Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
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These Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps are a part of my Summer Savory series and one of my favorite recipes to make when it’s scorching hot outside. They’re so easy to make in just 20 minutes and perfect when you’re craving something light yet satisfying.
I love using ground chicken for these lettuce wraps because it cooks up so quickly and absorbs all of the flavors of the homemade Thai sauce so well. And you can’t forget the delicious, quick, pickled carrots. The homemade pickled carrots add the perfect amount of sweet crunch to each wrap and are even delicious to just snack on!
Serve these lettuce wraps with a side of my Cold Noodle Salad or Chopped Sesame Salad for a delicious, Asian-inspired meal.
Table Talk with Tawnie
These Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps are one of my go-to weeknight meals, especially in the summertime. They’re super quick and easy to make and are perfect when you’re wanting something a little on the lighter side. I started making a version of these years ago after trying something similar at a Thai restaurant, and they quickly became a part of our regular meal rotation. After many requests from friends and family, I knew it was finally time to share them here on the blog so you can enjoy them just as much as we do!
- Carrots: These quick, pickled carrots are so easy to make (all you need is carrots, vinegar, sugar, and salt), and they add the perfect amount of tangy, sweet crunch to every bite!
- Ground chicken: You could also easily use ground turkey or ground pork if you prefer.
- Thai sweet red chili sauce: The sweet chili sauce brings the signature Thai flavor to these lettuce wraps.
- Fish sauce or oyster sauce: The fish sauce is optional but I highly recommend it because it adds great flavor! Oyster sauce also works just as well.
- Butter lettuce leaves: I like to use butter lettuce leaves because they’re tender and have a natural cup shape, which makes the perfect wrap for holding all your topping ingredients. You could also use romaine lettuce leaves if you prefer a little more crunch.
Step by Step Directions
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
Make the pickled carrots
Combine the carrots, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Cook chicken
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot, Fresno chili, garlic, and ginger. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the ground chicken and cook until no longer pink, ~6-7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the sauce
Whisk together the sauce ingredients and add to the ground chicken. Cook for a few minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.
Add green onions & sesame seeds
Once the sauce has thickened, remove chicken from heat and add in green onions and sesame seeds.
Assemble & enjoy!
Add a scoop of the ground chicken into each butter lettuce cup, top with favorite garnishes, pickled carrots, more Thai chili sauce, and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Lettuce leaves: Let the butter lettuce leaves sit at room temperature for a few minutes or run them under lukewarm water and pat dry. Cold lettuce can crack or tear more easily when wrapping.
- Double the sauce: If you love extra flavor, make 1.5x the sauce so you have a little extra to drizzle on top or serve on the side for dipping.
- Prep in advance: You can go ahead and cook the ground chicken and prepare the pickled carrots in advance to save time. Just reheat the chicken mixture when you’re ready to serve.
- Serving: Serve these chicken wraps with a side of my Copycat Panda Express Chow Mein, Spicy Sesame Noodles, Chopped Sesame Salad, or Cold Noodle Salad for a heartier meal.
Variations / Substitutions
- Spice: If you love a little heat, add a dash of sriracha or crushed red pepper flakes to the chicken mixture.
- Ground meat: Use ground turkey or ground pork in place of the ground chicken if you prefer.
- Vegetarian: You could also use your favorite meatless crumbles to make these lettuce wraps vegetarian.
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos to make gluten-free.
Summer Savory Series
On the hunt for more fresh, flavorful recipes perfect for warm weather days? Whether you’re looking to beat the heat with no-cook meals, whip up crowd-pleasing pasta salads for your next BBQ, or dig into light and refreshing dishes, this series has you covered. Let’s keep the oven off and the vibes high!
Storage / Freezing
- Store the cooked chicken and pickled carrots in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- You can also freeze the cooked chicken filling for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in a skillet before serving.
FAQs
What kind of lettuce is best for these chicken wraps?
I like to use butter lettuce because it has a soft texture and natural cup shape that works really well to hold all of the filling. You can also use romaine hearts or even iceberg lettuce for a crispier crunch.
Do I have to use fish sauce?
The fish sauce is optional, but it adds a lot of flavor. If you don’t have fish sauce, you can use oyster sauce or just add a little more soy sauce.
Can I make these lettuce wraps in advance?
The chicken filling and pickled carrots can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store them in the fridge and assemble the wraps fresh when ready to serve. I would not recommend assembling the lettuce wraps until ready to eat.
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Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
Quick pickled carrots:
- 1 large carrot (peeled and grated or julienned)
- 1 ½ Tbsp. white vinegar
- 1 ½ tsp sugar
- Pinch of salt
For the chicken:
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. minced shallot (about half of a large shallot finely minced)
- 1 fresno chili (seeded and finely diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp. ginger (minced)
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ bunch green onions (diced)
- sesame seeds (measure with your heart)
For the sauce:
- 2 Tbsp. Thai sweet red chili sauce
- 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar or honey
- 1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
- 2 tsp. sesame oil
- 2 tsp. fish sauce or oyster sauce (optional but adds great flavor)
- ½ lime (juiced)
- pinch of chili flakes
Serving & garnish:
- butter lettuce leaves, top with drizzle of Thai chili sauce if desired, cashews or peanuts, fresh cilantro, lime wedges, pickled carrots
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- *Note: You may want to go ahead and double this recipe because they go quickly and only make enough for 2-4 people!
- Make the pickled carrots: Combine carrots, vinegar, sugar, and salt together in a bowl. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Saute: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add shallot, Fresno chili, garlic, and ginger. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add chicken: Add the ground chicken and cook until no longer pink, ~6-7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Sauce time: Whisk together the sauce ingredients.
- Add sauce to chicken: Add the sauce to the ground chicken. Cook for a few minutes to allow the sauce to thicken and fully coat the chicken.
- Remove from heat: Remove the chicken mixture from heat and add in the green onions and sesame seeds. Set aside.
- Assemble wraps: Add a scoop of the ground chicken mixture into each butter lettuce cup, top with favorite garnishes, pickled carrots, more Thai chili sauce, and enjoy!
Notes
- Store the cooked chicken and pickled carrots in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- You can also freeze the cooked chicken filling for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in a skillet before serving.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
📸 Photos by Megan McKeehan of The Broke Girl Table
