Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps are a fresh, flavorful meal that combines lean chicken, crunchy veggies, and a zesty Thai-inspired sauce, all wrapped in crisp lettuce leaves. This healthy, customizable dish is perfect for a light, low-carb dinner or appetizer.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ¼ cup diced onion yellow or white onion works
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger or ginger paste
- 10 oz ground chicken
- ¼ cup Tamari low sodium or soy sauce, or coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons Thai sweet red chili sauce Trader Joe's is a favorite
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup honey, or agave
- ⅓ cup chopped cashews raw or roasted/salted
- ¼ cup chopped scallions
- ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro
- ¼-½ cup shredded carrots
- Sesame seeds for topping
- 1 head of butter lettuce – leaves removed rinsed, and dried (see notes)
Instructions
- Start by making the garlic and ginger pan sauce. Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add the sesame oil. Once the oil is hot, add the diced onions and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown and become translucent. Next, add the garlic and ginger, toss everything together, and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Now, cook the chicken. Add the ground chicken to the pan, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or spatula while tossing it in the pan sauce. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until the chicken turns golden brown and there is no more pink, about 3-4 minutes.
- Prepare the Thai chili sauce. While the chicken cooks, mix the soy sauce, Thai chili sauce, lime juice, and honey in a small bowl. Stir to combine.
- Add the sauce to the chicken. Sprinkle the chopped cashews over the chicken in the pan, then pour the sauce mixture over everything. Toss well, reduce the heat to low, and let it cook for another 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes before stirring in the shredded carrots, chopped scallions, and cilantro.
- Assemble the lettuce wraps. To assemble, take a lettuce leaf, add a large spoonful of the chicken mixture, and top with some of the pan sauce and sesame seeds. Continue filling the lettuce leaves until all of the wraps are prepared.
Notes
To prepare the lettuce, gently separate each leaf from the bulb and rinse them under light running water. Place the washed leaves on a clean paper towel to dry before using them to assemble the wraps.