Do you guys ever have those foods that are just so so good that no matter how many times you have it, you will still always crave and be in the mood for more? Well, this chicken lettuce wrap recipe is one of those things for me.
These are not only fresh and healthy, but they’re bursting with so much flavor, they’re really gonna wow ya. And once you’ve tasted them there’s no going back, you’ll be hooked. And just like me, you’ll have no other option but to shamelessly admit to your roommate that you’re making chicken lettuce wraps for the third time in two weeks (no regrets).
Please if you try anything, just make these chicken lettuce wraps. I promise you it will be the decision you’ve made in a while.
Okay, so let’s get started! Start out with a clean cutting board, and get your garlic, ginger, scallions, red pepper, water chestnuts, mushrooms at the ready!
To begin, let me just recommend that your garlic and ginger be fresh. I know the jarred versions of both are a lot less work to deal with when cooking, but in the preservation process you do lose some of the amazing nutrients and health benefits both garlic and ginger have, and you will lose great flavor that the fresh versions provide.
Then go ahead and chop up your mushroom, red pepper, and water chestnuts. Finally, thinly slice the scallions keeping the whites and greens separate. This will allow you to cook up the tough whites earlier in the process, but keep the greens fresh and from getting soggy.
Next, it’s time to make the sauce. Mix all of your ingredients (Thai sweet chili sauce, hoisin sauce, dark soy sauce, sriracha, vegetable oil, sesame oil, rice vinegar, fresh ginger, and garlic). Remember to measure out your garlic and ginger since some of it is for the sauce, and some is for cooking later.
Okay, now we’re getting to the good stuff! Get your ground chicken and mix it with 3 Tablespoons of your sauce in a bowl. Prepare a skillet with 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil. Once your oil is simmering, add in your chicken mixture. Cook the chicken, stirring and breaking up the chicken often. Once your chicken is cooked through and browned, transfer chicken to a bowl (if using the same bowl as before, clean out the bowl to avoid cross-contamination).
In the same pan add the remaining Tablespoon of vegetable oil and add in the scallion whites, remaining ginger, and remaining garlic. Cook for approximately 1 minute.
Now, add in mushrooms, and cook until the mushrooms are just cooked through, and have released their liquid, about 3-4 minutes.
Once the mushrooms are cooked through, toss in the chicken, red bell pepper, and water chestnuts and cook until everything is cooked through and sauce starts to thicken up.
Finally, throw in the scallion greens as the final touch and toss.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and serve with butter lettuce leaves, separated, and washed.
Yummo! Tasty, mouthwatering goodness, that will just fill you up with joy, flavor, and lettuce wrap addiction. Wow, I just made myself want more of these, and I literally just ate them for lunch two hours ago!
Best Chicken Lettuce Wraps Ever
Prep: 20 mins. Cooking time: 15-20 mins. Serves 4-6 as an appetizer, 2-3 as a meal.
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
3 Tablespoons Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
3 Tablespoons Hoisin Sauce
1 Tablespoon Dark Soy Sauce*
2 Tablespoons Sriracha
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
11/2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Fresh Ginger, minced
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
*There are many types of soy sauce, but most popular are the dark and light varieties. I personally prefer Dark Soy Sauce, it has a stronger flavor that’s great for cooking, but significantly less sodium than most light soy sauces. Another note is many low-sodium soy sauces have added chemicals. If you’re trying to keep sodium to a minimum, I recommend diluting your regular soy sauce with water.
For the Filling:
1 lb Ground Chicken
3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
8 Scallions, thinly sliced
2 Cloves Garlic, minced, keeping greens and whites separate
1 Tablespoon Fresh Ginger, minced
21/2 Cups White mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 Cup Canned Water Chestnuts, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 Heads Butter Lettuce leaves separated and washed
Directions
To make the sauce:
Combine Thai sweet chili sauce, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sriracha, vegetable oil, sesame oil, rice vinegar, fresh ginger, and garlic in a small bowl.
To make the filling:
In a bowl mix ground chicken, with 3 tablespoons of the sauce.
In a large pan or skillet, bring 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to a simmer over medium-high heat. Once simmering, transfer chicken mixture to the pan, stirring and breaking up the chicken occasionally with a wooden spoon, until browned.
Transfer the chicken to a clean plate/bowl and set aside.
Using the same pan, add remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, as well as the whites of the scallions, garlic, and ginger. Cook and stir for around 1 minute.
Add the mushrooms. Cook and stir for 3-4 minutes until cooked through and tender but not yet browned.
Add the chicken back into the pan, along with the water chestnuts, red bell pepper, and remaining sauce. Cook and stir until cooked through and the sauce is beginning to thicken up.
Stir in scallion greens.
And you’re done, transfer your mix to whatever fancy serving bowl you prefer, and serve with lettuce leaves.