Healthy Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wrap Recipe

When was the first time you ever tried a lettuce wrap? For most of us, it was on a trip to P.F. Chang's. Whoever thought that these little bundles of veggies, chicken, and sauces could be so delicious?

There's a reason lettuce wraps are now a thing and I'm pretty sure it all comes back to people falling in love with these tasty wraps at P.F. Chang's!

Fortunately, you can skip the trip to the restaurant because these healthy lettuce wraps are a cinch to make at home. Since they're high in protein and naturally low carb, they're such a great way to eat a little healthier without feeling deprived at all.

Are P.F. Chang's lettuce wraps healthy?

I hate to burst your bubble, but PF Chang's chicken lettuce wraps can only loosely be described as healthy.

Two PF Chang's lettuce wraps have 320 calories, 13g of fat, 33g of carbohydrates, 14g of sugar, and 19g of protein.

The calories and protein aren't too high, but where are all of those carbs coming from? Well, PF Chang's version uses crispy rice sticks and hoisin sauce and oyster sauce to add extra flavor. Although they're delicious, the rice sticks and sugary sauces make this recipe a little more indulgent.

My version skips the sweet add-ons (except a little sweet chili sauce) and the rice sticks. Plus, the filling is loaded with veggies to fill you up. These tweaks help you keep that high dose of protein while also eating more veggies and fewer carbs.

The thing you'll notice about this recipe is that it might require a few ingredients you don't currently have on hand. I highly, highly recommend adding these popular Asian ingredients to your pantry.

This recipe is all about finding the perfect combination of sweet, salty, sour, and umami flavors. You can only achieve that with the right balance of ingredients. Don't worry - fish sauce isn't too fishy. I promise these will become your new favorite ingredients!

• 3 tbsp. Thai sweet chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• Juice of 1 lime
• 3 tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. Sriracha
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 ½ tbsp. rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 tbsp. ginger paste
• Diced chicken thighs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Shredded carrot
• Shredded cabbage
• Minced green onions
• Chopped water chestnuts
• ¼ cup Peanut butter
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• ½ tablespoon fresh ginger paste
• Juice of ½ lime
• Head of butter lettuce

What Lettuce is Best For Lettuce Wraps?

The lettuce for these wraps needs to be strong enough to hold up a season of ingredients. Thin, floppy greens that wilt from heat are a not a great choice.

• Butter lettuce - Tender and flavorful without being too flimsy, butter (or Bibb) lettuce has the perfect texture and size for scooping mounds of chicken. It's also foldable and won't crack when you roll up your wraps!
• Romaine lettuce - This lettuce is the closest to a utensil in the salad world. Those thick stems and crispy leaves give it some lifting power and a great crunch. This is a great lettuce for chicken lettuce wraps!
• Green leaf lettuce - Commonly available in grocery stores as either green or red leaf lettuce, this lettuce variety has big leaves perfect for holding the chicken, water chestnuts, sliced veggies, and sauce.
• Iceberg lettuce - Although this is harder and harder to find anymore, the dry, curved leaves of iceberg lettuce are naturally formed to make lettuce cups. They don't have as much flavor as the other options, but they'll do in a pinch!

How To Make Chicken Lettuce Wraps

1. In a mixing bowl combine the chili sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, soy sauce, sriracha, sesame oil, rice vinegar, minced garlic, and ginger paste.
2. Add diced chicken thighs to the marinade and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. While that marinates, mix the peanut sauce by whisking together peanut butter, soy sauce, ginger paste, and lime juice.
4. Chop veggies for filling and set aside.
5. Add oil to a large skillet and saute chicken for 2-3 minutes.
6. Add veggies and saute for another 5-7 minutes.
7. Continue cooking until the chicken is fully cooked through, 165 degrees internal temperature.
8. Scoop the chicken mixture into cups of butter lettuce and top with a drizzle of peanut sauce.

Protein Options

One place you might want to play around is with the protein.

I use chicken thighs in this recipe because they are the most flavorful cut of chicken out there! Their higher fat content means they absorb flavor incredibly well. They're also very affordable. Look for boneless, skinless chicken thighs for easy prep.

• Chicken breasts - Chicken breast is so lean that it really needs a strong sauce to make it flavorful. This will add a lot of protein and very little fat!
• Ground chicken - Ground chicken is an extremely easy protein choice for these Asian lettuce wraps! All those nooks and crannies will hold in a ton of flavor. There's even less prep because you won't have to cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces!
• Ground turkey - Although the flavor of turkey is a little different from chicken, you really won't be able to tell the difference at all when you load it up with the high-flavor sauce ingredients and fresh veggies!
• Ground pork - Ground pork is the protein of choice in my easy eggroll bowl recipe for a reason. It holds Asian flavors incredibly well and is so delicious! You'd probably want to change the name of this recipe if you substitute ground pork, but they'll be just as delicious.

How To Store Lettuce Wraps

These tasty wraps are great for meal prep, but there are a few things to know before loading up those containers.

Store the sauce, chicken, and lettuce leaves separately. Since lettuce leaves are prone to wilting and you need to reheat the chicken, you'll want to separate these ingredients before popping them in the microwave.

Try storing the lettuce leaves in a container with a small bowl or jar of dipping sauce. In another container, add the delicious chicken and veggie mixture.

Reheat the chicken and make your own chicken wraps one at a time. Easy!