Recently, I was craving lettuce wraps. Like really craving them. That honestly never happens. I’m never walking around the house wishing I could eat a lettuce wrap – who does that? Lettuce wraps are also something I almost never eat or order at a restaurant. So, why in the world would I just randomly crave them? I think I saw a photo on Instagram and immediately began intrigued by the idea of making the perfect [easy] chicken lettuce wraps.
My only real memory of having lettuce wraps in a restaurant stems from college (and maybe a little after college) while dining at P.F. Changs with friends. Even though I haven’t been in a P.F. Changs in YEARS, I do vividly remember the lettuce wraps. They are delicious! After seeing a photo of some yummy wraps on Instagram, I thought: there has to be a way to recreate some easy chicken lettuce wraps that everyone can enjoy.
To me, I think the key to yummy lettuce wraps is…yep, you guessed it, THE LETTUCE. Sure, if you must, use whatever you have on hand but iceberg lettuce just isn’t the same as using butter lettuce. Butter lettuce is a type of lettuce that includes Boston and Bibb. The leaves are a beautiful green color, they’re sort of round and very silky. They make for awesome sandwiches and even better chicken lettuce wraps.
How to: easy chicken lettuce wraps
When thinking about preparing lettuce wraps, another key besides the lettuce: don’t overthink it. Don’t overthink it by over-complicating the process or the ingredients. You can make a yummy lettuce wrap without overdoing it with bells and whistles and I’ll show you how today.
These make a great dinner item or an appetizer if you’re having people over. I used ground chicken for these but you can fill them with lots of veggies or use ground lamb or beef – the choice is yours.
Be sure to use low-sodium soy sauce for this recipe, though. I tried it with a regular soy sauce first and it was a little too salty (no bueno). Low-sodium soy sauce is your friend here. Ready to make some chicken lettuce wraps?
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seed oil
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon sambal oelek
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup sliced scallions, divided
- 1 head butter lettuce
- Shaved carrots, garnish
Instructions
- Whisk oyster sauce, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, and chili-garlic paste together in a small bowl until smooth; set aside.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the ground chicken, ground ginger, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook, breaking the meat up into small pieces, until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Add half of the scallions. Cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Pour in the sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and transfer to a serving bowl.
- Remove the leaves from the head of lettuce and arrange on a serving platter.
- Scoop about 1/4 cup filling into the middle of each lettuce leaf and topping with scallions and carrots.
