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Three chicken lettuce wraps on a white plate, filled with seasoned ground chicken and topped with green onions.
Linda

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Crispy lettuce cups filled with savory ground chicken, water chestnuts, and a sticky-sweet hoisin sauce that beats any takeout version.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: Asian-American, Chinese-Inspired
Calories: 285
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Chicken
  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger minced
  • 8 oz water chestnuts drained and finely chopped
  • 4 green onions thinly sliced, white and green parts divided
For the Sauce
  • 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce low sodium preferred
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp sriracha optional, for heat
For Serving
  • 12 butter lettuce leaves washed and dried

Equipment

  • Large skillet or wok
  • Small Bowl (for sauce)
  • Cutting board and knife

Method
 

Prep
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and sriracha if using. Set aside.
  2. Mince the garlic and ginger. Drain the water chestnuts and chop into small pea-sized pieces. Slice the green onions, keeping white and green parts separate.
Cook
  1. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground chicken and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink and starting to brown, about 5-6 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
  2. Push chicken to the sides of the pan. Add garlic, ginger, and white parts of green onions to the center. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then stir everything together.
  3. Stir in chopped water chestnuts and the prepared sauce. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken. The mixture should look glossy, not soupy.
  4. Remove from heat and stir in the green parts of the onions. Spoon the warm chicken mixture into butter lettuce leaves and serve immediately.

Notes

Butter lettuce (also called Boston or Bibb) works best because the leaves are naturally cup-shaped and tender. Iceberg is too crisp and cracks easily; romaine is too narrow. For extra crunch, top with chopped peanuts or toasted sesame seeds. The filling can be made up to 2 days ahead and reheated - just warm gently and add a splash of water if it seems dry.