Description
Sizzling Chinese-inspired chicken lettuce wraps deliver a perfect balance of savory and fresh flavors. Crisp lettuce cups cradle spicy, tender chicken, creating an irresistible appetizer or light meal that brings restaurant-quality comfort right to your table.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Protein:
- 1 pound ground chicken (ground turkey also works)
Cooking Oils and Sauces:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Asian chili garlic sauce (or sriracha, to taste)
Vegetables and Seasonings:
- 1 medium/large sweet Vidalia or yellow onion, diced small
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger (or 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger)
- 8-ounce can water chestnuts, drained and diced small
- 2 to 3 green onions, sliced into thin rounds
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
- Butter lettuce leaves, for serving
Instructions
- Warm a skillet with olive and sesame oils over medium-high temperature, creating a flavorful cooking base.
- Introduce ground chicken into the heated pan, methodically crumbling and stirring until completely cooked through and evenly distributed.
- Incorporate diced onions, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and chili garlic sauce into the chicken mixture, allowing ingredients to meld and reduce for approximately 5 minutes.
- Infuse the filling with minced garlic and ginger, stirring quickly to activate their aromatic qualities and prevent burning.
- Fold in crisp water chestnuts, sliced green onions, and season with salt and pepper, continuing to cook for an additional 2 minutes until ingredients are tender and flavors are well integrated.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, ensuring a balanced and robust flavor profile.
- Select fresh butter lettuce leaves and carefully spoon the warm chicken mixture into each leaf, creating individual wraps.
- Serve immediately while the filling remains hot and lettuce leaves are crisp, allowing diners to enjoy the dynamic textural contrast.
Notes
- Ensure chicken is thoroughly cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F for food safety, using a meat thermometer to check doneness.
- Swap ground chicken with tofu or plant-based ground meat for vegetarian and vegan alternatives that maintain similar texture and flavor profile.
- Reduce sodium by using low-sodium soy sauce and controlling additional salt, making the dish heart-friendly without compromising taste.
- Prep ingredients beforehand to create a faster cooking process, chopping water chestnuts, green onions, and measuring sauces in advance for smooth execution.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Appetizer
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 500 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg