Chicken lettuce wraps are so easy to make and fun to eat and perfect for all those days when you want a meal that’s packed with flavor and veggies! I love to make chicken lettuce wraps when we’re so busy or when the weather is toooooo hot! Using ground chicken means less prep.
This post was updated on 12/9/2023 with minor edits.
Disclaimer: Please check that all ingredients are suitable for your allergies and be sure to ask your medical care team regarding any allergy related questions (I do not share medical advice). As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Basic Steps to Make Lettuce Wraps
There are three main steps to making chicken lettuce wraps: 1) prepare the lettuce cups, 2) make the filling, and 3) assemble and eat!
Prep the Lettuce Cups
I love using butter lettuce for chicken lettuce wraps. The leaves are already round and cup shaped, and is so perfect for holding the chicken and veggies filling. It also has a sweet mild taste.
I also like using iceberg lettuce which is crunchier and more readily available. My quick and easy way to prepare iceberg lettuce cups is to place the lettuce upright (the stem on the cutting board) and cut the lettuce to the left and right of the core (think Princess Leah buns) and then you have mostly perfect lettuce cups in an instant.
Reserve the lettuce leaves attached to the core for a salad or stir fry lettuce. If you have more time and you want to make the most out of every lettuce leaf check out my step by step instructions to make lettuce cups.
Make the Chicken Filling
I basically saute the onions and garlic until they are fragrant and then I brown the ground chicken, add the shredded veggies, sauce, and saute briefly until the veggies are slightly wilted and the sauce thickens. The filling is perfect when the veggies aren’t cold but still crisp.
Frugal tip: Lately I’ve been buying whole chicken and I’ve been mincing the chicken breast with a cleaver. It’s easy to mince chicken breasts, a great workout, and fun (especially when you have lots of feelings to work through, hahaha).
Assemble & Eat Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Assembling the chicken lettuce wraps is the fun part and it’s best to do it at the table as people eat so that the heat from the filling doesn’t wilt the lettuce cups. Some people like to serve the lettuce wraps with a spoonful of freshly cooked rice as a complete meal. Sometimes I stir in the rice into the filling mixture and it becomes a complete meal.
Allergy Aware Chicken Lettuce Wrap
I use a combination of soy sauce and oyster sauce in the sauce and hoisin sauce on the side. This chicken lettuce wrap recipe is very easy to adapt.
If you are allergic to soy, oysters, or any ingredient in hoisin sauce, substitute the soy sauce and oyster sauce with soy free soy sauce and omit the hoisin sauce.
If you are gluten free, you are in luck because there are gluten free versions of soy sauce (tamari), hoisin sauce, and oyster sauce.
For a flavor variation or an allergy aware substitution, you could also saute with other Asian sweet and salty sauces in flavors that you like. If you need ideas, check out what else is in my cupboard.
This recipe is free of peanuts, tree nuts, egg, milk, and fish as written.
Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Hoisin Sauce (Nut-Free)
Chicken lettuce wraps are so easy to make and fun to eat and perfect for all those days when you want a meal that's packed with flavor and veggies! These Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps are easy to make, delicious to eat, and fun to adapt to your taste and allergies.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium sweet onion chopped
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 9 oz shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix
- 2 stalks scallions chopped
- 1 head butter lettuce washed and leaves separated
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
Instructions
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Combine cornstarch, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and water in a small bowl, stir together and set aside.
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Preheat a large skillet on medium heat for a few minutes, add oil and swirl to coat.
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Add garlic and onions, saute until fragrant.
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Add ground chicken and break up the meat into smaller pieces, saute for 3 minutes until is it’s no longer pink.
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Add cabbage, scallions, stir the sauce, add to the pan, saute for 1 minute.
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Continue to stir to combine the meat and vegetables until the sauce thickens slightly, immediately remove from heat and serve with lettuce cups and hoisin sauce on the side.
Related Recipes
If you like lettuce wrap recipes, I also have a lettuce wrap recipe using wagyu sausages.
I like to make this dish during the summer when it’s too hot to cook or eat hot foods. This chicken lettuce wrap is almost a complete meal by itself, maybe make some rice, and have a fruit salad for dessert.
However, this recipe might come in handy during the Lunar New Year too as lettuce is considered a lucky food to have and eat. Here are some additional Lunar New Year related recipes:
- Make Chicken Potstickers From Scratch Recipe – chicken potstickers
- Chinese Potstickers Recipe: Pork & Napa Cabbage – seafood free potstickers
- Dim Sum: Turnip Cake – a savory steamed rice cake that is pan fried until crispy
- “Bok Cheet Gai” Slow Cooker Chinese White Cut Chicken – poach chicken in a slow cooker
- Easy & Low-Fat Chinese Salt and Pepper Garlic Shrimp Recipe – shrimp is an auspicious ingredient
- Happiness is a Shrimp Stir Fry with Spring Vegetables Recipe – a shrimp stir-fry
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