Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps are a flavorful Asian dish made with lean protein, veggies, a sweet and savory sauce and a variety of satisfying garnishes. You can serve them as an appetizer, side dish or main dish.
Filling Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
These Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps are everything you’d want them be and then some! They have well rounded flavor, you’ll find them easy to make, and they have the perfect crunch factor thanks to the tender crisp veggies, lettuce, and peanuts.
The chicken (or turkey) keeps them nice and filling but if you want an even heartier meal you can serve these with a side of rice.
You can adjust the sauces here to suite your taste. If you like the flavor of fish sauce you can add more. If you love heat load them up with the Sambal Oelek or Sriracha. And for more peanut flavor be sure to try them finished with a creamy peanut sauce (it so delicious and worth the extra bit of effort).
I know it’s a fairly lengthy list of ingredients here but I don’t recommend leaving any out. Everything comes together beautifully to create a truly tasty, veggie and chicken-filled lettuce wrap that you’ll want to make on repeat.
Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps Ingredients
For the healthy Asian lettuce wraps, you’ll need:
- Sauces: Soy sauce, fish sauce, and sesame oil. These all are used to season the filling and they really help build up the overall flavor.
- Sweetener: Brown sugar is used to sweeten the sauce lightly.
- Tart ingredient: Lime juice is added to balance the sweetness and add some brightness.
- Thickener: Cornstarch is needed to thicken the sauce.
- Veggies: Red bell pepper, matchstick carrots, cilantro, and lettuce.
- Aromatics: Green onions, garlic, and ginger. These all add extra depth to the dish.
- Oil: You can use vegetable oil or olive oil for sautéing.
- Ground meat: Ground chicken or ground turkey works well.
- Garnishes: Peanuts, hot sauce (such as Sambal Oelek or Sriracha), or peanut sauce are all good topping options. Sesame seeds are tasty too.
Best Type of Lettuce to Use for Lettuce Wraps
Here are my go-to options for lettuce wraps:
- Iceberg lettuce
- Romaine lettuce hearts
- Artisan Romaine lettuce
- Butter lettuce
How to Make Thai Lettuce Wraps
Make the lettuce wrap sauce by whisking together the fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, sesame oil and cornstarch.
Heat the vegetable oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
Sauté garlic, ginger and the lighter portions of the green onions for 30 seconds.
Add the ground chicken or turkey to the skillet, cook and break up ground meat until it’s nearly cook through.
Toss in bell pepper and continue cooking until tender crisp and meat is completely cooked through.
Add carrots and sauce mixture.
Cook until sauce has thickened. Stir in green onion greens, cilantro and peanuts.
Serve filling in lettuce leaves with desired toppings.
Can I Substitute Oyster Sauce for Fish Sauce?
Oyster sauce is not recommend as a subsistute for fish sauce as it taste more caramelized and sweeter than fish sauce. It also doesn’t have quite the same depth as that fermented, briny flavor that fish sauce has. Plus fish sauce sauce is quite salty, which pairs nicely with the flavors of this recipe.
What to Serve with Thai Lettuce Wraps
- Fried rice
- Steamed white rice, brown rice, or seasoned rice noodles
- Coconut rice
- Chow mein or Thai noodles
- Potstickers or dumplings
How to Store Thai Lettuce Wraps
- Store filling and lettuce separately in the fridge, each in airtight containers.
- The filling will keep for 3 days refrigerated.
- It can be reheated on 50% power in the microwave, stirring occasionally. Or reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat, tossing occasionally.
More Tasty Asian Recipes to Try
- Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
- 15-Minute Chicken Teriyaki
- Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Lighter Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Lighter Honey-Sesame Chicken
Follow Cooking Classy
Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
Sauce
- 3 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce
- 2 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp cornstarch
Filling
- 5 green onions, light parts and green parts kept separate
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp minced ginger
- 1 1/2 lbs 92% lean ground chicken or turkey
- 1 Tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1 red bell pepper, cored and diced
- 1 1/2 cups matchstick carrots, roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup chopped unsalted dry roasted peanuts
- Lettuce leaves*
- Hot sauce and/or peanut sauce (for serving)
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl whisk together soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, sesame oil and cornstarch, set aside.
- Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add lighter portions of green onions, garlic and ginger and saute 30 seconds, then add chicken and cook, tossing and breaking up chicken occasionally until nearly cooked through (don't drain).
- Add red bell pepper and cook until just slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add carrots, then whisk sauce mixture once more and pour into skillet.
- Cook, tossing frequently until sauce has thickened (and chicken is fully cooked through), about 1 minute, taste and season with a little salt if needed.
- Add in cilantro, green onion greens and peanuts. Serve warm over whole lettuce leaves with hot sauce, peanuts, and peanut sauce if desired.