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Home By Meal Lunch and Dinner

Healthy Chicken Lettuce Wraps

★★★★★ 31 Reviews Recipe Print
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By: Erin8/27/19

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

healthy chicken lettuce wraps

Healthy chicken lettuce wraps make for an easy and low carb Asian inspired dinner that your whole family will love! One of our favorite clean eating dishes to serve for a crowd!

healthy chicken lettuce cups

Whenever I see chicken lettuce wraps on a menu, I immediately know I’m going to be ordering them because it’s one thing on the menu that I know will be a guaranteed winner.

It all started a few years ago when I went to P.F. Changs and tried their rendition of lettuce wraps that I have been hooked on the incredible flavors that come in each little bite. Cooking with sesame oil, which is a key ingredient in Asian cooking, is now a staple in my house.

And while I love the P.F. Changs lettuce wraps, I don’t always love the nutrition breakdown of all the extra oils and sodium they put in their dishes, so I sought out to create my own healthier version of chicken lettuce wraps.

Ground chicken is mixed with a variety of sauces and spices in order to get that authentic chicken wrap flavor. Each portion of chicken is nestled into a delicate butter lettuce leaf cup, and then each cup is topped with peanuts, green onion, and a little sriracha if you like it spicy.

plate of lettuce cups

Homemade chicken lettuce wraps

You can now find chicken lettuce wraps on the menu at most restaurants but creating them at home is actually a lot of fun! Plus you can customize them any way you want and can alter the flavors to be more in tuned with what you like.

They are easy to feed a crowd, too. Seriously I never would have thought of serving chicken lettuce wraps but something about just prepping the meat ahead of time and then serving it like a taco bar is perfect. You can line up all the toppings: cooked ground chicken, peanuts, sesame seeds, green onion, sriracha, butter lettuce cups, and then have your guests walk down the line and make their own cups.

People will rave over these simple yet healthy chicken lettuce wraps!

pan of ground chicken

Ingredients in chicken lettuce wraps

To make healthy chicken lettuce wraps, you need a few simple ingredients that you already have at home or can find at your regular grocery store. If you already do a lot of Asian cooking, you probably have these ingredients on hand already.

  • ground chicken
  • sesame oil
  • yellow onion
  • garlic
  • fresh ginger
  • rice vinegar
  • soy sauce
  • hoisin sauce
  • green onion

In order to make these chicken lettuce wraps healthier, we go light on all of the sauces and also use low sodium soy sauce. This is what differentiates our version from restaurant lettuce wraps.

Also, I used to think hoisin sauce was some sort of foreign sauce that I would never be able to find, but truth be told is that you can get it at any grocery store! Just head to the Asian section of your store and you will be guaranteed to find it. It’s an absolute must for this recipe and really gives these lettuce wraps that authentic flavor.

chicken lettuce cups on plate

How to make lettuce wraps

Easy is the name of the game when it comes to making these lettuce wraps. The most difficult part is getting all of your ingredients together and on the counter!

The next hardest part is not eating all of the filling before you actually put it into any of the wraps!

First up, you’ll want to saute your onion in olive oil, eventually adding in the garlic and ginger so that they don’t burn. Once fragrant, add in your ground chicken and cook until almost fully cooked.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare your sauce by combining all of the sauce ingredients from sesame oil to hoisin sauce.

Add this sauce to the ground chicken, stirring until well combined, reducing heat so that the sauce thickens. Add in your water chestnuts (my favorite…anyone else?!)

Let simmer for a few minutes before turning off the heat, and serving into lettuce cups. Top with peanuts, green onion, and sriracha.

plate of chicken lettuce cups with peanuts

What kind of lettuce for lettuce wraps

  • Bibb/Butter lettuce – this is my favorite lettuce for lettuce wraps because its soft, buttery, and makes the perfect cup shape. It can be very thin at times so I suggest doubling them up. Butter lettuce is definitely my preference.
  • Romaine lettuce – these long log leaves are also great for lettuce wraps because romaine lettuce is stronger and can hold a lot more. We like to use these for tacos as well. I like to use the sturdy ones closer so look for romaine hearts for a more firm cup.
  • Iceberg – these are also more sturdy than butter lettuce but iceberg lettuce has less flavor and is more watery than any of the other lettuces. I would choose this last, but it will work if you can’t find either butter lettuce or romaine.

Hope you enjoy these healthy chicken lettuce wraps!

If you make this recipe, be sure to comment below and let me know how it was! Also tag @erinliveswhole on Instagram and use the hashtag #erinliveswhole so I can see it and feature you!

