Easy Chicken Lettuce Wraps (Printable)
Crisp lettuce cups filled with savory ground chicken, aromatic vegetables, and water chestnuts in a tangy hoisin-ginger sauce. Ready in 30 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Chicken Filling
01 - 1 lb ground chicken
02 - 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
03 - 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
06 - 1 cup shiitake or cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
07 - 1 (8 oz) can water chestnuts, drained and diced
08 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
→ Sauce
09 - 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
10 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
11 - 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
12 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
13 - 1 teaspoon sesame oil
14 - 1 teaspoon sriracha or chili garlic sauce
15 - 1 teaspoon brown sugar
→ To Serve
16 - 1 head butter lettuce or iceberg lettuce, leaves separated, washed, and dried
17 - Extra sliced green onions and sesame seeds, for garnish
# Steps:
01 - Whisk together hoisin sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sriracha, and brown sugar in a small bowl until well combined. Set aside.
02 - Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and sauté for 2 minutes until softened and translucent.
03 - Stir in minced garlic and grated ginger. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
04 - Add ground chicken to the skillet, breaking it apart with a spatula. Cook for 4–5 minutes until fully cooked and no longer pink, stirring occasionally.
05 - Add chopped mushrooms to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes until softened. Stir in diced water chestnuts and sliced green onions; cook for 1 additional minute.
06 - Pour the prepared sauce over the chicken mixture, stirring thoroughly to coat evenly. Cook for 2–3 minutes until the sauce is absorbed and the filling becomes glossy.
07 - Remove from heat. Spoon the warm filling into prepared lettuce leaves. Garnish with additional sliced green onions and sesame seeds if desired. Serve immediately while warm.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The filling keeps in the fridge for days and tastes even better as leftovers the next day
- Everyone gets to build their own perfect bite which makes dinner feel interactive and fun
02 -
- Butter lettuce works better than iceberg because the leaves are more pliable and won't shatter when you fold them
- Let the filling cool for just two minutes before serving so the lettuce stays crisp and doesn't wilt from the heat
03 -
- Use a box grater to grate your ginger directly into the pan and skip the tedious chopping
- Pat your lettuce leaves completely dry with paper towels so the sauce clings to the filling instead of making everything soggy