Skinny Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps (Printable View)

Lean chicken and crisp vegetables wrapped in fresh lettuce, dressed with a savory hoisin sauce.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Chicken Filling

01 - 1 pound lean ground chicken
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
05 - 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
06 - 1/2 cup shredded carrots
07 - 1/2 cup chopped water chestnuts
08 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced

→ Sauce

09 - 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
10 - 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
11 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
12 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
13 - 1/2 teaspoon sriracha, optional

→ Assembly

14 - 1 head butter or Bibb lettuce, leaves separated, washed, and dried
15 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, optional for garnish

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and grated ginger, sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
02 - Add ground chicken and cook, breaking it up with a spatula, until no longer pink, approximately 5 to 6 minutes.
03 - Stir in diced bell pepper, shredded carrots, and chopped water chestnuts. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until vegetables are slightly softened.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together hoisin sauce, low-sodium soy sauce, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, and sriracha if using.
05 - Pour sauce over chicken mixture. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes to heat through and marry flavors.
06 - Remove from heat and stir in sliced green onions.
07 - Spoon chicken filling into lettuce leaves. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds if desired.
08 - Serve immediately with extra hoisin sauce on the side.

# Best Practices:

01 -
  • It comes together in 30 minutes flat, making weeknight dinners feel less like a chore and more like a victory.
  • The lettuce wraps stay light and satisfying without that heavy, guilty feeling that comes with takeout.
  • Ground chicken soaks up flavor like a sponge, so every bite tastes like you spent hours perfecting a sauce.
02 -
  • Overcooking the lettuce leaves by adding hot filling too far ahead means they'll wilt and tear when you try to pick them up, so assemble just before eating for the best result.
  • The sauce should taste bold and slightly intense in the bowl because it distributes across all that chicken and vegetable volume, so don't hold back on the hoisin or soy when you're tasting and adjusting.
03 -
  • Prep your vegetables the morning before and keep them in separate containers so assembly becomes almost meditative when you finally get to cooking.
  • If you find yourself with leftover filling, it reheats beautifully and becomes an excellent addition to grain bowls or mixed into jasmine rice for a quick lunch the next day.
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