Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps {Quick and Delish}
You can have these quick and delicious Asian chicken lettuce wraps ready to serve in 20 minutes and the flavors are astounding!
These wraps. Oh, these wraps! How do I adequately convey their deliciousness?
Should I tell you that when my sis-in-law, Kylie, told me about them, she confessed they had eaten them twice in one week? Or should I alert you that after I made them, they haunted my dreams until I made them again (er, two days later)? Exaggeration = off. Promise.
They are so delicious, I’ve already made a specific note to Brian that these will be my birthday meal request this year. That’s saying a lot, because I love me a good birthday meal request and have been known to think (read: obsess) all year long about what I want to eat that day (come on, it only happens once a year!).
Will it further convince you of their tastiness if I add that if you put your game face on, you can have these ready to serve in 20 minutes. Do you hear angels singing? Do you?
The flavors are astounding. The crisp lettuce is the perfect vehicle for the refreshingly light chicken mixture and the rice is just a little bit of decadence in a very healthy meal.
I have made these, oh, I don’t know, probably 10 times in the last few months. And I’m still looking forward to them on my birthday next month. Major love. (And Major Smugness for providing you with such a healthy, actually-delicious meal this soon in the new year. Don’t worry, true diet failure coming next week. I am who I am, what can I say.)
What To Serve With This:
An Asian-inspired side salad like Asian Noodle Salad or this Asian Salad
Baked Southwest Egg Rolls with Creamy Chipotle Dipping Sauce
Fresh fruit
One Year Ago: Coconut Shrimp Curry
Two Years Ago: Pineapple Salsa Chicken {Slow Cooker}
Three Years Ago: Tortellini Spinach Salad with Balsamic-Tomato Vinaigrette
Four Years Ago: Quick and Delicious Clam Chowder
Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps {Quick and Delish}
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 cup short grain rice, i.e. sushi rice, rinsed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice plus 2 teaspoons fresh lime zest, from about 3-4 limes
- 1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 2 teaspoons vegetable or canola oil
- 1 jalapeno stemmed, seeded, and minced (leave in the seeds if you like more heat)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- 3 green onions, finely chopped
- 12 Bibb or Boston lettuce leaves, about 1 head, washed
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, bring the water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and rice to a boil high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the rice from the heat and let sit, covered, until tender, another 10-15 minutes.
- Whisk the fish sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, and cornstarch together in a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the chicken, jalapeno, and lime zest and cook, breaking up the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the chicken is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
- Whisk the fish sauce/lime mixture to recombine; add it to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce has thickened, a minute or two. Off the heat, stir in the fresh basil and scallions. To serve, open up a lettuce leaf, place a small scoop of rice on the bed of lettuce and top with some of the warm chicken mixture.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted slightly from America’s Test Kitchen Light and Healthy 2010
93 Comments on “Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps {Quick and Delish}”
Delicious! I got lazy one day and made them as bowls. Rice or cauliflower rice on the bottom, then the chicken, topped with “shredded” romaine. Yummy and easy! Thanks, Mel, I can always count on your recipes!!
This was so good! I used less chicken, added a handful of shredded carrots and a finely chopped bell pepper. I also put some of the chicken in a separate pan with some of the sauce for the kids, and then I made the rest with the jalapeños for the adults. The spice level was very mild so I think they would be able to handle even the jalapeños by the time they are 5 or 6. How do your kids do with mild-spicy food, Mel?
Hey Kate – my kids have varying levels of spice tolerance, but I can usually add at least one jalapeno to a recipe with no complaints (I take the seeds out). Anymore than that and a few of my kids insist they are going to die.
Tasted great! Not an easy meal for little kids but I liked it!
We make this recipe at least three times per month. I love how quickly it comes together and the fresh way it tastes. Thank you!!!
Love this recipe, I make it all the time. I made this a lot when I was doing whole 30 without the sugar. Delisous and EASY!
Very unique taste. I have discovered that I must not be a fish sauce type of person even though I love fish. My family and I had a hard time eating this. The first recipe on here that I have not liked and I have made several of Mel’s amazing recipes.
Oh! These were really refreshing! So glad we tried them! As I was putting my plate on the table they looked so green and springlike….beautiful….but even more importantly they tasted fantastic. My husband and I enjoyed these new flavors and being little piggies almost finished the whole batch! I think there’s enough for 1 person’s lunch tomorrow. Oh well! We can make more…. I happen to have a bag of frozen brown rice from Kroger and used that….super easy! Will try the short grain rice as suggested next time. Thanks, Mel!
