I first tasted Asian chicken wraps years ago at P.F. Chang’s. I loved them so much that I immediately wanted to recreate them at home. My version is delicious, quick, and healthy! To make them, you’ll cook ground chicken with a simple list of ingredients and then serve it in fresh lettuce cups. I use my homemade hoisin sauce, which I highly recommend, but you can always use your favorite store-bought sauce!
Key Ingredients
Ground Chicken: I love using ground chicken for these lettuce wraps, but you can substitute ground turkey or pork. I recommend choosing ground meat with at least 7% fat for added flavor and the best texture. Aromatics: To make these lettuce wraps super flavorful, I cook the ground chicken with fresh garlic, ginger, onion, and green onions. This combination adds incredible flavor and only takes a little extra prep time. Sesame Oil: I add a generous splash of toasted sesame oil, which gives the chicken an authentic, nutty, toasted flavor. Hoisin Sauce: I use my homemade hoisin sauce for this recipe, but store-bought works just fine. Hoisin sauce is a popular condiment in many Chinese dishes, adding a sweet and savory flavor to the ground chicken. I love how it coats the chicken and turns into our sauce. Gochujang or Sriracha: This adds a little heat to the dish. I cook with gochujang a lot (it’s an incredibly flavorful Korean fermented chili paste with a sweet/spicy flavor). If you can’t find it, sriracha works well as a substitute. Water Chestnuts: I buy the sliced water chestnuts sold in cans. I love the crunch they add to these lettuce wraps. Lettuce: Use lettuce that you can easily break into cups that won’t tear easily. I’ve used butter lettuce in my photos, but iceberg, romaine, and green leaf lettuce are also great options. Toppings: I love topping my lettuce wraps with chopped peanuts, sliced chile peppers, and a squeeze of lime juice. You can also serve them with extra hoisin sauce on the side or make my light dipping sauce (recipe provided in the tips below the recipe).
How to Make Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Our chicken lettuce wraps are such an easy meal! First, you’ll make the flavorful ginger hoisin chicken filling. Start by cooking your ground chicken in a bit of oil in a hot skillet. Once it’s starting to brown, stir in plenty of fresh minced garlic, ginger, onion, and green onions. When the chicken is cooked through, and the onions are soft, stir in hoisin sauce, gochujang (or sriracha), and those crunchy water chestnuts. I highly recommend my homemade hoisin sauce, as it’s incredibly delicious! Store-bought hoisin is okay, but keep in mind that it might be slightly saltier or sweeter than my homemade version, so adjust to your taste. (If you do make my homemade sauce, you can also use to to make our hoisin sticky ribs!) Now, it’s time to assemble your lettuce wraps. I like to serve this family style and let everyone dig in. I also love serving some extras on the table for people to add, like chopped peanuts, chilies, sliced green onion, lime wedges, more hoisin sauce, and my favorite Vietnamese-inspired dipping sauce (not something P.F. Chang’s serves, but it’s so tasty). For another light and healthy lettuce wrap recipe, see our hummus lettuce wraps with chicken and veggies. 1 tablespoon neutral oil like sunflower oil 1 pound (450g) ground chicken, at least 7% fat 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 3 to 4 cloves 1 tablespoon minced ginger, 1-inch thumb-sized piece Half of a medium yellow onion, finely chopped 1 bunch green onions, sliced, light green and dark green parts separated 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 4 to 5 tablespoons hoisin sauce, we recommend homemade hoisin 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Gochujang or sriracha, optional for heat 1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and sliced Optional: Fish sauce, Limes, Chopped roasted peanuts, finely diced chilies 2Heat the sesame oil and sunflower oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and press down into the oil to flatten it. When the underside starts to brown, use a wooden spoon to break the meat into crumbles. 3Stir in minced garlic, ginger, chopped yellow onion, and the sliced light green parts of the green onion (you will use the darker green parts later). Keep stirring everything in the skillet as it cooks. 4Once the onions have become tender and the chicken is fully cooked, add the hoisin sauce, gochujang (or sriracha), and water chestnuts. Stir everything together until well coated in the sauce. Taste, and add more sauce if needed. If it doesn’t pop with flavor, add a small splash of fish sauce. 5Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in half of the dark green parts of the green onion, and then serve with lettuce leaves and toppings. 6Serve lettuce wraps family-style with optional toppings on the table. We love the remaining sliced green onion, chopped peanuts, finely diced chilies, and fresh lime wedges for squeezing on top. 7Serve lettuce wraps family-style with optional toppings on the table. We love the remaining sliced green onion, chopped peanuts, finely diced chilies, and fresh lime wedges for squeezing on top.
