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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Delicious, added diced mushrooms and substituted mirin for some of the hoisin sauce.
I can’t remember if I have commented yet, so forgive me if I already have. I simply wanted to say that these lettuce wraps are so freaking delish and surprisingly enough, super filling. I do have one important point and that is I have eaten these with ground chicken one time and twice with ground turkey and the turkey, hands down, is the best protein choice by a landslide. That says a whole lot coming from me too as I do Not typically enjoy ground turkey in anything. It’s like the turkey flavor is so neutral that all the other flavors are allowed to come through. The chicken for me tasted strangely heavy and the flavor profile wasn’t very pleasing to me. I highly recommend trying this recipe with the turkey. This recipe is a permanent resident in my recipe files. It’s easy and quick to make and yummy. A win-win
I love this recipe so much. I’m not a fan of water chestnuts, so I replace them with chopped peanuts to get some crunchy texture. Amazing!
This recipe is always a hit in my house, idk why I don’t make it more often.
Such a great copycat recipe.
Perfect all the time. I doubled the recipe because it is just that good. I also added mushrooms to bulk it up because I read another one of the reviews who did that. DELICIOUS!!!!
The best lettuce wrap recipe! I have been making it for a few years now.
Delicious and so easy!
Made this recipe only added 1tsp sriracha-perfect amount -however I tasted before serving and felt it was missing something-I added 2 tblsp hoisin – helped but not there?????
We sprinkled crushed peanuts on servings-
Did not add salt didn’t feel it needed it also sauces had plenty-used gluten free soy.
Very good …. I used finely diced chicken breast, water chestnuts,
red bell pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. I chopped some cilantro for the topping.
I didn’t have butter lettuce or iceberg, so I served it on a bed of Spring Mix. DELICIOUS
Very good replica!
Excellent, easy recipe for a weeknight dinner. Will definitely make again.
I mostly followed the recipe as is, except I browned the onions before adding the chicken. I didn’t have hoisin so I used some oyster sauce, though not nearly 1/4 cup (probably 1-2 tbsp if I had to guess).
I love this recipe and make it all of the time! To make it stretch, I add a bag of finely cut cabbage to this dish. It gives it a little extra veggie too!
I ate this on cauliflower rice and it was DELICIOUS! I doubled the sauce using low sodium soy sauce and found it to be too salty. I also didn’t add the onion or water chestnuts because my husband doesn’t like either. I’m definitely adding this to my weekly rotation. Thank you!!
Used this recipe many times. Works with turkey and pork as well. Fantastic.
The chicken was amazing. I left out the water chestnut but that was the only omission. I tried the butter lettuce wrap and it totally fell apart so I just used a fork kind of like a salad. I’d be interested to see an actual wrap successfully eaten but I will be making it again.
Instead of wrapping we just use them as a cup, and yes, it does get a little messy, which is part of the fun.
Excellent!
Definitely going to try this! But, I might cook my onions first just for a couple minutes and definitely add the crunchy rice noodles!
Excellent & flavorful and my kids ate it too!
Phenomenal. Like it better when I can make it at home!
Very very good! And very simple to make.