Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps
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A super quick dinner made in 25 min! It’s so hearty, filling, and low-carb, yet the family will still be begging for more!
Featured Comment
why i love this recipe
- Weeknight super hero. With a short ingredient list and quick cook time, this dish comes together in just 25 minutes start to finish.
- Includes the best peanut sauce. This is what puts these lettuce wraps over the top – a gingery peanut sauce drizzle that is out-of-this-world amazing, adding an unbelievable depth of flavor.
- Leftovers are even better. Not only can the leftovers be frozen, but they can also be served over a bed of rice or noodles for a more rounded out meal.
tips and tricks for success
- Use 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.
- Fish sauce is a hero. Fish sauce is a key ingredient here, balancing out the flavors, and adding saltiness and umami without overpowering it. A little bit goes a long way.
- Add heat. For a kick of heat, add Sriracha or gochujang.
- Use sturdy leaves. Use Bibb lettuce or butter lettuce – both are ideal for wrapping as they have wide, pliable and sturdy leaves without falling apart when filled.
- Freeze as needed. 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.
what to serve with peanut chicken lettuce wraps
Tools For This Recipe
Large cast iron skillet
Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps: Frequently Asked Questions
Fish sauce has a strong, pungent “fishy” smell but when cooked, it brings in savory, salty, umami goodness.
Bib or butter lettuce are both great choices – strong and sturdy that can hold up filling without breaking apart. Romaine lettuce is also a great option for a crisper wrap.
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). Store 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, reheating over low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 3.5 ounces shiitake mushrooms, diced
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 shallot, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
- 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 head butter lettuce
For the peanut sauce
- 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce, or more, to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil and sesame oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add ground chicken, mushrooms, carrot and shallot. Cook until browned, about 5-7 minutes, making sure to crumble the chicken as it cooks; drain excess fat.
- Stir in garlic and ginger until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in hoisin sauce, chili garlic sauce and fish sauce until heated through, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro.
- To serve, spoon several tablespoons of the chicken mixture into the center of a lettuce leaf, taco-style, drizzled with peanut sauce.
For the peanut sauce
- In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, chili garlic sauce and ginger. Whisk in 2-3 tablespoons water until desired consistency is reached.
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What is “fish sauce” – lol – I must be a novice at this?! 🙂
Fish sauce is one of the basic ingredients in Thai cooking. You can read more about it here.
Substitute soy sauce. No big deal. My husband doesn’t like anchovies, which are the base of fish sauce.
Made this last night and it was a HIT!!! Reminded me so much of Cheesecake Factory’s Thai Lettuce Wraps, which is what I always get when I go there. Will definitely be making this again in the future !!
That’s great!
We loved these! My kids all ate them wrapped up in a tortilla and my husband and I did lettuce wraps. Comes together so quickly too.
Awesome!
A family favorite! Easy and delicious. I make extra so we can have it the next day too!
That’s awesome!
I made this and it was AMAZING!! I forgot the shallot so used a 1/4 cup onions and substituted Oyster sauce for the fish sauce because I already had the oyster sauce. The peanut sauce was to die for! I could have just eaten that by itself!! When I make it again I will probably just use 1 teaspoon of chili sauce as I am a wimp about hot spices but honestly it added just the right kick to it!
Awesome! Thanks, Sharon!
Hi, This is great. But can you recommend a replacement sauce, to cater for peanut allergies?
Kelvin
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment when making substitutions and modifications.
Try sunflower seed butter (closest to PB, IMO) or tahini. Flavor won’t be exactly the same, but at least you’ll be safe. Unless you have allergies to sunflower and sesame seeds as well!
Kelvin, if you are not allergic to tree nuts, replacing the peanut butter with almond butter or cashew butter should work fine. If you are, try sunflower seed butter (closest to PB, IMO) or tahini. Flavor won’t be exactly the same, but at least you’ll be safe. Unless you are allergic to sunflower/sesame seeds as well!
This recipe is my new favorite! I can make a huge batch so the family can enjoy a delicious leftover lunch. Thanks for creating delicious any simple recipes!
PS If you are struggling to find all the ingredients, check out your local Asian market.
I love this recipe! So good, have made it multiple times now.
Can you use a different type of mushrooms? Would it be as good?
Yes, of course!
I make this tonight for dinner and everybody, including me (a picky eater), loved it. Very good and healthy dish.
Love this – so easy and delicious! My husband is a huge peanut fan and devoured his lettuce wraps and whatever was leftover in the pan. Definitely will make again.
We love hearing that!
Definitely trying this one soon! I love lettuce wraps and this peanut sauce sounds unreal 🙂
It’s delicious! You’d love it.
I just made these and they are just so amazing!! The sauce is excellent! All I can say is WOW! Great recipe!!!
They are truly a dream! So happy you like them as much as we do.
I made these last night and they were easy and absolutely delicious!
Awesome!
This is the type of dish that I would normally go past because it’s out of the norm of what I’m used to. Holy cow am I glad I tried it!!! Fast, simple, and DAMN DELICIOUS!!!!
This is my third recipe I’ve tried of this wonderful blog and they have all been fantastic!
So glad you tried this one and enjoyed it!
What type of lettuce do you use to make this
Butter lettuce.
Do you have nutritional facts for this recipe? I appreciate that you add it in most other recipes! 🙂
Nutritional information is provided only for select and some new recipes at this time. However, if it is not available for a specific recipe, we recommend using free online resources at your discretion (you can Google “nutritional calculator”) to obtain such information. Hope that helps!
THIS SOUNDS AMAZING – CAN’T WAIT TO TRY IT!
Ground chicken what? I know you like thighs. Does this include skin? Thanks.
No, it does not. 🙂
Any suggestions for a side dish that would complement this dish?
My Panda Express Chow Mein Copycat would be perfect for this!
https://damndelicious.net/2014/07/02/panda-express-chow-mein-copycat/