Finally made these last night and they were so delicious. My 6 year old thought the fish sauce smell in the kitchen might actually kill her, but other than that it was another winner. Can’t wait for the leftovers at lunch. I’ve never been able to find ground chicken so I always sub Costco ground turkey and it seems to work great.
These look delicious! I’m one of those weird people that actually like the fish sauce smell and taste. Haha. I grew up with my mom making dishes with it. Thanks for the recipe!
We’ve been a super fan of Mel’s recipes for sometime. She did not disappoint with this one either. I was surprised what the basil brought to the flavor! So Delish! My husband said this is definitely in our top 10 recipes. Easy to make. Everyone loved them. I made extra sauce in the side and we ate rice separately. Sooooo good!!!!
I made these tonight and loved them! So fresh and different! There was no ground chicken at our local grocery store, so I used two big mostly-thawed chicken breasts and ground them in my food processor. I was pleasantly surprised how well that worked! I also used half coconut milk and half water to make the rice, and it was really yummy. Thanks Mel!
Thank you for the delicious, easy and healthy recipe. We topped them off with a bit of siracha-wonderful.
Yum!!!!! I was expecting to just make quesadillas for the kids after they tried dinner because they are picky and don’t like onions or peppers. Sadly they all asked for seconds which didn’t leave as much for me and the hubby. They were a big hit with the whole fam and my oldest requested this for her birthday in two weeks. Love your recipes!
Hi Mel, any suggestions other than lettuce to serve this mixture?
Over rice and quinoa would be delicious too!
These were fantastic! I made exactly as the recipe states and we loved them. I served them with egg rolls and it made a wonderful meal. I love your recipes!
I made these for a large group of Thai friends and everyone enjoyed them. Just FYI, we think the best brand of fish sauce is the kind that is actually made in Thailand but you can buy it in Asian markets here. It has a yellow label with red edges and a red circle with Thai writing on it (if you translated the Thai letters into English letter– which the label does not– it would read something like “Tip rote”) but the key thing to look for is that on the original label there is NO English. It is the real deal! As sold in my current American town, they stick a tiny label in English on the side saying Fish Sauce “Tiparos”. The brand has authentic Thai flavour. (No, I do not have stock in the company– just have lived in Thailand for many years!) This is a good recipe–very adaptable and delicious. thank you, Mel!
Marvelous! Thanks for another great meal idea!
These are on my meal plan for next week but I just got back from the store and realized I didn’t buy fish sauce. Is there a substitute? Also how hot is the jalapeño seeded? What are the chances my three and one year old (fairly good eaters who eat what we eat) and myself who can’t handle super hot things can handle it?
Jane – You can probably just leave out the fish sauce or up the soy sauce just slightly. I don’t think these are spicy at all – my kids eat them up with no complaining. Just be sure to seed the jalapeno (and discard the seeds). Good luck!
We had these AGAIN tonight. Thank you so much for giving us this recipe.
I can’t wait to try these! We LOVE getting these from PF Changs (which is about 45 minutes away) so it will be great to be able to make them. Can you recommend your favorite brand of fish sauce?
I made your firecracker chicken tonight and it was great! Thanks!
Heather – I don’t really have a favorite brand because I only have one option in my little town but when I can find it, the Tiparos brand is what I look for.
These are delicious! I had to make a few substitutions, so it seems really versatile too. So in case others are reading thru comments without all of the ingredients… Only had Napa cabbage leaves, but they worked fine. And didn’t have ground meat, so just diced up chicken breasts. And i was out of limes and used lemon juice. I’m partial to limes and am sure it is way better with limes, but lemon was fine in lieu of a trip to the store. Okay, so I was missing a couple more things too…but these sounded so good so we went for it. And they’re great! Can’t wait to try it again when we have it all on hand, but I think you could pour that sauce on shoe leather and I’d go back for seconds. Thanks for another winner, Mel!
These were really good. I didnt have fish sauce so I used more soy sauce. My husband felt that the lime zest was too overwhelming. I will ease up on the lime as well. Also, (dumb question are we supposed to hold the leaves and eat from the leaves or with use a fork?
Ava – you can really eat them however you feel but we just pick them up (like a taco) and go at it. 🙂
The sauce for this had a great flavor, but I think used too much lime zest because there was an overwhelming lime flavor. Can’t wait to give it another try and ease up on the lime.
