Asian-inspired chicken lettuce wraps may be one of my favorite takeout dishes. If they are on the menu, I am going to order them without fail. It's reasonably healthy and low-carb and it's a dish that makes me hungry just thinking about it. But, I can't always go out to eat and sometimes takeout food is a little more caloric (lettuce wrap or no) due to added oils and fats. So for a long time I have been working on finding an at home version I love.
Luckily, a friend was kind enough to give me this recipe, which is seriously good. Packed full of flavorful ground chicken, mushrooms, water chestnuts for crunch, and the perfect blend of soy, Hoisin, ginger, and garlic. And, if you are anything like me, you will add all kinds of Sriracha or other kinds of hot sauce and take the spice level over the top.
If you are not a fan of spice, don't worry, you can make this dish as mild or spicy as you want. And, there are many easy ways to make this dish your own. Speaking of, I would love to give credit to the original creator of this recipe so if you know who it is, send it my way!
Also if you are a fan of lettuce wraps, you will also want to check out these Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps and Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps.
Ideas for Customizing Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Speaking of making these mild or spicy, veggies or no, or really, however you want to eat them, here are some of my favorite ways to customize this recipe.
- Swap the lettuce for tortillas — sometimes you just want the real deal.
- Sub ground chicken out for any lean, ground meat or use tofu or chickpeas for a meatless option.
- Skip the green onion or add diced red or sweet yellow if you are not a fan of green onions.
- You can use any bell pepper you have on hand if you don't have a red one. Or use a variety of those little peppers for added color.
- Leave out the mushrooms if you don't care for them and add another veggie instead — edamame would work well here.
- Use any lettuce you have on hand — but remember it has to have bigger leaves and be substantial enough to hold all the ingredients.
What makes these Chicken Lettuce Wraps healthy?
- Ground chicken is a great source of lean protein and is low in fat. You need protein for your muscles to perform at their best and to build and repair tissues. Every cell in your body needs protein to function at its best.
- Sesame oil is an excellent source of unsaturated fat. It also contains zinc, which is good for your skin. It can lower your blood pressure, is high in antioxidants, and has antibacterial properties.
- Green onions are low in calories, and are also good for your eyes because they contain carotenoids like vitamin A and lutein. Green onions are also good for your bones with the vitamins C and K that they also contain.
- Garlic has known antioxidant and antibacterial properties. It's also great for your heart, can help lower your cholesterol and helps your blood flow adequately.
- Ginger is great for upset stomach and motion sickness. It's also good at treating muscle soreness and pain.
- Red peppers (and bell peppers in general) are high in vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant. Vitamin C can also help you absorb more iron if eaten with a food containing iron. They are also a good source of folate and vitamin B6.
- Water chestnuts are more nutritious than you think. They are low calorie and contain a lot of fiber, which is good for your digestive system. They are also high in riboflavin, copper, potassium, manganese, and vitamin B6.
- Another low-calorie food, mushrooms are also a good source of fiber, protein, B vitamins, selenium, copper, and vitamin D.
- Soy sauce is another good source of antioxidant properties. It's also a source of tryptophan (an amino acid) as well as protein and vitamin B3.
- Hoisin sauce is fat free and low in calories, but it does contain sugar and salt. Just a little bit really goes a long way though, so don't be afraid to try it in your recipes.
- Lettuce all forms of lettuce are low-calorie, high fiber, and hydrating, which means they can fill you up and keep you feeling fuller, longer.
What lettuce do you use for wraps?
For these wraps, I used butter lettuce, but other types of lettuce also work well, including iceberg, green and red leaf and Boston lettuce. Butter lettuce is what is typically Crispy lettuce always wins in my house though, because I like the added texture and crunch.
Are these similar to PF Changs chicken lettuce wraps?
Yes! These have a similar flavor profile to the PF Chang's chicken lettuce wraps but are better for you. After lots of recipe testing, the sauce and flavors are definitely close to the PF Chang's version we all love. Not surpirsingly I also squeezed in some extra veggies as well to pack in some extra nutrition.
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