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Chicken lettuce wraps are one of my favorite things to make at home because they’re so easy and so flavorful. There is absolutely no need to go to the restaurant to buy these. You don’t get nearly enough for the markup that you pay and quite frankly, I think the homemade ones taste even better!
Truth be told, I’m not a huge fan of the original place that started this trend. I don’t want to name names but you all probably have an idea of what I’m talking about. I don’t really like the fancy American-Chinese cooking — especially when it’s at a “fancy” restaurant where they upcharge you like crazy for such a small amount of food.
HOWEVER, the one thing I’m a huge fan of at this particular chain is their chicken lettuce wrap appetizer dish.
We ALL know what it is and I’m sure 80% of you have had it once before. Well, they don’t exactly give you a ton and for the price, you could make this dish like three times AND be completely stuffed. We totally eat these as our meal and not as an appetizer. You can treat these however you like but we think this is a healthier meal option if that is what you are going for!
You can control what how much of what goes in it (i.e.: salt content) and you also get as many lettuce leaves as you want :) Serve this with a side of white rice and you can call this a meal!
What you’ll need:
For the sauce you’ll need:
- Soy sauce – low-sodium here!
- Dark brown sugar – it gives it a nice depth of flavor
- Rice vinegar – it cuts the sweetness just a tad
For the rest of the dish:
- Onion
- Garlic
- Water Chestnuts – this is my favorite ingredient to use because I love the crunch and texture!
- Shiitake mushrooms
- Ground chicken – you can use ground turkey or ground pork, if you prefer
- Bibb lettuce cups – these are the best to hold your chicken mixture in but you can use baby romaine leaves too.
Common questions:
What can you substitute for the chicken? I’ve made this with ground pork and ground turkey before!
What if you can’t find water chestnuts? You can omit them since they don’t add flavor but merely there for texture and crunch! A reader mentioned she substituted bamboo shoots so that is an alternative too.
Can this be made ahead of time? Yes! This is a great dish to make ahead of time for meal prep.
Can this be prepped but not made ahead of time? Yes! All the ingredients can be prepped and then just thrown into the skillet to warm up/cook through.
Other take-out, fake-out copycat recipes you may like:
Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 4 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
For the rest of the dish:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoons sesame oil
- ½ white onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 8 ounce can of water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
- ½ cup reconstituted shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped
- ½ pound cooked ground chicken
- Bibb lettuce cups
The default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the sesame oil and vegetable oil. Once hot, add the onion, garlic, water chestnuts, and shiitake mushrooms. Cook the veggies until tender and warmed through, about 5 minutes.
- Add the cooked ground chicken to the skillet then pour the sauce all over the entire mixture. Stir to combine. Let cook together for 3-5 minutes.
- Serve hot in the bibb lettuce cups and with a side of white rice, if desired.
Video
Recipe Notes
NUTRITION FACTS
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.
Jnoele
Tuesday 21st of January 2020
The last time I made these decided to use shredded lettuce and make them “bowls” game changer! They are delicious and a time saver!!
Jasmine Dulin
Friday 1st of February 2019
These are bitchin. For me personally, I prefer to make the filling and mix it up with rice, instead of doing a lettuce wrap. Maybe next time I’ll serve it with broccoli slaw for some fresh crunch. But SO GOOD
Brittan Lauren
Wednesday 12th of September 2018
Made these and LOVED them. I added in some chili garlic sauce for spice and they were off the charts delicious. I will be adding these in to my regular meal schedule.
Julie
Friday 14th of September 2018
Awesome! Sounds amazing
Lanie cory
Saturday 10th of March 2018
That's very nice and thanks for shared
Danielle
Monday 5th of March 2018
I made these over the weekend and WOW they are amazing! I’ve made so many “copycat” lettuce wrap recipes and I’ve always been disappointed but these were perfect and so simple! Followed the recipe exactly but as a dipping sauce used Trader Joe’s Gyoza sauce. Can’t wait to make these again and again :)
Julie
Tuesday 6th of March 2018
Yay! :)