If you liked this recipe, you’ll want to try these!

  • Paleo baked chicken tenders
  • Barbecue chicken spaghetti squash boats
  • One pan honey mustard chicken
healthy chicken lettuce wraps
chicken lettuce cups on plate
★★★★★ 5 from 31 reviews

Healthy Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Healthy chicken lettuce wraps make for an easy and low carb Asian inspired dinner that your whole family will love! One of our favorite clean eating dishes to serve for a crowd!

Prep: 10Cook: 10Total: 20 minutes
Yield 4 cups 1x
Print Pin it Rate

Ingredients

  • 1lb ground chicken
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp ginger paste/fresh ginger
  • 1.5 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp sriracha
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (coconut aminos for GF)
  • 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onion, more for topping
  • 1/2 cup diced water chestnuts
  • 1 large head of butter lettuce

*peanuts, sriracha, green onion for topping*

Instructions

  1. In a large sauce pan, heat olive oil. Add onion and saute until mostly cooked. 
  2. Add in garlic and ginger for one minute, then add in ground chicken.
  3. Allow chicken to cook almost all the way through, and while chicken is cooking prepare sauce.
  4. In a bowl, whisk together sesame oil, sriracha, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and hoisin sauce.
  5. Add in the sauce to the chicken and reduce heat to let simmer.
  6. Stir in diced green onion and water chestnuts and allow sauce to thicken.
  7. Once thickened, remove from heat.
  8. Wash and dry butter lettuce leaves.
  9. Add about 1/3 cup chicken mixture to each butter leaf and add toppings.
  10. Store remainder in fridge for up to five days.

 

Author: Erin MorrisseyCategory: dinnerMethod: stoveCuisine: AsianDiet: Gluten Free
chicken lettuce cups on plate

Did you make this?

Leave a comment below and tag @erinliveswhole on social media!

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There may be affiliate links in this post! By purchasing a product I recommend, I may receive a small compensation. However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use myself. Thank you for supporting Erin Lives Whole, it helps keep this blog afloat 🙂

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Have a question? Use the form below to submit your question or comment. I love seeing what you made!

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Breanne says

    Posted on 3/16 at 4:49 pm

    This recipe is so tasty! My meal prep group and my teen daughter both love it! Great to eat hot or cold!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 3/16 at 10:11 pm

      Hi Breanne, so glad you both enjoyed them!!

      Reply
  2. Puja says

    Posted on 1/20 at 7:03 pm

    I made this but substituted the chicken for tofu and absolutely loved it! The flavors blended perfectly!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 1/21 at 11:18 am

      Hi Puja, so happy you liked it and made it your own!

      Reply
  3. Paityn says

    Posted on 1/13 at 10:44 pm

    Just made this recipe for the first time but can already tell this will be on my short list of go-to easy recipes! So simple yet so delicious!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 1/14 at 11:29 pm

      Hi Paityn, so happy you loved them!!

      Reply
  4. Frances says

    Posted on 1/13 at 6:43 pm

    These were great! Very tasty and easy to make!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 1/14 at 11:58 am

      Hi Frances, I am so happy you enjoyed them!

      Reply
  5. Avery says

    Posted on 1/13 at 9:52 am

    Is it toasted sesame oil or just regular sesame oil? Can we use either?

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 1/15 at 12:22 am

      Hi Avery, either one will work! Let me know how they come out!

      Reply
  6. Beau says

    Posted on 1/10 at 10:10 pm

    Recipe is delicious but the nutrition info is cut off. Can you please fix that?

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Beau says

      Posted on 1/10 at 10:11 pm

      Disregard. It was a Google chrome issue. 🙂

      Reply
      • Erin says

        Posted on 1/12 at 10:42 pm

        Hi Beau, glad you enjoyed it and perfect! I was going to say you should be able to scroll down to see all the info.

  7. Jill says

    Posted on 1/7 at 8:00 pm

    Absolutely delicious! Cooked this for my mom tonight and we both loved it.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 1/9 at 10:28 am

      Hi Jill, thank you for sharing! Happy you both loved it! 🙂

      Reply
  8. Sarah says

    Posted on 1/4 at 8:11 am

    This has been a weekly staple in my household for the past 6 months now. It is the perfect week night meal – insanely delicious and so easy to make!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 1/4 at 3:38 pm

      Hi Sarah, so happy everyone loves them!

      Reply
  9. Brandi says

    Posted on 12/7 at 8:47 pm

    This recipe was delicious! My husband and kids loved it.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 12/8 at 3:04 pm

      Hi Brandi, I am so happy everyone enjoyed them!

