Description
Savory Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Thai Chili Sauce. Juicy chicken, flavorful Thai chili sauce, quick and crowd-pleasing. Perfect for a tasty meal!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (454g) ground chicken
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 tablespoon (15g) fresh ginger, grated
- 1 small onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 red bell pepper, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 can (8oz/227g) water chestnuts, drained and diced
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) soy sauce (low-sodium preferred)
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) hoisin sauce
- 1 lime, juiced (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ cup (60ml) rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) honey or maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) fish sauce
- 1–2 Thai bird chilies, finely minced (adjust to taste)
- 1 head butter lettuce or iceberg lettuce, leaves separated and washed
- ½ cup (50g) shredded carrots
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup (30g) chopped peanuts or cashews
- Fresh cilantro leaves
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Step 1: Prepare the Thai Chili Sauce In a small bowl, combine the rice vinegar, honey, fish sauce, minced Thai chilies, lime juice, and minced garlic. Whisk thoroughly until the honey dissolves completely. Taste and adjust the heat level by adding more chili if desired. Set aside to allow the flavors to develop while you prepare the chicken filling. This gives the ingredients time to meld, creating a more complex flavor profile.
- Step 2: Prep Your Vegetables Before cooking, organize all your chopped ingredients into separate bowls. Mince the garlic, grate the ginger, and dice the onion, bell pepper, and water chestnuts. Having everything ready creates a smooth cooking process and ensures nothing overcooks while you’re chopping other ingredients. This mise en place approach is particularly important for stir-fry style dishes like these Savory Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Thai Chili Sauce.
- Step 3: Cook the Chicken Mixture Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the garlic and ginger, stirring constantly for 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned. Immediately add the ground chicken, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is no longer pink and begins to brown slightly at the edges.
- Step 4: Add Vegetables and Seasonings Add the diced bell pepper and water chestnuts to the chicken mixture. Stir-fry for another 2 minutes until the peppers slightly soften but still maintain some crispness. Pour in the soy sauce, sesame oil, and hoisin sauce, stirring to coat everything evenly. Simmer for 2-3 more minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly and the flavors to meld together. Remove from heat when the mixture is glossy but not dry.
- Step 5: Assemble and Serve Set up a wrapping station with the lettuce leaves, warm chicken filling, Thai chili sauce, and all garnishes (carrots, green onions, peanuts, cilantro, and lime wedges). To eat, spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture into the center of a lettuce leaf, drizzle with the Thai chili sauce, and add your preferred toppings. Fold the sides of the lettuce leaf inward like a taco and enjoy immediately while the contrast between the warm filling and cool, crisp lettuce is at its peak.
Notes
Fresh ingredients will always yield the best flavor results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 wraps
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 890mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 19g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 80mg