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.
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My family is loving this recipe!!! We can’t eat it often enough! I’m now making double batches so we can take it for lunches, too. MUCH better than PF Chang’s! Thank you!
Oohh my gosh!!I made this recipe yesterday and now with leftovers im making it again tonight for dinner again!! Thank you, this receipe is SPOT ON!!!
Thank you for sharing!
It is a easy recipe. I am making since last year and i just love it.
It’s one of our favorites too!
Thank you thank you!! I love This recipe and my kids tdo to. The sauce ratio is spot on. They are Damn delicious. I really Like your site. All of the meal prep looks so good. I will Be coming back quite frequently.
Made a low carb version of this tonight and it was amazing!! I used coconut aminos instead of soy. Also added some sesame oil (instead of evoo) and left out the hot sauce and water chestnuts. I added 2 tbsp of all natural no-sugar-added peanut butter at the end and sprinkled it with fresh cilantro. Absolutely delicious!!!
Has anyone made this and stored it in the freezer? Wondering how this tastes after thawing and cooking?
Have made a million times and love!! I’d like to make and take to a friend. Can I freeze?
Freezing sounds like an amazing idea but unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself. Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
I just made this a few minutes ago. And it is so so good! I followed the recipe exactly as it was and it turned out great. I am so glad to have found this site. I love Chinese food and this is about as close as you can get to any takeout I’ve ever had. I can’t wait to try the other recipes you have. Thank you so much!
Thanks, Kim!
These were SUPER easy, tasty and delicious! I made a few medications. I sautéed the onions, plus added red and yellow peppers, before I cooked the chicken. I subbed celery for water chestnuts because I couldn’t find them at the store I was at yesterday, and didn’t want to have to stop at another store. They were SOOOOO yummy! Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
Thank you, Deanna!
Made these wraps tonight. They were delious! Thanks for sharing thus recipe. ***** 5 stars!
Thank you, Julie!
This recipe is seriously delicious. Though not exactly the flavors represented in P.F. Chang’s lettuce wraps, it’s so similar, and still soo good, and also very much not as $$$ as a typical meal from P.F. Chang’s. I made a few adjustments/additions. I created a side of sauce from a mix of the Soy sauce, Hoisin Sauce, Rice Vinegar, and ginger powder. This was something that could be drizzled on top or dipped into. I also used Iceberg lettuce rather than butter lettuce. That’s typically what we get when we order from P.F. Chang’s and I just personally prefer the crunchiness of the lettuce. I have been so impressed time and time again by the consistency of health and delicious taste from this site. I guarantee I will be adding this to my meal plan cycle. Also, this works as leftovers like a dream!!
Thank you for sharing, Sonia!
Oml these were delicious I’ve never had pf changs as I am from Australia but I love home cooked Chinese i was in the mood for san choy bao but didn’t have any pork or beef mince all i had was chicken thighs i followed the recipe to the T and I will definitely make this again i didn’t add any siracha as I am very intolerant to chilli due to gi tract issues and added extra spring onion and garlic and extra water chestnuts as I am in love with water chestnuts lol i ate 8 lettuce wraps without noticing because they were so delicious and being post chemotherapy treatment this provided the protein i needed I’m free of cancer thank goodness i think i might start saving up for a trip to the USA a sort of food testing trip and I will most definitely cook your other recipes thank you for such a delicious recipe
Awesome! What a great idea! We hope you get to go on your trip!
Made it tonight and OMG it was fabulous, it was as if we were at PF Chang’s.
Yay!
Has anyone tried freezing the mixture and then thawing to put in fresh lettuce?
Well- I’ve made this at least 5 times so I figured I should show thanks. Lol. It’s awesome. My kids love it. THe only change I make is I substitute half the meat with Riced cauliflower kids don’t even know and usually I always get caught with my healthy subs!!!
Aw thank you, Jennifer! Happy to hear that you and your family enjoyed it!
What is making the fat so high? Over 15 grams seems odd…
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!!…Delicious…Having leftovers for lunch tomorrow!!..
Leftovers are the best! Glad you liked it!
Yum. This is definitely a keeper!
I made this last week and my family loved it. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes. They all look
so good. I look forward to opening my email and seeing something to try. You are appreciated I
love your recipes
Thank You
Thank you, Marion!
Chungah, I made this meal tonight and damn…it was delicious!!!!I look forward to trying more of your recipes. Thank you for sharing.
That’s great! We hope you’ll find more recipes you love in the future!