When the craving for lettuce wraps hits, it’s hard to shake it off. These Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps are ready in 30 minutes and are full of interesting textures and flavors! A mix between Laotian Larb Gai and Indonesian Gado Gado, they are the perfect 30-minute meal for warmer weather.
Celery Instead of Water Chestnuts
Water chestnuts give an unmistakable crunch that adds dimension to any dish. For a more accessible alternative, celery is a great alternative to water chestnuts for that crunch factor.
Also, there may have been a little bit of peanut butter + celery = deliciousness moment going on while cooking this… All I know is my house didn’t knock it, and they loved it!
Add the celery right at the end of the cooking time so that it does not get soggy. Celery has high water content, so adding it too soon will water down the filling.
Spicy Peanut Sauce
The spicy peanut sauce is a heathen mix of peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar chilies, sesame oil, lime juice, and rice vinegar. It’s indulgent, addictive, and unapologetically delicious. It’s such a workhorse sauce and the flavors bring me back to Southeast Asia every time we make it.
Creamy peanut butter is the way to go for this one! For convenience, we used 100% natural peanut butter (the only ingredient is peanuts) and of course, no crazy stuff like honey or vanilla.
Lettuce Wrap Toppings
For this recipe, I wanted to use up some fresh vegetables we had on hand from our last trip to the Phoenix Farmers Market. I needed something robust enough to handle the peanut sauce. The peanut sauce is too thick for microgreens and crispy rice noodles. For instance, fresh red radish, cucumbers, carrots, and purple cabbage added the right amount of color and texture and held up well with the sauce.
If you wanted to make a vegetarian version of these peanut chicken lettuce wraps, then you could go full gado gado mode and use sliced boiled eggs, cucumber, tomatoes, fried tofu, bean sprouts, and fried shallots. A recipe post for that will be up soon on the blog and I’ll be sure to link it here!
Final Thoughts
However you decide to eat your lettuce wraps, the point is that they’re fool-proof. Moreover, they’re accessible and customizable for you and your family’s tastes, which is the most important part.
Try the recipe and let me know what you think! If you have other toppings you love to add, feel free to share them in the comments. Happy cooking!
Ingredients
Lettuce Wrap Filling
ground chicken
neutral-flavored oil, such as vegetable
fresh ginger, peeled and grated
garlic
green onions, finely chopped, white and green parts separated
soy sauce (Kikkoman brand who else?!)
dark soy sauce
sesame oil
oyster sauce
brown sugar
cornstarch
romaine or green leaf lettuce, washed and patted dry
Toppings (Optional)
peanuts, roasted and crushed
grated carrot
shredded purple or green cabbage
thinly sliced cucumber, radish, red onion
Sliced boiled egg, fried shallots, tomatoes, fried tofu, bean sprouts
1 portion of peanut sauce
Peanut Sauce
creamy natural peanut butter
boiling water
soy sauce (Kikkoman brand is my all-time favorite)
sesame oil
garlic, grated
grated ginger
lime, juiced
palm or brown sugar, depending on taste
Instructions
Start by making the sauce for the chicken. In a bowl, mix together the soy sauces, sesame oil, oyster sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, and cornstarch.
In a large wok or deep saucepan, heat the vegetable oil over high heat until shimmering.
Add the ginger, garlic, and white part only from the green onions. Fry for 1 minute until fragrant. Do not let the garlic burn.
Add the ground chicken and fry, stirring constantly, until no longer pink, about 6-7 minutes.
Lower the heat to medium. Add in the soy sauce mixture and stir until chicken is coated. Add in the green parts of the green onions.
Allow the chicken to bubble for a minute or two in the sauce and then remove from heat. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
Peanut Sauce
In a mixing bowl, whisk the peanut butter and boiling water until combined. Don’t worry if it looks “stringy” at first, it will become smooth as it cools down.
Add in the remaining ingredients and then adjust based on your taste. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.
To Serve
To serve, place a spoonful or two of the chicken mixture into a lettuce leaf. Top with vegetable toppings of choice, and drizzle peanut sauce on top.
Love easy Asian food? Have a look at these other delicious recipes:
- Bibim Guksu (Korean Spicy Cold Noodles)
- Soy Garlic Noodles ( 10 Minutes Only )
- Spicy Wontons in Chili Scallion Oil
Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
Lettuce Wrap Filling
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 3 tbsp neutral-flavored oil, such as vegetable
- 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 cloves garlic
- 4 green onions, finely chopped, white and green parts separated
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 10 leaves romaine or green leaf lettuce, washed and patted dry
Toppings (Optional)
- ⅓ cup peanuts, roasted and crushed
- grated carrot
- shredded purple or green cabbage
- thinly sliced cucumber, radish, red onion
- Sliced boiled egg, fried shallots, tomatoes, fried tofu, bean sprouts
- 1 portion of peanut sauce
Peanut Sauce
- ½ creamy natural peanut butter
- 1 tbsp boiling water
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1-2 tbsp palm or brown sugar, depending on taste
Instructions
- Start by making the sauce for the chicken. In a bowl, mix together the soy sauces, sesame oil, oyster sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, and cornstarch.
- In a large wok or deep saucepan, heat the vegetable oil over high heat until shimmering.
- Add the ginger, garlic, and white part only from the green onions. Fry for 1 minute until fragrant. Do not let the garlic burn.
- Add the ground chicken and fry, stirring constantly, until no longer pink, about 6-7 minutes.
- Lower the heat to medium. Add in the soy sauce mixture and stir until chicken is coated. Add in the green parts of the green onions.
- Allow the chicken to bubble for a minute or two in the sauce and then remove from heat. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
Peanut Sauce
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the peanut butter and boiling water until combined. Don'tworry if it looks "stringy" at first, it will become smooth as it cools down.
- Add in the remaining ingredients and then adjust based on your taste. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.
To Serve
- To serve, place a spoonful or two of the chicken mixture into a lettuce leaf. Top with vegetable toppings of choice, and drizzle peanut sauce on top.