Oh and for future reference, it’s also called butter lettuce. I stood in the store forever staring at the choices and finally figured that out. I’ve heard you can get a package of chicken breasts and ask the butcher to grind it up too…
I made these tonight, and hubby loved them! I think they were pretty good, but I’ve had a cold for a week and a half, so I can’t taste much… It seemed a bit spicy though… We liked them but our kids didn’t as much
So for those of us in 100+ summer temps…this needs to be on your bi-weekly (heck, weekly menu) It is THAT good! Really refreshing! PS. I dont “do” fish sauce, just up’d the soy sauce and served without rice and was completely filled up. Thanks Mel!
Maybe you can shed some light for this ignorant “chef.” Why does it need to be stirred with a wooden spoon? Does the wood really make a difference, I’ve never understood this when reading recipes as to why it would matter to specify.
Maureen – I don’t think it’s that the wood itself makes a difference, I think it’s more the shape of the spoon so if you have another spoon (silicone or otherwise) that has a similar shape to a wooden spoon it should work. I think the shape helps break it into clumps but not pulverize into extremely small pieces.
WOW. I have been using your blog for years (thank you for all of your amazing recipes, by the way!), but this recipe is definitely my new favorite. As an American living in the Middle East, it is often quite difficult to find all of the ingredients to match your recipes exactly — I often have to improvise with substitutions — but what I LOVE about your website is that almost everything is made from scratch. Since fresh mushrooms and cream are much easier to find here than, say, condensed cream of mushroom soup, it is a joy to come to your website and only have to substitute corn flour for cornstarch, rather than make up something completely on my own. And just so you know, my husband loves you almost as much as I do because I would never have been able to work up the courage to make bread without your step-by-step tutorials — now I make bread all the time, and my husband is a very happy man.
I ended up having to substitute this weird orange fruit (looks like an orange, tastes sour like a lemon/lime — actually it’s been so long since I’ve had a lime I’m not even sure what they taste like anymore!) for limes in this particular recipe, but I had everything else on the list. And WOW. Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I will be making this many.more.times.
oh my goodness! I made these last nite and cannot stop dreaming of them! They were amazing! I wanted more veggies in them like the OBB version, so I added toppings in bowls to sprinkle on and called them asian tacos for my kids! I used diced cucumber, shredded carrots, red pepper, and chopped almonds. Delicious!
Made these the other night….my husband has a workshop, so he didn’t get home until 10:30 or so. When he came up to bed he said “those lettuce wraps were delicious…probably the best thing you’ve ever made!” I said “did you heat them up?” he said he ate them cold lol. The next day, he had them for lunch and heated them up and fell in love all over again! Love your site and thanks for this great recipe!
My three-year-old daughter took one bite, smiled, and said, “Yummmmmm!” She gobbled up three wraps and then groaned because she was so full. My finicky 16-month-old ate a big bowl of the chicken mixture with rice without any coaxing. Wow! The 6 of us ate a whole head of lettuce and everyone loved it but my 5-year-old who only likes bland food with no texture but she ate it anyway. Thanks for the great recipe!
My family just loves these;delicious, quick, and easy!!!!
These were very different from the recipes I usually try. I have never made an Asian or Thai dish before. We ablsolutely loved them. The flovors were wonderful. Glad we will be able to use up the rest of the fish sauce!
I got everything for these today- with the exception of fresh basil. My store had it, but it was $4 for a little bunch!! I’m hoping it still tastes good without it! I’ll make these in the summer and use thai basil- it’s so yummy! Thanks Mel!
They don’t have fish sauce in my small- town grocery stores, either. I have always subbed oyster sauce when a recipe calls for fish sauce and, while I don’t know what a side-by-side comparison would reveal, I think it works great!
Yes! Keep your fish sauce! It stays good for ages!
Super yummy! Husband loved them too and we’re not lettuce wrap people. I used extra soy sauce, as I threw away our fish sauce after using the recommended amount in a different cook’s illustrated recipe. I’d think about buying it again and just using a bit next time. Also made with ground turkey and jasmine rice. Can’t wait to make again!
This kind of looks like the thai dish larb or laab. I’ve had it with pork and it’s delicious.
Mmm, mmmmmm…. Made them, loved them, posted them! Thanks as usual for another wonderful recipe! http://www.fransfavs.com/2013/01/asian-chicken-lettuce-wraps/#more-5401
Bri – shockingly, the little grocery store in my town carries ground chicken. I’m surprised Smith’s didn’t have it but ground turkey would sub perfectly in this recipe.
Mel, where do you buy your ground chicken? Smiths did not have it. I got the ground turkey. We will be making this tonight! Can’t wait to try it!
Mel–I made this recipe and must say, divine!! Even my picky eaters gave it a try. And yes, I have been dreaming about the yummy goodness ever since I licked the last bite from the pan! So this is defiantly a keeper!!
