PF Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps
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These chicken lettuce wraps is a PF Chang’s copycat recipe, except you can whip this up in just 20 min and it tastes so much better at home!
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Why you’ll love these pf chang’s chicken lettuce wraps
- Lightning fast recipe. This recipe comes together in just 20 minutes start to finish, making it so much quicker than waiting for delivery or takeout.
- Budget-friendly. Making this copycat favorite at home costs a fraction of dining out using pantry staples. For example, the dish costs around $16 for 2 servings, but making a batch at home costs around $10, easily yielding about 4 to 6 servings.
- Low-carb yet so filling. Lettuce wraps are a hearty, low-carb meal choice, cutting out grain-based carbs with lettuce leaves and filling them with lean proteins such as ground chicken or turkey.
- Flexible recipe. The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled, or adapted to be gluten-free or extra veggie-loaded for picky eaters!
- Freezes so well. The filling is incredibly freezer-friendly and reheats like a dream, making it a perfect candidate for meal prep for busy weeknights ahead.
Ingredients
Ground chicken
This is a great economical, quick cooking option. Ground turkey, pork, or extra-lean beef can also be used.
Garlic
I love subbing in garlic puree, one of my favorite weeknight hacks to cut down on prep time even more.
Onion
Yellow, sweet, or white onion will all work well here.
Hoisin
Hoisin sauce is a key ingredient, adding complementary sweet, savory, and tangy flavors to the filling.
Soy sauce
Tamari or coconut aminos can be used for a gluten-free option.
Rice wine vinegar
Rice vinegar and rice wine vinegar can be used interchangeably.
Ginger
Similar to the garlic, I love subbing in ginger puree in a pinch.
Sriracha
Sriracha adds a little bit of heat! Chili garlic paste is also an excellent swap.
Water chestnuts
This helps bulk up the filling while adding a nice little crunch.
Butter lettuce
Sturdy lettuce such as Bibb or butter lettuce are both excellent options.
How to make PF Chang’s chicken lettuce wraps
- Cook the chicken. Place a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat and add a splash of oil. Then add the ground chicken and crumble into small, even pieces until browned, about 3-5 minutes. Drain any excess fat.
- Combine. Stir in the garlic, onion, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger, and Sriracha until the onions are tender, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add crunch. Stir in the water chestnuts, green onions, salt, and pepper until the chestnuts are heated through and tender, about 1-2 minutes. Pro tip: the water chestnuts are key for that signature crunch.
- Assemble. Spoon several tablespoons of the warm chicken mixture in the center of each lettuce leaf and serve warm. Pro tip: if preparing for leftovers, store the lettuce leaves separately from the filling to prevent soggy lettuce.
what to serve with pf chang’s chicken lettuce wraps
Tools For This Recipe
PF Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps: Frequently Asked Questions
Bibb or butter lettuce are both excellent choices – they are both strong and sturdy that can hold up the filling without breaking apart. Romaine lettuce is also a great option for a crisper wrap.
The optional Sriracha adds a little bit of heat but it can be skipped altogether without compromising flavor.
Use gluten-free hoisin sauce and swap out the soy sauce for tamari or coconut aminos. Rice wine vinegar is generally gluten-free (such as Marukan Rice Vinegar).
Leftover filling can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, adding a splash of chicken broth when reheating (if needed). Always store the leftover lettuce separately in an airtight container or Ziploc bag to prevent sogginess and wilting.
Yes! Let the filling cool completely and portion into plastic freezer bags. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge, gently reheating over low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
PF Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, diced
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha, optional
- 1 (8-ounce) can whole water chestnuts, drained and diced
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 head butter lettuce
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add ground chicken and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the chicken as it cooks; drain excess fat.
- Stir in garlic, onion, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger and Sriracha until onions have become translucent, about 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in chestnuts and green onions until tender, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- To serve, spoon several tablespoons of the chicken mixture into the center of a lettuce leaf, taco-style.
Equipment
Notes
- Choose your favorite protein. This recipe will work well with quick-cooking ground chicken or ground turkey. Finely diced chicken breasts or chicken thighs can also be used.
- Use reduced sodium soy sauce. Reduced sodium has less sodium and less salt without compromising flavor.
- Dice into small, even pieces. Finely chop the onion and water chestnuts into very small, uniform pieces for even cooking and a consistent bite.
- Load up on veggies. Add nutrient-dense veggies such as shredded cabbage, bell peppers, zucchini, and carrots for extra fiber and vitamins.
- Make it mild. Need something a little more mild for the littles at home? Skip the Sriracha altogether.
- Sturdy leaves are best. Use Bibb or butter lettuce – both are ideal for wrapping as they have wide, pliable and sturdy leaves without falling apart when filled.
- Avoid overfilling. Add a few tablespoons of filling per lettuce leaf, making them easy to serve without overspill.
- Add a garnish. Finish the wraps by garnishing with sesame seeds or crispy rice noodles.
- Freeze leftovers. The filling is very freezer-friendly! Portion the leftover filling into plastic freezer bags in individual servings, squeezing out any excess air before sealing. Label, date, and freeze up to 3 months.
Did you make this recipe?