      Reply
  10. Jeannie Rivera says

    Posted on 9/13 at 11:34 pm

    Made these exactly as the written and it turned out soooo good! My family ate every bit of it including the few morsels that had fallen out of the lettuce cups and onto their plate. There was literally nothing left!

    We will definitely be making these again and again.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 9/16 at 3:50 am

      Hi Jeannie, thanks for your kind words! I am so happy everyone enjoyed them so much! 🙂

      Reply
  11. Lydia says

    Posted on 8/17 at 9:09 pm

    Erin,

    I loved this recipe! I just had a few questions. Is the purpose of the oil to coat the pan, or is it a mandatory ingredient? I followed the recipe exactly, and the only issue I had was the oil splattered everywhere. I realized that I used a pan that doesn’t require oiling. Could that be the issue? If not, what heat setting should I use so it doesn’t splatter next time?

    Thank you!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  12. Grace Scheidler says

    Posted on 6/28 at 3:54 pm

    another 5-star dinner recipe from erin! my little brother’s favorite thing are the lettuce wraps from PF Changs, so i made these for my family last week and they were a hit! they took no time at all to put together and were so light and flavorful. we served them with some fried rice for my brothers and dad and it was delish!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/3 at 9:25 pm

      Hi Grace! Thanks so much for the kind words! I am thrilled everyone loved them. Your family is so lucky you cook all these recipes for them!! 🙂

      Reply
  13. Diane says

    Posted on 6/17 at 6:40 pm

    Delicious!!!! My husband said these are even better than PF Changs! He asked if we could have it the next day too! Im making it again tonight!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/3 at 10:38 pm

      Hi Diane, thank you so much for the kind words! I am so happy you both love them! 🙂

      Reply
  14. Nora says

    Posted on 6/14 at 7:44 pm

    Super good second time making them! added chopped broccoli and skipped the sriracha and they are amazing

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/3 at 10:59 pm

      Hi Nora, I am so happy you enjoy the wraps and made them your own! 🙂

      Reply
  15. Olivia Porcello says

    Posted on 5/17 at 7:43 pm

    This recipe was AMAZING! everyone loved it and i followed the recipe exactly. So easy and simple! so yummmmmm

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/4 at 9:57 pm

      Hi Olivia, thank you so much for your kind words! I am so happy it was a hit!!

      Reply
  16. Lucy Goodwin says

    Posted on 1/19 at 1:10 pm

    These were so good! I followed the recipe exactly – next time I’ll use less sriracha (I’m a wuss!) but my husband said they weren’t too spicy at all. So happy to stumble upon a great recipe for an item I’ve never made before!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/11 at 9:14 am

      Hi Lucky, thank you for your kind words! I am so happy you both enjoyed them!

      Reply
  17. Linda Shemely says

    Posted on 9/22 at 11:19 am

    Absolutely yummy!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 9/22 at 2:04 pm

      Thank you Linda!!

      Reply
  18. Alison Fox says

    Posted on 9/8 at 6:43 pm

    So simple to put together and soooo delicious!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 9/8 at 7:50 pm

      Yay! So glad you enjoyed them 🙂

      Reply
    • Josie says

      Posted on 5/18 at 9:21 pm

      This recipe says it makes 8 servings, which the recipe says a serving is 1 cup. How is that possible?

      Reply
      • Erin says

        Posted on 8/4 at 9:43 pm

        Hi Josie, the serving size is a 1/2 cup. Hope this helps! 🙂

      • Molly says

        Posted on 4/11 at 6:52 pm

        These chicken lettuce wraps are absolutely amazing! The sauce is delicious & I think it’s even better than PF Changs! Will definitely be making these again in the near future.

        ★★★★★

      • Erin says

        Posted on 4/12 at 8:08 pm

        Hi Molly, so happy you loved them! 🙂

  19. Judy says

    Posted on 9/2 at 4:23 pm

    Sooooo so good and easy to make!! Doubled the recipe and will be sharing with the hubby all week… if it lasts that long. Thank you!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 9/3 at 6:25 pm

      Aw, thanks for sharing Judy!! I’m so glad you guys like them!!!

      Reply
  20. Tom Morrissey says

    Posted on 8/27 at 8:56 am

    The muffins are Delicious! And very easy clean up!!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/26 at 3:53 pm

      Hi Tom, I am so happy you liked them!

      Reply
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I’m Erin. Creator of Erin Lives Whole, a food blog with delicious and easy healthy recipes that will leave you feeling good. We’ve got everything from wholesome baked goods to comforting savory dishes. I can’t wait to see what you whip up! Read More...

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