I couldn’t find fish sauce, but I finally found Oyster sauce, which I’ve been looking for for months so I can make your beef broccoli stir fry. So I used the oyster sauce in this recipe. Delicious! I can’t wait to make them again! Oh, and I couldn’t find Boston or Bibb lettuce, so I used romaine…not the best choice but they were still good!
These were so awesome! Made them last night and couldn’t stop eating them. I will make them again minus the rice. I’m going low carb for the new year and I don’t think they will be any less fab without the rice. For anyone worried about the fish sauce, just go ahead and buy a bottle of it. It imparts such a nice rich flavor (that is not “fishy”) I don’t think this recipe would be as good without it. These wraps are so good you will make them again and again.
Made them too. I enjoyed them, my kids–not so much, but I don’t judge recipes on their tastebuds. My fish sauce was a little overpowering, not in taste, but in smell. I think I might need to invest in some better quality fish sauce (like another reader suggested).
I can always count on your recipes for a good meal! Thank you, Melanie!!
Tricia – when I make this, I usually serve it with some kind of steamed veggie (broccoli, asparagus) and lots of fresh fruit that’s in season. Pretty simple! I don’t include any other carbs since we use the rice in the recipe.
Now how did you know that I’ve been craving a recipe served in lettuce wraps?! Genius!
These look delicious, and I will be trying it tonight!
Question: What would YOU serve with these wraps? (I’m thinking I’d like more vegetable.) 🙂
Yum! These are so good. I love your website! Thanks for making dinner (and lunch and breakfast) taste soooooo good!
I made this tonight and it was delicious! Thanks for the great recipe. It will definitely be in rotation at our house from now on!
I held out to make them until I found Fish sauce (Albertson’s had it) and OH MY GOD!! I didn’t use any of the jalepeno seeds, and only bought one lime (for the zest and juice), but next time I will add the seeds, because I think we needed a little more spice. That sauce could definitely be made in a larger batch for chunks of chicken over rice.
I will definitely be making these again… Probably later this week! My husband isn’t a lettuce fan, so he ate them on warmed tortillas, and they were amazing on it as well. Kids and myself gobbled them up on the lettuce, and still have half of a head left, so we’ll be making them again later this week…
Your recipes never cease to amaze my taste buds!
Mel, these are AWESOME!!!!! You are right, you can’t taste the fish sauce other than amazing flavor! I used whole chicken breasts sliced real thin because I didn’t have ground chicken and did everything else the exact same. These were incredible. Once again Mel…you delivered on a delicious recipe. I tell people all the time about your site. Thanks for all that you do!!
Vicky, if you’ve ever eaten Asian food at all, you’ve already had fish sauce 🙂 the brand and what type of seafood is used to make it makes a huge difference. The higher the quality, the smoother the taste…much like a fine wine or even olive oil.
My grocery store was all out of Boston lettuce so I had to sub iceberg, which worked okay but was certainly not as good. My husband loved the chicken mixture more than I did, but this was my first time using fish sauce so I think I am just unaccustomed to the unusual flavor. All in all it was a tasty recipe that I’ll probably try again sometime. (And of course the store had Boston lettuce a few days later…) (Also, my kids found it a little too spicy, but my husband and I like the spice.)
Bliss – oh, that’s frustrating! Who the heck is buying out all of Kroger’s fish sauce? Hmm, I think oyster sauce would make a fine substitute (try 1 tablespoon to start just because I’m not sure how strong it will be).
MEL! I can’t find fish sauce anywhere in our little town! (Well, Kroger is usually my go-to, but they were COMPLETELY OUT!) Anything else I can sub in for it?
These were delicious! I was a little afraid of the spiciness since I was making this for my two kids, but like Sharlene said, it wasn’t spicy at all. I subbed honey for the brown sugar. The flavor was awesome–unlike anything I’ve ever had before, but we loved it. My husband isn’t a huge fan of lettuce wraps, but still really enjoyed these. I think next time we’ll try it as rice bowls (minus the lettuce and with some other steamed veggies like broccoli and carrots). Thanks for the yummy recipe!
I made these for dinner last night and omg they were fabulous! I couldn’t get enough! I served hummus and celery on the side and it served 4 adults and 2 kids. I made a little extra rice though, so idk if that made a difference. But anyways, the SAUCE is to die for! I added the whole jalapeno and it wasn’t even slightly spicy. So good! definitely will be making it again!
Sounds great! Can these be made in advance, like for a party or trip to the beach etc! How many does this serve?
thanks!
Jude – I don’t know…I’ve never made them in advance. This probably serves about 4 adults. Maybe 5, depending on appetites.
