Easy Asian Lettuce Wraps with Chicken

These Asian chicken lettuce wraps are quick and easy, come together in 30 minutes, and burst with flavor. They are healthy, customizable, and can be served as an appetizer or main course.

I don’t know about you, but I’m always looking for healthier snacks and appetizers that will make a low-carb option, and these Asian chicken lettuce wraps are great all year round and are very customizable. I like that aspect the most because I’m always trying to make recipes that everyone is happy with, so if there is something you don’t like, you can remove it and replace it with something else. You will love this recipe even if you’re not looking for a low-carb option.

What is chicken lettuce wraps?

Chicken wraps are finger food and can be messy when you’re eating them, but they’re very much worth it. There are a few details to putting them together: they start with lettuce, thinly sliced veggies, ground chicken, or diced chicken breast, and are topped with some delicious sauces.

Why this recipe works

• Easy to make just quickly stir fry ground chicken and oyster sauce, and you end up with an ultra-flavorful filling for your lettuce wraps.
• Pickled Onions in a little bit of lime juice create vibrant color, taste, and texture. and will help contrast the sweetness of the sauce.
• Lettuce I like to use two different kinds of lettuce because it will provide different textures

Ingredients you need for Asian lettuce chicken wraps

• Garlic when it comes to garlic you want to use fresh whenever possible.
• Chicken I like to use ground chicken and, if possible, chicken thighs because dark meat provides the most flavor. But ground chicken breast, ground turkey, and ground pork would work here too. You could even try using a plant-based option like crumbled tofu or TVP, which will all take the flavor very well.
• Oyster Sauce This flavor creates a deep, savory flavor that pairs great with chicken. If you’re looking for a vegetarian option, you can use mushroom-flavored dark soy sauce or a vegan oyster sauce substitute.
• Soy Sauce The combination of oyster sauce and soy sauce is a great combination because oyster sauce can be a little on the sweet side and soy sauce is salty, so it evens out really well. You can also use a vegetarian recipe by using tamari or coconut aminos for a gluten-free or soy-free alternative.
• Ginger using fresh ginger will really give you that flavor you want from Asian flavors.
• Black pepper I like to use fresh ground black pepper as a subtle and peppery flavor that pairs well with the chicken and oyster sauce. If you looking for some additional spice you can add some extra fresh ginger, chili pepper flakes, or a little bit of hot sauce like sriracha.
• Red onions I like using red onions for their vibrant color, and when you pickle them slightly, they give your dish a little taste of acidity. But if you don’t like onions, you could pick carrots, cucumbers, or water chestnuts for some additional texture.
• Lime juice is used to help do a quick pickle of red onions, but you can also use lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, or rice vinegar. All will work fine.
• Sugar is used for a little sweetness for the pickling brine, an alternative sweetener for the pickled onions is also honey or agave syrup.

Other ingredients that can be used

There are a lot of different directions these lettuce wraps can go, and to be honest, I could go on for a long time with the variations, but here are a few different options to get you started.

Meat

• pork
• turkey
• beef
• shrimp

Vegetables and more

• shredded carrots
• zucchini
• cucumber
• radishes
• tomatoes
• avocado
• bean sprouts
• red cabbage

How to make Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

• Pickled Onions I like to start by pickling the onion this will allow the onions to marinade and develop the flavors. Combine sliced red onions, lime juice, sugar, and salt and toss together. All to sit for a short time upwards to overnight.
• Heat skillet over medium heat, add oil and garlic. Once the garlic has become pungent and starts turning golden brown, add the ground chicken, making sure to break it up while cooking with a spatula.
• Mix in the oyster, soy sauce, and black pepper, you want to continue to cook the ground chicken and the sauce until there is very little to no sauce left in the pain, this will help you have a stronger flavor.
• Transfer the stir-fried chicken onto a plate and allow it to cool slightly so that when you assemble it, the lettuce doesn’t wilt and starts to cook before you have a chance to eat it.
• Make Wraps Choose the best-shaped lettuce leaves from your choice of lettuce, you want to choose leaves that don’t have any tears or creases, this will make them difficult to fill.
• Scoop the chicken mixture using a generous scoop on a lettuce leave and then top with the red onions that have been pickled.

Tips for Making Asian Lettuce Wraps

• Serve them hot or cold this recipe works great either when the meat is hot or it can be served chilled.
• Don’t put the ingredients on the lettuce too early this will make your lettuce wilt. This will also happen if you build the wraps too soon and allow them to sit for a while.

Frequently Asked Questions

Easy Asian lettuce wraps with chicken

These Asian chicken lettuce wraps are quick and easy, come together in 30 minutes, and burst with flavor. They are healthy, customizable, and can be served as an appetizer or main course.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, lunch

Cuisine American, asian

Servings 4 servings

Calories 232 kcal

Ingredients

  

pickled onions

• ½ red onion thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tsp sugar
• ¼ tsp salt

Chicken

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp garlic minced
• 1 lb ground chicken
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp fresh ginger

To Wrap

• 1-2 small heads lettuce

Instructions

 

Pickled Onions

• To prepare the quick pickles, add red onions, lime juice, sugar, and salt to a bowl and toss the ingredients together. Ideally, you want to pickle these overnight in the fridge, but you can speed things up by letting them sweat for 10 minutes and then using your hand to massage them until they're limp and translucent.

Chicken

• Heat a frying pan over medium heat, and add olive oil and garlic. Fry the garlic until it's golden brown while stirring it.
• Add ground chicken and crumble it up using a spatula.
• Once no large clumps of chicken remain, add the oyster sauce, soy sauce, ginger, and ground black pepper and continue to stir-fry the chicken until there is no liquid left in the pan.
• Transfer the stir-fried chicken onto a plate and let it cool slightly.

Assemble

• To assemble the lettuce wraps, pick the best-shaped leaves from the 2 small heads of lettuce and lay them out on a platter.
• Add a generous scoop of the chicken mixture onto each leaf of lettuce and then top with a few pieces of onions.

Keyword asian, chicken, lettuce wrap