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These Ground Chicken Lettuce Wraps take less than 30 minutes to make and are full of flavor with just a few ingredients! Slightly spicy and a little bit sweet, with a salty peanut crunch and a cool freshness from the lettuce.
What are Chicken Lettuce Wraps?
These wraps are inspired by an appetizer that is on the menu at a popular Asian chain restaurant. There was a time in my early 20s that this was a favorite lunch stop when we were shopping at the local mall. I believe that this recipe is pretty close to what they serve, but I am confident that it is a much healthier version!
They are basically ground chicken seasoned with Hoisin and Sriracha sauces, garlic, ginger and a few veggies. Then, it is all wrapped up in a lettuce leaf. So with just a few ingredients, a couple garnishes and the lettuce leaf to wrap it up, it doesn't get much easier than this!
They are simple, delicious and can be made ahead of time and then assembled when you are ready to eat!
This is the perfect, family style appetizer! On the table, place a big bowl of the ground chicken mixture, a plate of beautiful fresh lettuce leaves and a variety of garnishes. It is fun, interactive and customizable!
Ingredients
- Ground Chicken
- Mushrooms- White or Crimini mushrooms
- Water Chestnuts- You can find these in the Asian foods aisle.
- Green Onions- You will just need a few. We will use both the green and white parts.
- Hoisin Sauce- This can also be found in the Asian foods aisle.
- Sriracha- This can be found with the hot sauces, or in the Asian foods aisle.
- Rice Vinegar- This can be found with the other types of vinegar, or in the Asian foods aisle.
- Ground Ginger
- Garlic Powder
- Brown Sugar
- Butter Lettuce - You can use any whole lettuce leaves. I prefer Butter lettuce, but Iceberg or Romaine will work well too!
- Peanuts- Shelled, salted dry roasted peanuts.
- Cilantro- Fresh leafy cilantro.
How to Make these Wraps
If you can make tacos, you can make these! These may even be easier!
To start, gather your ingredients. Rinse your lettuce leaves and set them on paper towels to drain. Slice both the white and green parts of the green onions into thin rings. Dice the mushrooms into small pieces. If the water chestnuts are whole, slice those into coin shapes. Chop the cilantro to use as a garnish.
Heat a sautรฉ pan over medium high heat and brown the mushrooms and ground chicken. There are a lot of salty components to this meal between the Hoisin sauce and the peanuts, so I don't actually salt the chicken at all. Feel free to season is slightly, just know that it can easily get too salty, so use caution. โบ๏ธ
While the chicken is browning, make the sauce. In a bowl combine the Hoisin, Sriracha, Rice Vinegar, Garlic Powder, Ground Ginger and Brown sugar. Whisk it all together to combine and then set it aside.
Once the chicken is browned, pour the sauce into the pan and stir to incorporate everything thoroughly. Fold the water chestnuts, and green onions into the mixture. Turn off the heat.
How to Serve...
In my opinion, the best way to serve these is to put the ground chicken, lettuce leaves and cilantro, peanuts and extra sauce on the table and allow your guests to serve themselves. It is a fun spin on the old taco bar! Guests can choose how much of each topping they want, and add a little extra spice if they'd like.
These would be fun to serve for an Asian inspired cocktail party or happy hour appetizer. They would go well alongside these Shishito Peppers, and you could make these Salmon Cakes with Basil Lime Aioli bite sized to add to the mix! For a delicious lunch or dinner, server it with this Ramen Noodle Salad with Sesame Sauce. Yum!
The other option is to build the lettuce wraps ahead of time and serve them all pre-assembled. In this case, simply spoon some of the chicken mixture onto a lettuce leaf and then sprinkle with cilantro and peanuts and serve!
Recipe Notes
- This recipe is very adaptable! If you prefer to use ground turkey (or even ground beef!), feel free!
- The spice level in these is relatively low. So you may want to serve extra Sriracha sauce on the side for your more heat loving guests!
- You can turn this meal into a main course or even a salad, much like you would a Taco Salad. Simply spoon the meat mixture onto mixed greens, then garnish with peanuts, cilantro and serve!
I hope you have fun making and serving these Chicken Lettuce Wraps! I would love to hear from you in the comments below. Thank you and thank you for visiting Mollie in Montana~*! โฅ๏ธ
๐ Recipe
Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
- 8 Whole Butter Lettuce Leaves, washed and dried
- 1 lb Ground Chicken
- 10 White or Crimini Mushrooms, diced
- 3 Green onions, sliced into thin rings
- ยฝ Cup Sliced Water Chestnuts
- ยฝ Cup Hoisin Sauce
- 2 tablespoon Sriracha Hot Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar
- ยฝ teaspoon garlic powder
- ยผ teaspoon Ground Ginger
- 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
Instructions
Ground Chicken Mixture
- Preheat skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add diced mushrooms and season with a pinch of salt.
- Add ground chicken and brown, making sure to get a nice brown crust on the chicken. This adds flavor and texture to the dish!
- While chicken is browning, in a separate bowl mix the Hoisin Sauce, Sriracha, Rice Vinegar, garlic powder, ground ginger and brown sugar.
- Once chicken is browned, turn heat to low and add sauce mixture. Stir to mix in thoroughly.
- Turn heat off and add the green onions, and water chestnuts and fold into the mixture.
- To assemble wraps, spoon chicken mixture into lettuce leaf. Sprinkle with peanuts and cilantro to garnish.
- You can also serve these family style, by placing the chicken mixture in a large bowl on the table, then arranging the lettuce leaves on a platter, and serving the peanuts, cilantro and extra Sriracha and Hoisin sauce in ramekins on the table. Then just let guests create their own wraps!
- Enjoy! โฅ๏ธ
Notes
Notes:
- Feel free to use ground turkey or beef if you prefer. Both would be delicious!
- As far as the lettuce, Romaine and Iceberg lettuce will work as well, so use whatever you'd like!
- The spice level in this recipe is fairly low, so definitely have more Sriracha sauce available for any of the spice lovers you may be serving!
- This chicken mixture is one of those things that gets even better as it sits! So this is a perfect make ahead meal. To save it for later, place the chicken mixture in a snap lock container in the fridge for up to 5 days. When you are ready to eat, heat it gently on 300ยฐ for about 15 minutes.ย
Abby Salsman says
This recipe is such a great weeknight meal!!! Plus you get a lot of veggies in. Another great one Mollie!
mollieinmontana says
Thank you Abby!