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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Loved it the first time I made it. Tonight I am doubling the recipe!
That’s great! Thanks for your feedback, Lily.
Love how easy this was to make. I replaced water chestnuts with apples (because that’s what I had) and added mushrooms. Hubby LOVED it said it was better than PF Chang’s! Added a soup and it was a filling lunch.
Love these! Thank you for the receipe recipe absolutely delicious!
Absolutely refreshing and delicious! Also easy to eat for a week’s worth of dinner for one!
So yummy! Making again tonite. Last time I doubled ALL the sauce ingredients, except for the siracha. Perfect!
I love this recipe but what could I serve as a side dish with it? Thank you
Hi Margaret, I just made white rice to go with ours. Evened out the spiciness, hope this helps
I just made them! So awesome! Husband loved et gem!
I loved this recipe so much! I also added a simple ginger carrot-raddish slaw to the top to get more veggies in. 😉
very yummy and easy
Super easy recipe!
Wonderful flavor too!
I’ve already made it 2xs within the last 2 weeks.
Both times I’ve made it, my husband and I finished it all.
No leftovers and not enough to serve more than 2 people.
I made this for (2), this was delicious and easy to make. I would probably use little bit less sriracha, just a little. The recipe was simple enough, I will be making this again.
This is so delicious and easy to make! My family loves it and my teens will even through it together themselves for movie nights, etc. cooks very quickly too!
Absolutely delicious!! Thank you!
The recipe is close but, PF Chang’s
has mushrooms too.
Looks delicious, but I’m allergic to Hoisin sauce. Does anybody have suggestions for substitution?
Anie, Do you know what component of it you’re allergic to? You can mix your own and leave out or substitute that particular ingredient.
I use whatever sweetish Asian sauce I have, usually oyster sauce.
Absolutely delicious!! I had better double the recipe next time.. Thank you for sharing.
I absolutely LOVE this! I made a few adjustments, only because I had different ingredients at home, and it was so tasty. I had the Asian Lettuce Cups at CPK a couple of weeks ago, and they were quite good. I am so glad I tried this recipe. I added shitake mushrooms, red bell pepper, crisp celery, and used a couple of different sauces (Oyster Sauce, Kona Coast Island Teriyaki Sauce, low sodium soy sauce) and sprinkled some sesame seeds. I also used crisp iceberg lettuce–delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe!
Have made this recipe two times and my family says it’s better than PF Chang’s. Only thing I add extra is a little cilantro and top with chopped peanuts since. Thanks for this recipe.
Delicious! I couldn’t stop myself from just eating the mix right out of the skillet! I used low sodium soy sauce and then did add some kosher salt at the end before tasting. It was still a little too salty for me. I will not add any salt at the end. So so good!
Unfortunately it was a no for us. There was just something missing that I couldn’t put my finger on which makes it really hard to tweak. I added a bit more vinegar, soy sauce, and some brown sugar (I remember using this in a very time consuming lettuce wraps recipe years ago), but all I could really taste was the Hosin sauce, which is a bitter taste by itself.
My son, who literally eats everything and loves PF Chang’s lettuce wraps, told me very politely that he didn’t care for it and asked for something else.
I wish I knew what I needed to add/omit/tweak to get it right for us. It was SO easy and I would definitely make it again if I could figure it out.
It’s obvious by all the positive reviews that it’s a favorite for most people, so if your reading my review my suggestion would be to definitely try it! I would suggest to just mix all the sauce ingredients with the ginger separately and taste. This was you can make sure the sauce is to your liking before you incorporate, which is what I plan on doing next time.
Aisia chili pepre sauce 1/2 tsp? Copy cat does a close one almost the same.
Maybe try replacing the hoisin sauce with oyster sauce? That would give it a slightly different flavor that could be “missing” for your family!
or fish sauce maybe? I have been ramping up to finally make this and tonight’s the night. I already have a deep love of Asian cuisine, especially ginger, I also add a heavy dose of roasted minced garlic. My family LOVES heavy garlic.