Chicken Lettuce Wraps

If you need an easy, weeknight dinner packed with veggies and flavor that kids love, try these Chicken Lettuce Wraps.  So many variations can make the dish easier in a time crunch and accommodate a variety of palates!

Chicken Lettuce Wrap Ingredients

One of the best parts about this recipe is that you can use your own favorite stir-fry-style veggies.  My favorite combination is using mushrooms, carrots, celery, and broccoli. You could omit any one of these or add others like bell pepper. Use any combination to equal about 2 1/2 cups of chopped raw veggies. You will also need chopped yellow onion, olive oil, 2 chicken breasts, garlic salt, and 8-10 leaves of your favorite large leaf lettuce (I prefer hearts of Romaine).

If you have the time, you can make your own teriyaki sauce.  The ingredients for the homemade sauce include low-sodium soy sauce, water, honey, brown sugar, red or white wine vinegar, fresh pressed garlic, and fresh minced ginger.  To thicken the sauce, you’ll also need cornstarch and water.  If you do not have the extra 10-15 minutes to make this sauce, an excellent alternative is a favorite teriyaki sauce. I love this Soy Vay Very Teriyaki Sauce that you can find at most major grocery stores.

As for toppings, there are so many options to individualize these chicken lettuce wraps.  My favorites include chopped cashews and sliced scallions for extra flavor and crunch.  My husband loves adding siracha sauce for extra spice and my son loves the tangy flavor of sweet and sour pepper sauce. Adding sesame seeds is a nice touch as well for a texture variation.

How to Make These Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Cooking the Chicken

First, you need to choose your chicken cooking method. My preferred methods are either to grill or sous vide the breasts.  Simply rinse and pat the breasts dry.  Season lightly on both sides with garlic salt.  Grill or sous vide the chicken until opaque and the internal temperature is 165°.  Then, chop the chicken into small chunks, cover, and set aside. Alternatively, rinse and dry the chicken, chop it in raw form, and sauté it over medium heat in olive oil until opaque and done.

Making the Sauce

If you do have the extra 10-15 minutes that making this teriyaki sauce requires, it is worth it!  First, peel and mince the fresh ginger and set aside.  To prepare this sauce, simply combine the soy sauce, water, honey, and brown sugar.  Then add freshly pressed garlic and the minced ginger in a saucepan, combining over medium heat.

Time Saving Tip:. If you love recipes using fresh ginger, you will love this time saving tip.  Our youngest sister’s idea, and it is genius. Simply peel an entire fresh ginger root, mince, and freeze in 2 tsp batches using small ziplocks.  Then you have minced fresh ginger anytime you want to use it!

Then, whisk together warm water and cornstarch, separately until combined. Add this mixture to the sauce and stir over medium heat until it thickens. Finally, take off of the heat and set aside.  If you are using a prepared teriyaki from the store, skip this step!

Preparing the Vegetables

Chop 1/2 of a yellow onion into a small dice and set aside.  Begin to warm a large skillet with 2 T olive oil.  Rinse and chop the vegetables you chose into small pieces, until you have about 2 1/2 cups of raw veggies. Sauté the onions until they are translucent in the warmed, oiled skillet.  Add the other raw vegetables to the pan once the onions are cooked (about 3-4 minutes). Sauté them, stirring frequently, over medium-high heat until they are bright in color and still crunchy.

Once the vegetables have been sautéed, add the small chicken chunks to the pan and about 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce. (You will have more sauce left over, which can be added if preferred.) Turn the skillet to medium, stirring the chicken, vegetables, and sauce until combined.  Allow this to simmer for about 5 minutes.

Serving the Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Carefully peel lettuce leaves and wash each one you will use.  Pat dry with a towel. Scoop the chicken and vegetable mixture into the lettuce leaf.  Top with chopped cashews, sliced scallions, and/or sauce of your preference.

Tips for Making these Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Kid Tip: Serve the chicken and veggie mixture over rice if they are not a fan of a lettuce taco! My kids like a little more teriyaki sauce added on top as well.

• Since this is a no-carb dish, making a side of rice can be a nice complement.
• Another great recipe for the ginger flavor is this Coconut Curry Soup.

• If you like this recipe, try out this Ground Turkey Teriyaki Stir Fry, using the same sauce and similar toppings!Print
  

  Chicken Lettuce Wraps

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  • Author: Gnarly Roots
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 5-6 1x

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  Description

  If you need an easy, weeknight dinner packed with veggies and flavor that kids love, try these Chicken Lettuce Wraps.  So many variations can make the dish easier in a time crunch and accommodate a variety of palates!

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  Ingredients

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  For the Chicken Lettuce Wrap Filling

  • 1/2 of a yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 1/2 cups of chopped raw vegetables (carrot, celery, broccoli, mushrooms, bell pepper, etc)
  • 2 medium to large chicken breasts
  • 1 tsp garlic salt
  • 8–10 large leaves of crispy lettuce (hearts of Romaine recommended)
  • Optional toppings:  chopped cashews, sliced scallions, Siracha sauce (spicy), sweet and sour pepper sauce (tangy)

  For the Sauce:

  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 T honey
  • 2 T brown sugar
  • 1 clove pressed garlic
  • 1 T corn starch
  • 2 T warm water

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  Instructions

  Cooking the Chicken

  1. First, you need to choose your chicken cooking method. My preferred methods are either to grill or sous vide the breasts.
  2. Simply rinse and pat the breasts dry—season lightly on both sides with garlic salt.
  3. Grill or sous vide the chicken until opaque and the internal temperature is 165°.  Then, chop the chicken into small chunks, cover, and set aside.

  **Alternatively, rinse and dry the chicken, chop it in raw form, and sauté it over medium heat in olive oil until opaque and done.

  Making the Sauce

  If you do have the extra 10-15 minutes that making this teriyaki sauce requires, it is worth it!

  1. First, peel and mince the fresh ginger and set aside.
  2. Combine the soy sauce, water, honey, and brown sugar.
  3. Add freshly pressed garlic and the minced ginger in a saucepan, combining over medium heat.
  4. Then, whisk together warm water and cornstarch, separately until combined.
  5. Add this mixture to the sauce and stir over medium heat until it thickens.
  6. Finally, take off of the heat and set aside.

  ***If you are using a prepared teriyaki from the store, skip this step!

  Preparing the Vegetables

  1. Chop 1/2 of a yellow onion into a small dice and set aside.
  2. Begin to warm a large skillet with 2 T olive oil.
  3. Rinse and chop the vegetables you chose into small pieces, until you have about 2 1/2 cups of raw veggies.
  4. Sauté the onions until they are translucent in the warmed, oiled skillet.
  5. Once the onions are cooked (about 3-4 minutes), add the other raw vegetables to the pan. Sauté them, stirring frequently, over medium-high heat until they are bright in color and still crunchy.
  6. Once the vegetables have been sautéed, add the small chicken chunks to the pan and about 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce. (You will have more sauce left over, which can be added if preferred.)
  7. Turn the skillet to medium, stirring the chicken, vegetables, and sauce until combined.  Allow this to simmer for about 5 minutes.

  Serving the Lettuce Wraps

  1. Carefully peel lettuce leaves and wash each one you will use.  Pat dry with a towel.
  2. Scoop the chicken and vegetable mixture into the lettuce leaf.
  3. Top with chopped cashews, sliced scallions, and/ or sauce of your preference.
     

  • Prep Time: 20 min
  • Cook Time: 15 min