Easy Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce
These Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps are seriously a game-changer! An easy healthy dinner on the table in 30 minutes made with fresh ingredients & a perfect balance of sweet & spicy bold flavors. With tender chicken, crunchy veggies and a (DELICIOUS) creamy peanut sauce. Serve it up in lettuce cups and enjoy!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or avocado oil)
- 3 green onions
- ½ cup matchstick carrots
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 (8 oz can) water chestnuts
- 4 cloves garlic (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
- 1 in ginger root (or ~2 teaspoon when grated) ( or 1 teaspoon ginger powder)
- ¼ cup cilantro
- butter lettuce leaves for serving
For Peanut Sauce
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon creamy natural peanut butter
- 2-3 tablespoon lime juice (~1 lime)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2-3 tablespoon water (as needed to thin sauce out)
Instructions
- Prep the sauce. Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup and whisk everything together until it's emulsified. Set aside.
- Prep the veggies. Chop the bell pepper, water chestnuts, garlic, and green onion (separate the white part from the green part). Grate the fresh ginger. I use matchstick carrots that are already chopped, but if you are using a whole carrot, chop it into small matchstick sized pieces. Rinse the lettuce leaves.
- Cook the chicken. Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Add the extra virgin olive oil and once hot, add the white part of the green onions. Heat 1-2 minutes until they start to soften. Add the chicken and break it apart with a wooden spoon or masher. Cook 6-7 minutes until it's no longer pink and almost cooked through.
- Add the garlic and ginger & then the veggies. Stir in the garlic and ginger until fragrant, about 30 seconds-1 minute. Add the red bell pepper, carrots, and water chestnuts. Cook 2-3 minutes until the veggies soften a bit.
- Add the sauce and finishing touches. Pour the sauce over the chicken mixture and stir to combine. Cook another 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens. Sitr in the green part of the green onions and fresh cilantro.
- Assemble. Add a couple scoops of the chicken filling to your lettuce cups and enjoy!
- Hint: this recipe moves fast once you start cooking so be sure to make the sauce and chop the vegetables before you turn on the heat!
Video
Notes
Expert Tips
- Chop the red pepper and water chestnuts into small pieces to help them cook evenly and get a little crunch in every bite.
- Whisk the sauce really well. It will take a bit of stirring to get the peanut butter to emulsify with the other ingredients!
- I suggest doing 2 leaves of lettuce per wrap to make it extra sturdy.
- Feel free to double up on the sauce if you like things very saucy.
- Meal prep - a make ahead tip is to chop the vegetables in advance so that when you're ready to cook the wraps, this cuts down on prep time so that everything comes together super quickly in 20 minutes or less. You can also prep the sauce in advance and give it another good stir before using it.
- Refrigerator Storage - store leftover chicken mixture in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezer Storage - let the chicken mixture cool completely and store in a freezer safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then re-heat in the skillet on the stovetop or in the microwave.
For more nutrition information and tips, visit mallorythedietitian.com. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! 😊
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup chicken mixture + lettuceCalories: 325kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 26gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 667mgFiber: 3g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!