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
Video
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 love PF Chang’s lettuce wraps, so I was excited to find your recipe. I am making one substitution, however. I’m using gochujang instead of Sriracha. I’m excited to taste these for dinner tonight.
My family loves this recipes. I have made a few adjustments to suit our tastes.I add
shredded carrots shelled edamame and corn. We don’t like water chestnuts so I omit them.
Really amazing recipe; I did add some Chili Garlic sauce to spice it up a bit.
This is a great recipe. I hate water chestnuts so I add diced celery and red pepper just before serving so that they still have crunch and a bit of colour. I also like romaine lettuce so I make chicken “boats”.
Loved it. Super easy and tasted the same as the original.
Best lettuce wrap recipe ever!! We have been making it for years and it’s always a hit!
I’ve made these several times over the last couple years and this recipe is perfect as is. I don’t make any changes, additions or substitutions, it’s just that good!
This is a great, healthy option.
These are delicious! I substituted sweet chili sauce for the hoisin sauce, and coconut aminos for the soy sauce, and the recipe turned out amazing! Highly recommend!
This is delicious! Easy to make and my guests are always impressed.
This recipe is fantastic and a family favorite! I add bean sprouts and peanuts for extra crunch
I have made this many times because I am a fan of the PF Chang’s lettuce wraps, but the PF Chang’s in my city closed. These are delicious and easy to make (although you need all of the ingredients). Since my son absolutely hates water chestnuts (it’s the only thing I know him to actually pick out of food), I substitute bamboo shoots for the water chestnuts and it’s just as good (although doesn’t have the same “crunch.”
I have made this many times when i lived in Tennessee. I moved back to England this year and made it here for friends. They loved it and wanted the recipe.
I hope it becomes popular over here.
Thank you.
I made this with ground pork and it was incredible. The second time, I didn’t use the lettuce wraps but mixed the meat with fried rice and that was also delicious. This one is going in my regular rotation!
Absolutely delicious. I didn’t have Hoisin sauce, but did have Oyster sauce – so added a heaping teaspoon of light brown sugar to the Oyster sauce & it worked perfectly. Thank you for sharing this.
I’ve made this so many times! I was thinking of using Kung Pao sauce instead of Hoisin this time…thoughts?
Terrific recipe!! I will keep this in our rotation. My partner thanked me multiple times! Thank you for sharing this great dish! Much gratitude
I make this recipe at least once a month, sometimes more. I rarely have water chestnuts on hand so I will add little chunks of zucchini towards the end. Sometimes I will add some green beans as well. I serve it over sticky rice with shredded lettuce on top like an Asian bowl. Definitely do love this recipe!
this tastes incredible!!! do you have the nutrition facts ???
Just like the website’s name, this is “Damn Delicious!” I prepared it exactly as written and served it with write rice. This is bookmarked and going into my regular rotation. 🙂 Thank you for the recipe!
OH. MY. WORD!! This was the BEST and so simple!! I doubled the recipe so we could have leftovers and I am so glad I did. This will be an excellent addition to dinner rotation and also it is special enough to serve guests. THANK YOU!
‘Damn Delicious’ is spot on!