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.
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So good!!! Better than PF Changs in my opinion because they don’t cost an arm and a leg – haha! We eat these often and my whole family enjoys them!
I would not add salt due to the high sodium content of the other sauces that are added.
This is not a larb recipe, Emme, larb is good, and we make it far more often than the lettuce wraps but larb is a Thai dish with mint, fish sauce chilies and other goodies. The PF Changs crunchy thing in it is the puffed fried rice vermicelli they add for crunch and to absorb some of the sauce.
Love these! Have made several times; and am making again this week as a first night meal on a camping trip. The smell alone is wonderful.
I make as is; but I also like to tweak sometimes and add cilantro, as I love cilantro; plus more green onion. And a handful or two of roasted peanuts, as I like the flavor, and more protein to add to stretch the meal. Two nights dinner, or dinner and lunch. YUM!
Absolutely delicious! My husband can’t stop talking about how good these lettuce wraps are. Great summer dinner, especially if you’re counting carbs.
Just finished making this for dinner tonight. This is NO WAY P.F. Changs recipe. It is sooooooo much better than PF Changs. I should know. We go there often so my husband can order this for his dinner. He loves it. Plus I have tried at least 5 other chicken lettuce wrap recipes. Those don’t come close to the flavors in this recipe. I swear the flavors BURST in your mouth. Perfect amount of crunch with a perfect sauce. And absolutely go with ground chicken if you can. Absorbed way better then diced fresh chicken.
The only thing I did different was I added 3 times the green onions (cuz I love them). Then took off the stove once added. But
changed nothing else.
Thanks sooo much. My hubby will be soooo damn excited. I can see us eating this weekly during the hot summer months. Yay! Please post more recipes like this. Pretty please.
Easy to make and quite tasty!!!
Great recipe! I added bean sprouts delicious.
Excellent recipe. Easy to make and delicious result. I’ve made it five times in three weeks.
Great, easy and everyone loved it, used ground turkey also……….yum!
I also use ground turkey a lot, as it is often a better deal than ground chicken.
So good….entire family asked if we could have this in a weekky rotation. Thank you!
SOOOOO good. and really easy!!
Wonderful! Husband and I both loved this. I’m needing to change my diet and avoid wheat and this was a great recipe to add to my new menu planning! Will be making it again! I did cut the hoisin sauce in half, and substituted celery for water chestnuts.
Taste just like PF Chang’s. I use ground turkey instead of ground chicken and still taste great!
These are better than the restaurant’s. Thank you.
Used ground turkey instead of chicken because that’s all I had. Also used oyster sauce and sesame oil instead of Hoisin as suggested by another review. I added just a touch of brown sugar. Also added a bit more green onion. It was spicy and delicious! I bet it will be even better with ground chicken.
This is delicious! My entire family LOVES it and it’s hard to find something everyone loves! I’ve made it several times. This time I used ground turkey b/c the ground chicken wasn’t available. It was just as good. I’m not the best cook, but this recipe makes me seem like a great cook! 🙂
Absolutely amazing! My new favorite recipe! So quick & simple! And so delicious I had it for breakfast (yes breakfast!) AND lunch!
This is delicious! I made a double batch, and also added some grated carrot and snow peas cut on the bias. I also cooked up some Jasmine rice – it was delicious both in butter lettuce leaves and over the rice.
Can I use pine nuts instead of whole chestnuts?
The recipe calls for water chestnuts- way different from chestnuts! Lol
Awesomeness! Followed the recipe to a t best lettuce wraps I’ve ever had!