: These are delicious served with peanut sauce, sweet chili sauce, hoisin sauce, or even Yum Yum Sauce.
Spice it up: Add a little kick by adding more red pepper flakes, some sriracha or even some crunchy garlic chili oil.
Make them gluten free: To make these gluten-free, make sure to use a gluten free poison sauce and swap out the soy sauce for tamari.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make these with ground turkey?

Yes! Ground turkey is an excellent substitute. You can also use ground beef or ground pork as well.

Can these be made ahead of time?

Yes! Just store the meat mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you are ready to heat and serve. Make sure to store the lettuce leaves separately.

How can I make this a vegetarian dish?

To make these Asian chicken lettuce wraps vegetarian, simply substitute your favorite plant based chicken substitute or tofu or tempeh crumbles for the ground chicken.

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