These chicken lettuce wraps contain ground chicken and veggies cooked in a savory sauce and served in cool lettuce leaves. A PF Chang’s copycat recipe that’s super easy to make and tastes just as good as the restaurant version!
I can never resist ordering chicken lettuce cups when I see them on the appetizer menu at my favorite Asian restaurant. They’re flavorful, yet light enough to be the perfect start to the meal. Serve your lettuce wraps with other Asian food recipes such as Spam fried rice, Buddha’s delight, Hunan chicken, Kung Pao beef, vegetable lo mein and potstickers.
If you’re all about a quick and delicious lunch or dinner, these chicken lettuce wraps are quite satisfying. Made with light and healthy ground chicken, PF Chang’s lettuce wraps are even great for a party appetizer. Plus, they’re easy as can be which makes them even better!
Table of Contents
Chicken Lettuce Wraps Ingredients
This recipe is made with ground chicken, mushrooms, vegetable oil, onions, sesame oil, butter lettuce (also known as bibb lettuce), hoisin sauce, water chestnuts, ginger, garlic cloves, salt, black pepper, soy sauce, rice vinegar and green onions.
How Do You Make Chicken Lettuce Wraps?
Place the vegetable oil in a pan or large skillet, then add the chicken. Cook the chicken and season it with salt and pepper. Next, add the mushrooms and onions to the pan, and cook until the veggies are tender. Stir in water chestnuts, garlic and ginger. Make the sauce by whisking together hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil. Pour the sauce into the chicken mixture, and stir to combine. Add a sprinkle of green onions, then spoon the chicken mixture into lettuce leaves and serve immediately.
Tips For The Perfect Dish
- Hoisin sauce is a sweet and savory sauce that can be found in the ethnic foods aisle of most grocery stores. It is a critical flavor component of this dish and there is not a great substitute.
- Choose ground chicken that is 96% lean for the best results. This is the ground chicken thighs blend, as ground chicken breast may be dry in this recipe.
- The leftover chicken mixture will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store it separate from the lettuce in an airtight container.
- Looking for a spicier option? Feel free to add some sriracha or red pepper flakes.
- You can also serve the chicken mixture over a bed of lettuce as a main course salad offering for a different take on this dish!
Quick Tip
I find that shiitake mushrooms give this recipe the most authentic flavor. You can also use diced button mushrooms if that is what you have on hand.
Recipe FAQs
Chicken lettuce wraps contain ground chicken, garlic, ginger, onions, mushrooms and water chestnuts in a sauce of hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and soy sauce. The chicken mixture is served in lettuce leaves.
When I serve this dish as a meal, I often do a side of steamed white rice. Asian style noodles would also be a great choice. You can also serve your lettuce cups alongside other Asian inspired appetizers such as egg rolls or fried wontons.
I recommend using butter lettuce for wraps, as it has a sweet mild flavor and the leaves are naturally rounded into cups to hold all that great filling. Iceberg lettuce and romaine lettuce are other great options. For a more vibrantly colored dish, try red leaf lettuce.
It’s important to make sure your lettuce is very dry before you make your wraps. If the lettuce is wet, the moisture can make the filling soggy. I recommend using a salad spinner to get all the water off your lettuce. You should also only fill your lettuce cups at the last second right before eating, because they can get soggy if they sit for an extended period of time.
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Flavor Variations
While this recipe is fabulous as-is, you can change up the ingredients to customize the flavors to your tastes.
- Protein: You can use ground turkey, ground pork or ground beef instead of chicken. If you’re a seafood lover, try using coarsely chopped shrimp.
- Vegetables: Feel free to add other veggies to the mix such as shredded carrot, finely diced zucchini or chopped bell peppers.
- Toppings: Finish your lettuce wraps with fun toppings such as sesame seeds, chopped peanut, sliced almonds, wonton strips, or crispy rice noodles.
- Lettuce: Swap out the butter lettuce for romaine lettuce, cabbage leaves or iceberg lettuce.
I love how easy these chicken lettuce wraps are to make. I’ve served them at get togethers before and they always go over extremely well. I think people really enjoy a delicious yet healthier option when it comes to parties.
More Asian Inspired Recipes You’ll Love
Chicken Lettuce Wraps Video
Love This Recipe?
Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 5 ounces shiitake mushrooms stems discarded, caps finely diced
- 1/2 cup onion finely diced
- 8 ounce can water chestnuts drained and finely diced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- salt and pepper to taste
- 5 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1/3 cup sliced green onions
- 1 head butter lettuce leaves separated
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the chicken and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook the chicken for 5-6 minutes, breaking up the meat with a spatula, until mostly cooked through.
- Add the mushrooms and onion to the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
- Stir in the water chestnuts, garlic and ginger. Cook for 1 more minute.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil.
- Pour the sauce over the ground chicken mixture and toss to coat evenly.
- Sprinkle the green onions over the chicken mixture.
- Spoon the chicken into the lettuce leaves and serve.
Notes
- Hoisin sauce is a sweet and savory sauce that can be found in the ethnic foods aisle of most grocery stores. It is a critical flavor component of this dish and there is not a great substitute.
- I find that shiitake mushrooms give this recipe the most authentic flavor. You can also use diced button mushrooms if that is what you have on hand.
- Choose ground chicken that is 96% lean for the best results.
This recipe is amazing! Exactly like the Thai lettuce cups I have at the local restaurant. I used Romaine lettuce and served with spring rolls. The recipe was enough that the two of us will have another small meal from the ingredients. I wouldn’t change a thing.
Sorry forgot to rate. 5 stars for sure!
We love Chicken Lettuce Wraps recipe in the house, easy to make and delicious!! will keep making them. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Love these healthy lettuce wraps! They’re packed with flavor and are so filling too!
We eat this on repeat throughout the summer. My whole family loves it!
Ahhh, such a fun and delicious copycat! It has been way too long since I have had the lettuce wraps. Yours look so good.
Made these last night and they were delicious. Loved the chestnuts and the gingery flavors. My family loved it and wants it again.
Excellent!! I used baby bella mushrooms because I had them on hand. The fresh ginger is also a must. Thanks Sara!
I would rinse the water chestnuts next time, I can taste a hint of sour/not so yumminess and I think that might be the culprit, when I make spinach dip and use artichokes if I don’t rinse them really well I get the same taste.
Overall it’s good, thanks for the recipe.
Delicious. Our lettuce turned as fragile as tissue paper, ended up grabbing romaine. I think the filling may have been too hot when we filled the butter lettuce. Will definitely make again…but, I’ll let the filling cool a bit more. Thank you for the recipe.
I love all your receipts because are simply and delicious😋
What a great idea for ground chicken. I love hoisin sauce so I’ll be making this dish regularly.
One of my go to restaurant appetizers, didn’t know it was so easy to make at home!! Thanks so much for the inspiration, can’t wait to try these out.
Crunchy, delicious and easy to make lettuce wraps .. cant wait to try these at home for a party over the weekend. I have everything I need to make this! Thanks!
OMG the sauce on this is to die for, winner even with the kids tonight.
These chicken lettuce wraps look so delicious! Will be perfect for lunch.