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These easy chicken lettuce wraps are bursting with flavor, made with ground chicken, onion, ginger, garlic, water chestnuts, carrots, and more! A flavorful masterpiece – the chicken is tossed in a super flavorful hoisin sauce and sriracha for heat. These chicken lettuce wraps are the perfect low-carb dinner or lunch.
What are chicken lettuce wraps?
The name says it all! Chicken lettuce wraps are made from seasoned chicken that is served in lettuce cups for a low-carb shell and satisfying crunch. They’re eaten with your hands, kind of folded like a taco.
Light and flavorful, this dish is often made with Asian-inspired ingredients like sesame oil, hot chilis, ginger, and garlic.
Cilantro, basil, nuts, and lime wedges are common toppings for that extra tasty touch!
Why this chicken lettuce wraps recipe works
- Equal parts nutritious and indulgent, you’ll want to make this recipe again and again.
- Sriracha gives this dish a powerful kick!
- Lettuce wraps add a light, crunchy addition to the recipe.
- The chicken is cooked in delicious aromatics like garlic, onion, and ginger.
- An Asian-inspired sauce pulls the dish together, complete with soy sauce, rice vinegar, and hoisin sauce.
Ingredients needed
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this chicken lettuce wraps recipe…
- Ground chicken
- Sesame oil
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- Carrots
- Ginger
- Water chestnuts
- Cilantro
- Green onions
- Shichimi togarashi
- Hoisin sauce
- Low-sodium soy sauce
- Sriracha
- Rice vinegar
- Unsalted roasted peanuts
- Butter lettuce
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How to make chicken lettuce wraps
Ready to make these savory Asian lettuce wraps? This recipe comes together quickly, especially after a bit of prep work. You’ll be chowing down in no time!
Step 1: Prep the vegetables
- Peel the ginger skin off 2 inches of ginger, using a spoon to scrape the skin off. This allows you to easily get in between any nubs sticking out and you don’t waste any ginger.
- Grate 2 fresh carrots by peeling them, cutting the root tip-off, then using a box grater. Freshly grated carrots give you a more pleasant texture than store-bought in this recipe.
- Slice 2 green onions. When using green onions in a dish, I separate the dark green from the lighter green/white. I cook the lighter-colored stem of the green onion to soften them within the dish and then use the darker green tops of the green onion for garnish.
- Prepare your remaining vegetables, dicing ½ cup of yellow onion, mincing 3 cloves of garlic, and roughly chopping ¼ cup cilantro and 8 oz water chestnuts.
recipe prep tip:
The most time-consuming part of this recipe is prepping all of the vegetables that go into the filling and are used for garnish. Cooking the chicken lettuce wrap filling is very quick, so be sure to take this time to prep before your chicken hits the skillet.
Step 2: Cook the chicken lettuce wrap filling
- Our first step is to cook the ground chicken. Add 2 tbsp of sesame oil to a cast iron pan on medium-high heat, then 1lb of ground chicken.
- Season the chicken with 1 tsp shichimi togarashi, which is a Japanese 7-spice blend. Ground chicken is bland, so this will help season it and begin flavoring the dish.
- The ground chicken cooks quickly. Break it up with a spoon/spatula as you cook. Ground chicken takes about 5-7 minutes over medium/high heat – it turns white when fully cooked.
- Once cooked, remove from the skillet and set aside in a bowl.
What is a good substitute for shichimi togarashi?
While shichimi togarashi has the best flavor profile for this dish, you can subsitute for it easily by adding a bit of salt and red chili flakes to your ground chicken. Some dried seaweed flakes can also help give it a similar flavor.
Step 3: Add aromatics
- After removing the chicken, lower the heat to medium and add some more sesame oil. Add ½ cup chopped onions and sauté until softened for about 4 minutes.
- Add in 2 inches of minced ginger and 3 cloves of minced garlic. Sauté with the onion for one minute till fragrant.
- Return the cooked chicken back to the skillet and any juices that are in the bowl.
- Mix the chicken, onion, garlic, and ginger together.
Step 4: Create the sauce
- Add all the sauce ingredients to the chicken. The sauce consists of 3 tbsp hoisin, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, and 1 tbsp sriracha.
- Mix until all the chicken is coated in the sauce.
- Add in the shredded carrots, chopped water chestnuts, green onion stem, and fresh cilantro.
- Mix all the ingredients together and allow the flavors to meld for 3 minutes, then remove from the heat.
Sauce tip:
Make sure you are using low-sodium ingredients in the sauce. Otherwise, it will taste overly salty.
Are chicken lettuce wraps spicy?
The sriracha adds a good amount of heat to this lettuce wraps recipe, which is suitable for those with a medium spice tolerance.
If you don’t want spicy chicken lettuce wraps, omit the sriracha and serve it on the side for a custom spice level.
