Chicken Lettuce wraps are delicious and simple to make. These addictive wraps are full of tender ground chicken, cooked in a sweet-and-savory sauce, and then served in crisp lettuce leaves. Ready in less than 30 minutes! Serve them as appetizers, lunch, or dinner.
These lettuce wraps are healthy and can be made totally gluten-free (just use gluten-free ingredients for the sauce). A really great recipe for meal prep! Make the chicken with the sauce on the weekend. Prep the wraps when you need it during the week for a quick and healthy lunch!
A very low-carb recipe that is Whole30 + Paleo friendly.
These are seriously the best chicken lettuce wrap recipe! They are a healthy wrap recipe that is really easy to make!
Why we love these chicken lettuce wraps:
- Simple to make-ready in under 30 minutes!
- Sweet, savory and delicious homemade sauce
- Perfect for appetizers or enjoy as a meal
- So much better than take-out
Ready in under 30 minutes and really delicious! A kid friendly ground chicken recipe (they love to help to make it and eat it!).
What ingredients in chicken lettuce wraps?
- sesame oil (or any other mild oil)
- ground chicken
- scallion
- garlic
- honey
- salt
- soy sauce
- ketchup
- vinegar
- sriracha (or hot sauce, this is optional if you like spicy)
- garlic
- hoisin Sauce
- oyster Sauce
- vegetable stock (or broth)
- sugar
- sesame seeds + scallions (to garnish)
How to make easy chicken lettuce wraps?
Gather all the ingredients for the sauce. In a medium bowl, stir together all the ingredients to make the sauce.
In a large skillet (or a wok), heat up the oil. Add the garlic, ginger, and scallions. Stir and cook until they soften (the garlic only should take a minute).
Add in the ground chicken and stir. Break it up with your wooden spoon and cook.
Add in the mushrooms and garlic. Add sauce mix and mix well.
Stir and let simmer and thicken up a little.
Add in the scallions and some sesame seeds (if you like).
Arrange the lettuce leaves and spoon in two-three tablespoons of chicken on each leaf and serve.
Drizzle on the topping, if you like.
Which is the best lettuce to use in lettuce wraps?
I’ve made lettuce wraps with every type of lettuce. Here are some options:
- Butter lettuce: If you can find Butter lettuce, it really is ideal for making chicken wraps. It’s more expensive, but it is the perfect size to make wraps.
- Iceberg Lettuce: A less expensive option (and PF Changs uses it to make their wraps). Iceberg lettuce is nice and crispy. It’s not my favorite lettuce to actually hold the wrap (it’s awkward to close them).
- Romaine Hearts: I typically will use only Romaine for my lettuce wraps. They are crispy and they hold the chicken filling nicely. The filling can nestle right into the lettuce folds and it’s easy to hold them.
Which ground chicken should I use?
Best to purchase chicken that is 90-93% lean. The 99% lean may be too lean and too dry, but use it it’s what you have on hand.
Alternatively, you could ground chicken breasts to into small pieces in a food processor.
Can I use mushrooms in the ground chicken filling?
Yes, I used Baby Bella mushrooms. You could use white mushrooms.
Can I make the ground chicken filling ahead of time?
Yes, the ground chicken filling for the lettuce wraps could be cooked up a couple days ahead of time.
Can I make the wraps instead as a bowl?
Yes, make the ground chicken filling. Add the cooked chicken and the rest of the ingredients into a bowl. You could line the bowl with lettuce leaves or chop it up and add it in the bowl.
Which is the best lettuce to use in a wrap?
Whatever lettuce you have on hand should work. I usually use Bibb, Romaine, Butterhead, or even Iceberg. Make sure the leaves are firm enough to hold the filling with the sauce.
How to make gluten-free lettuce wraps?
The ground chicken and most of the ingredients are gluten-free. Just be sure to use a gluten-free hoison sauce (or make your own).
Can I make these chicken wraps Whole30 + Paleo?
Yes, don’t add the sugar to the sauce and make sure your ketchup is Whole30/Paleo friendly.
What ingredients are in a gluten-free hoison sauce?
Here is what you need to make your own gluten-free hoison sauce
- gluten-free soy sauce (Tamari)
- creamy peanut butter
- honey
- scallions
- red pepper flakes
- rice vinegar
- garlic powder
- sesame oil
- gluten-free chili paste
How to make a gluten-free hoison sauce?
Place all the ingredients in a sauce pan, stir together, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer until it thickens up (should simmer about 5 minutes).
To make this recipe gluten-free use the gluten-free hoisin sauce I shared above (or try to find one), and be sure to use tamari or also coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce.
How long does the chicken filling for the lettuce wraps stay fresh?
Once the filling has cooled down, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Make sure it’s not stored with the lettuce wrap (the lettuce will get soggy).
Wrap the lettuce separately in a zipped lock storage bag.
Can the ground chicken be reheated?
Yes, you could heat in a skillet on medium-low heat. Add a little water to loosen it up. Or in a microwave.
Some other chicken recipes to enjoy:
- Healthy Chicken Patties
- Easy Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken
- Garlic Rosemary Whole30 Meatballs
- Whole30 Orange Chicken Meatballs
Just a quick request: if you enjoyed the Chicken Lettuce Wraps as much as we did, would you kindly leave me a 5-star rating and a short (or long!)comment–the ratings are what helps get my recipes and hard work discovered, so I can keep leaving you more delish recipes!
Your comments mean the world to me….and I really SMILE when I read them. Thank you so much! XX
Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup mushrooms chopped (I used Baby Bella)
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- 1 head butter lettuce or whichever lettuce you have on hand
- 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds lightly toasted (optional)
- Sauce:
- 3 Tablespoons honey
- 2 Tablespoons coconut aminos or Tamari soy sauce if you’re not GF
- 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 Tablespoon hot sauce or sriracha
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp ketchup
- 1 Tbsp oyster Sauce or more hoisin, coconut aminos or soy sauce
- ¼ cup vegetable broth or chicken broth
- 1 tsp sugar
- Topping:
- 1 Tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 3 Tablespoons coconut aminos or Tamari or soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 Tablespoon hot sauce or sriracha, or more to taste
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Heat oil: Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add in chicken: Stir in the ground chicken to the hot oil and stir with a wooden spoon to break it up. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper (to your taste).
- Cook the chicken and garlic: Keep cooking the chicken, breaking it up with the wooden spoon. After 5 minutes, add in the garlic and stir to combine.
- Stir in mushrooms: Add in the mushrooms and stir together with the chicken and garlic. Keep cooking until the chicken cooks all the way through (another 5-7).
- Prep sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the sauce.
- Add sauce and scallions: As soon as the chicken is cooked through, add in the sauce and the scallions. Stir to combine and let it simmer on a low heat for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle on the sesame seeds (optional).
- Prep topping: While it simmers, prep the topping, and lay out your lettuce leaves on a serving dish.
- Assemble: When ready to assemble, spoon in a couple of tablespoons of the chicken filling into each lettuce leaf and drizzle on some of the topping (or hot sauce or coconut aminos, whatever you like). Enjoy!
Kelly says
Excellent
Lora says
Hi Kelly-Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed the chicken lettuce wraps!!!