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I specifically got all the ingredients for it today and gave it a try this evening. Typically, I’m not big fan of either soy sauce or hoisin sauce, but I loved the taste and feel they fit perfectly in the mix here. Making them again tomorrow, using ground beef this time and experimenting with some of the other ingredients. We’ll see how it goes. 🙂
Absolutely delicious, I have been making this recipe for a long time now… but I add diced up mushrooms also, it’s a huge hit in my home!
This looks awesome! I make your sweet potato, black bean, and feta frittata all the time and also use it as a base for my own creations – so I’m excited to try this as well. For the reader saying this is not low calorie, I guess it all depends on your definition – I calculate this at around 220 calories / serving if divided into 6 portions, which sounds pretty light to me. I usually serve frittatas like this for dinner with some green salad, though potatoes or toast is nice if you want some carbs.
Easy and delicious!
Wow! This recipe was so flipping fabulous! I doubled the recipe and only had 1/2 of 1 serving bc my stomach was removed due to cancer, so I can’t eat that much. I told my roommate to help himself, and when I went back for the other half of serving, the entire pan was gone! He shrugged and said, “it was so good; I couldn’t help it!” I’ve been craving them ever since, so making it tonight! Can’t wait til my son is home for winter break; his face will brighten up so much! Lettuce wraps are one of his favorite things and with my ailing health and my early retirement and long term disability along with a college student don’t allow for extra anything, so we haven’t been to a restaurant in ages. Thank you so much for making an Asian recipe that is so easy to make at home! ((Hugs))
OMG Y’all … I’ve made this several times both with ground chicken and ground pork and pork is where it’s at! It’s a more hearty flavor with the Hoisin sauce vs. chicken … I totally mince more garlic and green onions and I add the chestnuts and the green o’s towards the end for the crunch and fresh flavoring of the onions as well a little more Hoisin sauce… Additionally, I add fresh rice noodles to the mixture and stir them in, but cut them into bite size so they will spoon into your lettuce easier … I make my own concoction of a hot sauce and add that to my lettuce wrap but siracha is a good choice too …
I made this yesterday, and it banged so hard! Next time I’ll add more vegetables to this recipe (personal preference). I’m going through your other recipes, as this one was such a blast.
10 stars. Made this four times. Once with chicken, once with beef, once with turkey. All pretty good. Personally I double the hosin sauce because I like it, andd a grated carrot, and garnish with cilantro. But. The absolute best was when I seared some ahi tuna then rough chopped it and served it separately to combine in the lettuce cups at the table. The ahi stayed rare (my preferred way) and I got all the yummy goodness of everything else. This is my go to recipe. Fast. Easy. Tasty.
Delicious down to the piece. My wife and daughter like it better without the ginger and the water chestnuts diced rather than sliced.
Couldn’t find hoisin sauce. What could i use to substitute ?
I make this once a week now and triple the recipe. My wife loves it and she is a very picky eater, 10/10 one of my favored recipes!
I only had ground turkey instead of ground chicken and the recipe came out amazing!! First time trying these two! Thank you for sharing, will be eating these weekly! Ha!
We LOVE these and have made them numerous times. They are delicious and super easy to make. They are even toddler approved!!
Awesome I have made this so many times and always a hit! Everyone wants the recipe. And it easy!
These are AMAZING. I make them once a week, and double the recipe and there are only two of us I don’t even measure anymore I have made it so much. I add 2 giant handfuls of spinach, chopped, at the end, mix and let wilt, for a little extra nutrients. Favorite recipe in my arsenal.
Wow. I was just looking for a random lettuce wrap recipe and google took me to this one – my country doesn’t have PF Chang’s so I was going in blind – and I’m glad I did. It was utterly delicious! I made it with ground pork because it’s either that or beef in the stores here, but I can see it would be amazing with chopped chicken thighs, crumbled tofu or even green lentils. I upped the ginger and the green onions amd used a yellow chili sauce because that was the only pepper paste we could find. This filling was perfect with the lettuce but I could see it being a nice indulgence on rice or tossed into lo mein or egg noodles or wrapped with glass noodles in a rice paper square or if the liquid was evaporated more it could be used as dumpling filling. I can see many options for this one, so thank-you for putting it out on the interwebs.
My sons and I LOVE this recipe! I make it often and take it to work for lunch with a side of fruit. I use ground turkey in mine.
This is so quick and easy to make! It is so light and refreshing that me and my boyfriend eat the whole thing ourselves. He has said multiple times that this is the best thing I’ve made him.
The last time I made it I added peppers and jalapenos from our garden and it was delicious.
Okay, these are really, reeeealy good, lol. I am pretty particular with this specific lettuce wrap recipe as I have eaten it at PF Changes way more times than i’d like to admit 😉 I do adjust this recipe by using pork when I am feeling like something closer to the original, but it’s still REALLY good with ground turkey. The one suggestion I would give is for people to use a wok if they have it/ It’s hard to replace that smokey, umami-ish ‘breath of the wok’ flavor without cooking in a wok under very high heat.
This is straight up the best! Forget the lettuce! I could eat the chicken filing just by itself – all of it in one sitting, but incredible self restraint but be employed to avoid excessive calorie consumption. BWT, what are the nutrition details for this amazing delish dish?