How can I make this recipe soy-free?
If you have a soy allergy or intolerance, substitute the low-sodium soy sauce with coconut aminos. It has a similar flavor profile to tamari and will complement these Asian lettuce wraps.
Step 5: Assemble the chicken lettuce wraps
- To assemble the chicken lettuce wraps, first lay down a butter lettuce cup.
- Next, add 2-3 spoons of the chicken lettuce wrap filling.
- Garnish with chopped peanuts, freshly chopped cilantro, and green onion. If you enjoy spicy food, also add additional sriracha on top.
What kind of lettuce do you need for lettuce wraps?
I use butter lettuce for my chicken wraps because it’s sturdy enough to hold the seasoned chicken filling. The leaves are also large enough to provide a nice “cup” shape.
Iceberg is a good alternative, equally sturdy and extra crunchy!
How to serve chicken lettuce wraps
Serve these lettuce wraps as a light meal, complete with optional toppings like fresh herbs, chopped nuts, hot sauce, sesame seeds, and lime wedges.
These chicken lettuce wraps would make a tasty appetizer to an Asian-inspired meal like my vegetable lo mein, Thai red curry chicken, or Szechuan cold sesame noodles.
How to store chicken lettuce wraps
Store the filling (without garnish and lettuce cup) in an airtight container. It will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
To reheat, use the reheat feature on the microwave and then proceed to assemble and garnish.
Love this Asian-inspired dish? Try these recipes:
- Vegetable Lo Mein
- Shishito Peppers with Soy Garlic Sauce
- Szechuan Cold Sesame Noodles
- Red Chicken Curry
- Spicy Chicken Stir Fry
- Spicy Peanut Salad
- Healthier Gobi Manchurian
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Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil (divided)
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 medium carrots (peeled and grated (1 1/4 cup) (see note #1))
- 2 inches ginger (peeled and minced (see note #2))
- 8 ounces water chestnuts (roughly chopped)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (+ more for garnish)
- 2 green onions sliced (dark green and light green/white separated (see note #5))
- 1 teaspoon shichimi togarashi
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce (see note #3)
- 1 tablespoon sriracha (see note #4)
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1/3 cup unsalted roasted peanuts (roughly chopped)
- 1 head butter lettuce
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Instructions
- In a high walled skillet, over medium/high heat, add 2 tbsp sesame oil. Add in the ground chicken and shichimi togarashi. Cook the chicken through 5-7 minutes, breaking it up as it cooks. Chicken will be white when fully cooked. Using a spoon, remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside in a bowl.
- Lower the heat to medium, add 1 tbsp sesame oil. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add in the minced garlic and ginger, sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Return the chicken back into the skillet (including any juices) and mix with the onion, garlic, and ginger.
- Add in the hoisin, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sriracha. Mix until chicken is fully coated. Add in the grated carrot, chopped water chestnuts, 1/4 cup cilantro, and the light green/white green onions. Mix all the ingredients together and allow the flavors to meld for 3 minutes, then remove from the heat.
- To assemble the lettuce cups: lay a butter lettuce cup down and add 2-3 spoons of filling. Garnish with chopped peanuts, dark green onions, cilantro, and additional sriracha.
Notes
- Carrots: Grate fresh carrots by peeling them, cutting the root tip off, then using a box grater. Freshly grated carrots give you a more pleasant texture than store bought in this recipe. See in-post for photos.
- Ginger: Peel your ginger skin with a spoon by scraping the skin off. This allows you to easily get in between any nubs sticking out and you don’t waste any ginger.
- Sauce: Use low sodium ingredients. The hoisin and soy sauce can also be substituted with coconut amino based hoisin and soy sauce.
- Sriracha: If you do not like spicy, skip the sriracha in the sauce and serve it on the side
- Green onion: When using green onions in a dish, I separate the dark green from the lighter green/white. I cook the lighter colored stem of the green onion to soften them within the dish and then use the darker green tops of the green onion for garnish. See in post for photo.
- Storing: Store the chicken lettuce wrap filling (without garnish and lettuce cup) in an airtight container. It will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. To reheat, use the reheat feature on the microwave and then proceed to assemble and garnish.
These chicken wraps are absolutely delicious and very easy to make. Refreashing! Love them!
This is the best lettuce wrap recipe I’ve tried. Substituted crushed red pepper flakes sesame seeds and pepper for the shichimi togarashi.
These lettuce wraps are SO good and easy. I served the filling over rice for my kids and they all loved it.
An absolutely delicious mix of flavors that’s very unique! Perfect for a weeknight meal when you don’t want to eat too heavy. They really fill you up as well! Definitely making them again! I subbed the carrots with coleslaw cause that’s what I had at the time and was delish!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe Cam! Great idea using coleslaw!