Healthy Chicken Lettuce Wraps that are easier than P.F Changs! Chicken breast strips are layered over Boston Lettuce leaves with carrots, purple cabbage, and a quick peanut butter dressing! Serve as a dinner salad or wrap around Boston lettuce leaves! These chicken lettuce leaves are so good you can’t tell there diet food (paleo, whole30, gluten-free, and dairy-free!)
We love Chinese food! There’s just something about the sweet and savory cuisine. Try out our other Asian-inspired dishes that make it to our dinner rotations! Vegetable lo Mein, General Tso’s Chicken Recipe, and Sushi Philadelphia Rolls.
Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe
Chicken lettuce wraps inspired from your favorite Thai Chicken salad or dare I say P.F Changs? Better. I don’t think you can find an easier recipe for chicken lettuce wraps minus all the fancy ingredients, but loaded with all the Asian-inspired flavors and health benefits! Skip the shitake mushrooms, water chestnuts, or ground chicken! This recipe comes together in a cinch but has all the Chinese flavors you’d expect, only better because wait until you try this incredible peanut butter dressing!
Typically when you think of healthy foods, it might sound boring or un-flavorful. Well, the good news is these lettuce cups can be eaten like tacos or just tossed in chopped lettuce without compromising on flavor! And should you know they’re totally gluten-free, Paleo, Whole30, and dairy-free! Healthy and super flavorful!
Making Chicken Lettuce Wraps at home is packed with nutrition, fresh veggies, grilled (or sauteed) chicken, and it’s all made with simple ingredients! It’s so much easier than you may think and diet-friendly! There is no secret sauce or complicated chicken fillings to mess with, everything gets tossed together and wrapped in lettuce! Even our children eat them! Talk about a delicious 30-minute meal!
How To Make Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps:
Q&A
What Lettuce is Best for Wraps?
P.F. Changs uses fresh iceberg lettuce. Although, there are different varieties of lettuce that can be used it’s really a personal preference in texture when it comes to choosing the right kind. Here is a list of lettuce that will work fantastic:
- Boston Bibb Lettuce (the kind I used)
- Butterhead Lettuce
- Greenhead Lettuce
- Romaine Lettuce
- Iceberg Lettuce
Choose Lettuce that is flexible and easy enough to bend for making wraps.
How Do You Cut Lettuce For Lettuce Wraps?
Simply snap off the leaves off of the head of a Bosten Bibb Lettuce or slice off the core. Layer two small lettuce leaves atop of each other from opposite directions and top with the filling. Try to wash and dry off the lettuce leaves completely before assembling.
Serving Suggestions?
Traditionally, they are supposed to be Chicken Lettuce Wraps to be rolled up or served as Chicken Lettuce Cups. However, here are some creative ways to take it to the next level:
- Lettuce Wraps
- Asian Salad
- Over Fried-Rice or Chicken Dishes
- As an Asian Slaw
- In Corn Tortillas as Tacos!
Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps: Ingredients and Substitutes:
These Chicken lettuce wraps hit at a 249 calorie count, which is already lean! However, to make it friendly for people following strict diets here are some helpful substitutes.
- Chicken Breasts- use ground turkey or ground chicken for portion control.
- Oil- These wraps don’t have any oil in the Teriyaki sauce or marinade! I used soybean oil for frying my chicken but that can easily be swapped for coconut oil.
- Brown Sugar- sweeteners like honey, stevia, or maple syrup are healthier alternatives.
- Soy Sauce- is made with wheat, salt, and water so it is not Gluten-free. Swap it for Coconut Aminos if you want a gluten-free alternative or are sensitive to soy.
- Peanut Butter- substitute for other kinds of nut butter if you have an allergy to peanuts.
- Fresh Garlic and Ginger- use dried ginger or dried garlic for fresh.
- Boston Lettuce- iceberg or Romaine will work.
- Purple Cabbage and Carrots- some grocery stores carry pre-chopped carrot and cabbage blends. Use them to save prep time.
Are Chicken Lettuce Wraps Paleo and Whole30 Approved?
Chicken Lettuce Wraps can be Paleo, Whole30, dairy-free, gluten-free, and soy-free if you follow some of my substitutes for sugar, oil, and soy sauce.
More Asian-Inspired Dishes?
This chicken dish is very saucy so choose veggies, a stir-fry, or some kind of noodles like Lo Mein! Here are some Asian-Dishes to try:
- Chicken Lo Mein
- Lo Mein (Take-Out Copycat)
- Beef Stir-Fry
- Chinese Chicken Fingers
- EASY Chinese Noodles Recipe
Tips for Chicken Lettuce Wraps:
- Make the Teriyaki Sauce first. If you don’t have a blender melt the peanut butter smooth then whisk together with the teriyaki sauce.
- Prepare your Peanut butter dressing from the remainder teriyaki sauce by adding creamy peanut butter.
- Sear the chicken breast in a cast-iron or wok to create a nice crust.
- Buy a bag of match-stick or julienned carrots as a time saver!
- Shredded cabbage can come in blends already pre-chopped at the grocery store.
Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Equipment
- 10-inch cast iron
- mixing bowl
- hand blender
Ingredients
TERIYAKI SAUCE:
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 4 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp ginger (freshly grated)
- 4 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 4 Tbsp white distilled vinegar
Chicken Lettuce Wraps:
- 1 lb chicken breasts (1 large)
- 1 Boston Lettuce head
- 1 cup purple cabbage (shredded)
- 1 cup carrots (matchstick or julienned)
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
Instructions
How To Make Chicken Lettuce Wraps:
- Whisk together the Teriyaki Sauce. Pour 2/3 cup over the chicken and marinate for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a separate bowl blend the peanut butter into the remaining teriyaki sauce to make the dressing. Set aside.
- Sear the chicken breasts in 2 tbsp of oil on both sides until cooked through (about 10 minutes.) Cool and cut into strips.
- Toss together the veggies and chicken. Scoop into lettuce leaves and drizzle with peanut butter dressing. Garnish with sesame seeds, scallions, or cilantro.
Notes
- Peanut Butter Dressing: Makes 1 2/3 cups.
- Gluten-free option: use 2 Tbsp of coconut Aminos.
- Sugar-Free Option: use Honey or Maple syrup for the brown sugar.
