PF Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details.
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!
Featured Comment
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?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
Thanks for the recipe! Tonight was the second time I’ve made this and my whole family LOVES it. My 8 year old daughter says it’s her favorite dinner and calls it PF Mommy night. Just want to say thanks!
Have made 2 batches of this, this week alone! Took it to my office & ate at my desk – everyone was raving about the aroma & wanted the recipe, so now you have a bunch of NYC’ers on this receipe. Well done! I even bought a food processor last night to quicken up round 2 & it was way easier.
Just made tonight and it is fabulously delish!! Thanks so much for this copycat recipe. I can’t wait to try your other ones. Only change I made was to use ground turkey because it was actually a little leaner than the ground chicken at my grocer’s.
I made these for the first time tonight….it won’t be the last! They were fantastic! Super easy and quick to make. My family thanks you!
Low carb, high flavor. I’m totally sold! These look SO tasty, and they’re 100% family friendly! Cannot wait to give these a try! Maybe if you add the yogurt and spoon in serving will become even more wonderful.
This looks a like Gimmie Some Oven post! same pictures and everything, were is the credit?!?
Are you referring to this post? http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/orange-chicken-lettuce-wraps/
She posted her recipe in July 2016 and my images here were posted in May 2014 so shouldn’t you be asking her for credit?
Could this be made the day before serving?
Yes, absolutely.
Thanks! Looks wonderful!
I just made these and they were absolutely amazing and super easy! I added in some diced mushrooms and used turkey instead of chicken (my grocery store didn’t have ground chicken) but I followed the recipe for everything else. I will be adding this recipe into my rotation for sure.
Well, you already have 384 rave reviews on this dish, but I still feel I need to chime in. I’ve had this recipe for what seems like forever, and just tried it tonight. It’s a raging heat wave in SoCal, and it just seemed to fit the bill. I got two beautiful heads of Butter Lettuce at the farmer’s market today, and the only change I made was to make it with ground turkey instead of chicken…. We had your
Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken last night, which was outstanding as well and I just didn’t want to repeat the protein. Oh my goodness! The lettuce wraps were great with ground turkey! Both recipes a definite keepers, as always! Thank you!
Made this tonight and it was excellent!! Thank you!
This wasn’t too bad.
Is it bad that i ate it in one sitting? haha
Absolutely not! 🙂
Very good. Although not as good as PF Chang’s. Something is missing.
I made these for dinner tonight. So easy, delicious, and guilt free! Thank you for a great recipe!
Made tonight, and husband and 7 YO liked it so well that we will have again. Added lime juice and basil with the cilantro at the end to give more of a Thai flavor, which we really liked and would do again. Skipped the water chestnuts. Easy meal!
I was about to make this recipe tonight until I discovered I had no more hoisin sauce, then I found I could make my own, so I did. I used ground turkey, since that was what I had on hand. This recipe was bursting with flavor. My husband asked for seconds! He really enjoyed it, even without rice (which he loves). I will definitely make this again. I agree that it is beneficially healthful to make copycat recipes, as you can adjust the ingredients, such as sodium, which I did, to make a healthier version of the original. This recipe is a keeper. I will attempt to make more recipes on your site. Thank you for sharing.
The recipe is great, and the conversation turning into an international bash is priceless.. b.t.w I am an American and we did not kick Englands butt.. or whatever exact words were used. Many factors contributed to the victory and if you know history we were very lucky on multiple fronts. Anyway..great copycat recipe.
Super yummy recipe! Thanks to others’ suggestions I added grated carrot as a garnish, along with cilantro. Going to add bean sprouts next time! I made them a couple of weeks ago and wanted to make them again tonight, but due to food on hand that needed to be eaten must wait until tomorrow… 🙁 And here’s the kicker: my young adult son who eats very few veggies was disappointed that we’ll have to wait! He is a sriracha fan, so we had extra as a condiment, plus bottled peanut sauce. Will make my own hoisin and peanut sauces in the future!
This recipe was amazing! I did a homemade hoisin sauce, and it was seriously incredible! My skeptical husband even loved them 🙂
There are many PF Changs copycat recipes out there but this one is BY FAR the best! I’ve made it so many times and every time it’s amazing! Rave reviews from everyone I’ve made it for. Ground turkey works great too if you can’t get ground chicken. I also add chopped roasted (unsalted) cashews for an extra bit of crunch!
I just had to share that I made these tonight and they were PHENOMENAL! I used ground pork because my grocery store didn’t carry ground chicks and I didn’t see all the comments about food processing my own. They were so so so amazing! Even better than the real ones from PF Changs! I’ll be making these all the time!