These P.F. Chang’s inspired Chicken Lettuce Wraps are ready in just 20 minutes! With hints of garlic, ginger, and a touch of heat, each bite is perfectly balanced by the crunch of fresh crisp lettuce.
What To Know About This Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe
- Ready Fast: On the table in just 20 minutes.
- Big Flavor: Garlic, ginger, soy and hoisin sauce? Yes, please!
- Easy Cleanup: You will only need one skillet.
- Fresh & Crunchy: That lettuce wrap snap? So satisfying.
- Meal Prep Friendly: Prepare filling in advance for extra quick meals.
- Low Carb: Loaded with veggies and high in protein!
Lettuce wraps are a nostalgic favorite of mine. When I was in high school, my best friend and I loved to hit up our local P.F. Chang’s together. Without fail, our go-to appetizer was a plate of their lettuce wraps and a bowl of wonton soup. I’ve tried a lot of lettuce wraps recipes over the years, but this one is my favorite. The sauce is perfectly balanced and loaded with flavor, and the chicken stays so juicy and flavorful. And cleanup is a breeze, which makes me love them even more!
Key Ingredient Notes
This recipe utilizes simple ingredients that aren’t hard on your wallet, plus I offer lots of alternatives you might already have on hand. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact amounts!
- Oil: For a more authentic flavor, use sesame oil or toasted sesame oil. However, any mild flavored cooking oil will work just fine!
- Ground Chicken: You can swap this with ground turkey (or any other ground meat) you prefer. If you use a fattier cut of ground meat, make sure to drain any excess grease from the skillet before adding in the sauces.
- Lemongrass: When preparing lemongrass for cooking, use only the pale, tender inner core. You can also usually find pre-ground lemongrass in a squeeze tube in the refrigerated section next to the garlic. A good substitute to use is a little fresh lemon zest.
- Seasoned Rice Vinegar: This is just rice vinegar that’s been enhanced with sugar and salt to help cut through the acidity. You can also use regular rice vinegar or even rice wine vinegar!
- Soy Sauce: Low-sodium soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos are all great options.
- Garlic Chili Sauce: Choose your favorite chili garlic sauce from the store, or use another Asian style hot sauce, like Sriracha.
- Hoisin Sauce: This is the one ingredient I don’t recommend swapping for anything else. Hoisin sauce adds the perfect amount of sweet and savory flavor, without being overly sweet.
- Shallot: While I like the milder flavor of a shallot, any finely diced onion will work in this dish!
- Butter Lettuce: Butter lettuce, bibb lettuce, or romaine hearts work best as they’re sturdy enough to hold the filling, but soft and flexible for easy wrapping.
Add Even More Veggies
The chicken filling for lettuce wraps is very forgiving and you can easily incorporate more vegetables. We have added shredded carrots, corn (or baby corn), mushrooms, broccoli, bell pepper, cauliflower (or cauliflower rice), water chestnuts, and even green beans or peas. Just make sure they’re all chopped fairly small into bite size pieces so they cook quickly and evenly!
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How to Make Chicken Lettuce Wraps
These ground turkey lettuce wraps take all of 20 minutes and one pan to make. Cook the ground meat just until it’s no longer pink. Overcooking will dry it out quickly! Below is a quick recipe overview, but please scroll down to the recipe card for full instructions.
How To Serve Lettuce Wraps
- Assemble: Separate the leaves of lettuce, rinse with water to remove any dirt or sand, and then pat them dry with a paper towel. Spoon the filling into the center of each lettuce leaf, fold slightly like you would a taco, and enjoy!
- Garnishes: Top with sliced green onions, chopped cashews or peanuts, sesame seeds, fresh cilantro, or drizzle on your favorite hot sauce to pump up the heat.
- Sides: If you want to make a heartier meal, you can serve the wraps alongside some cilantro lime rice (or serve the chicken filling in a bowl over the rice!).
If you want to serve these lettuce wraps for a party or large group of people, I recommend keeping the filling hot in a crockpot (set to warm). Set out the lettuce, filling, and toppings buffet-style so everyone can build their own!
Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil, or any mild cooking oil
- 1 lb ground chicken, or ground turkey
- 1 medium shallot, finely diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 2 large stalks lemongrass, tender pale inner core only, minced
- ½ cup chopped cashews, or peanuts
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons chili garlic sauce, or sriracha
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon seasoned rice vinegar
- fresh cilantro, chopped
- butter lettuce leaves, for serving
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Instructions
- In a large wok (or non-stick skillet), heat oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallot and cook for 30 seconds, then add the ground chicken. Cook the chicken, crumbling and breaking apart the meat as it cooks.
- Add the green onions, lemongrass, cashews, hoisin sauce, chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Toss well to ensure everything is coated. Simmer for another 2-3 minutes, then remove from the heat and top with cilantro.
- To serve: Separate the leaves of lettuce and rinse them with warm water; pat dry. Spoon the filling into the center of a lettuce leaf and slightly fold the lettuce and eat them like you would a taco!
Notes
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Where’s the receipe for the dipping sauce?
In the photos that is hoisin sauce that I put on the side for dipping, if desired. They are sauce-y enough on their own you really don’t need a dipping sauce though!
The recipe was delicious, our lettuce kept breaking but we even ate it with a spoon! YUM
I found your recipe for these back in 2011 and still make them…except for the lemongrass because we’re just too lazy to keep it in the house. 🙂 Thanks for all the great recipes!!
Wow Allie! This is an oldie! I’m glad you still enjoy them, I really need to make them again for dinner soon! 🙂
I don’t know if I missed something (it’s likely), but when do we put the cashews in?
Thanks!
Made these and took them to work as lunch. Very yummy!
Okay, I’ve been blog stalking your site for a while now and I just have to say these have become a favorite of ours!! They’re delicious and SO easy to make, I can’t help but crave them once a week. 🙂 Thank you!!!!
Awesome! I am so glad you like them so much! …and thanks for reminding me about these babies. I haven’t make them in way too long!
Made these two nights ago. They turned out so yummy! Definitely reminded me of the PF Chang lettuce wraps. Couldn’t find fresh lemon grass any where, so had to go with out it but it was delicious none the less! Thank you for the inspiring and amazing recipes, I follow your blog religiously! Making the Turkey and cheese stuffed pasta shells for my family Sunday : )
Thanks!
Lovely recipe! I am so in love with this. Thanks a lot. I am definitely going to try this one.
I will definitely be making this for my mom…she LOVES the ones at P.F. Chang’s, so these will be a huge winner!
@sandi, Let me know what your Mom thinks! 🙂
Mmmm… lettuce wraps from PF Chang’s are awesome! Ever since I moved to Europe I haven’t seen any lettuce wraps on menus, although I have to say that I wasn’t really looking. I guess I’ll have to start…. or make my own! They are so delicious.
This looks so so delish! Love the combination of flavors.
I love your photo, is so green and it’s inspiring a healthy snack :X
I haven’t tried the lettuce wraps but I’ve had their fried bananas and yum YUM yum!! These look fantastic!
I’ve made lettuce wraps once before, but these seem to be a little more “true” to the PF Changs version than mine were. Will have to give these a try!
Ohhhhh yum! This looks tasty!!
Mary xx
Delightful Bitefuls
I was such a fan of PF Changs when I lived in boston (their tower of chocolate…also amazing). But there really aren’t any in NYC so I haven’t been in YEARS. I’m so glad you posted this because it would be such a great throw-back to my good old college days!
LOL I love that it’s ass friendly! This looks amazing. I may have to cook and bake my way through your blog…
I’ve never been to PF Changs, but we love love love lettuce wraps. In particular, the DH can’t get enough of them.
These look great!
So bookmarking this one. I enjoy PF Changs lettuce wraps (though trying to get the BF to order anything but dumplings is near impossible). These look great 🙂
I made lettuce cups once but your recipe sounds tastier than the one I used, I think I’ll have to try making them again!