Perfect timing! I needed a recipe for chicken, and this looks perfect. Yum!
EEE! THESE LOOK AMAZING! I am putting this in my weekly rotation for the new grocery trip I do.
I have been reading your blog for a long time.. and just now started my own blog! 2013 is the year I am changing my eating habits and cooking at home every night- whether it be quick meals, frozen make ahead crock pot meals, etc.
Would you mind if down the road, I use one of your recipes- I could link it back to you and post it on my new blog? I am new with this, so don’t know how ti all works.
Anyways, love your blog.. and your recipes! 🙂 Will keep following and trying your yummy food!!
http://squishyskitchen.blogspot.com/
-Squishy
Or the point value for weight watchers
Does anyone know the calorie total on ea one buy any chance .
I bet cucumber and cilantro would put these over the top!!
We had these last night for dinner the only negative thing that I have to say is that there wasn’t any left over! Really, its that good! Your recipes are spot-on Mel! Thanks for sharing with us!
Mel, do you have a cookbook for sale?
I love chicken lettuce wraps! These look delicious, and yes- the fish sauce is a must. It is the secret ingredient in most Thai dishes. You won’t taste anything fishy in the finished dish, but it gives it that special flavor that is impossible to duplicate. Just don’t smell it from the bottle or before you add it into the dish, though!
Is there anything you can substitute for the fish sauce?
Oh Mel, I’m surfacing here to confess that your blog is one of my very favorite food blogs in the whole entire blog-universe. Everything you post appeals to me and that’s such a rare thing find. So thank you for the stunning photos and to-die-for recipes. I’m a big fan.
Oh boy, these look so delicious! I LOVE lettuce wraps. I can’t wait to try these! I hope you had a great Christmas and New Year!
Since excess carbs (which all break down to sugar) are a leading cause of most cancers and stomach bloating/inflammation, I appreciate you posting this anti-carb (minus the rice I will do) meal.
Lettuce wraps are one of my favorite meals! Quick and easy and something I never get sick of! I have several lettuce wrap recipes I rotate through so I’ll have to give these a go next time I make some.
VERY fresh and yummy looking!
Gotta get some fish sauce and them I’m all over it! Healthy too….just what I need after my holiday indulgence 🙂
These are so simple, yet look so beautiful, and delicious! I love that the rice is a vessel for soaking up the yummy juices, perfect. I think I will make them for my girls for lunch sometime this week! Happy New Year!
I love how these are a paleo food, aka, no carbs!!! Thanks for the idea!
Man!!! They sound good!
These look great, Mel! My hubby and i LOVE lettuce wraps. It seems easy enough to make them at home after looking at this recipe.
Hi Brett – that’s a great question. The flavors of this new Asian lettuce wrap recipe are a bit more authentic – definitely more light and fresh. It’s a good example of how my personal food tastes have changed over the years. Those lettuce wraps from 2009 are good, but this recipe blows them right out of the water in my opinion.
Wow, this could not have come at a more perfect time! On New Years Eve, my husband and I ordered chinese takeout, and he ordered these chicken lettuce wraps, and was so obsessed with them, he begged me to find a way to remake them! You did the work for me 🙂 I can’t wait to give these a try!
Love this! I wonder if I can get my big manly husband to eat a lettuce wrap? It’d be fun to try!
Hey Mel – can you compare these to you Lettuce Wraps from 2009? (http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2009/03/asian-lettuce-wraps.html) They ingredients are substantially different, so I just wondered which you preferred, and what the flavor differences were?
Oh, Mel! These look delicious and they will be just what I am making for lunch next week. I am 33 weeks pregnant and I pretty much think about food all day long 🙂 Happy New Year to you and your family. Can’t wait to see what this year brings with your recipes. You are my FAVORITE food blog of all time. Pretty much a girl after my own heart….a girl who loves to eat as much as I do! 🙂 Blessings to you and your family in 2013!
I love lettuce wraps! 🙂 I’ll have to try this! 🙂
These look so good. I love chicken lettuce wraps! The fish sauce scares me a little. I used it in a recipe one time and the smell is horrible. I have the brand that Cooks Illustrated recommends. Can you taste it in the final product?
Renee – I completely agree – fish sauce smells awful. Maybe the worst smelling stuff on the planet but I love the flavor it imparts. I actually cut the fish sauce down a lot from the original recipe (I think it was a full 3 tablespoons). I can’t necessarily “taste” fish sauce in the final product but I can tell the flavors are deeper and delicious. I’d definitely recommend using – especially if you have a highly recommended brand.
My husband always begs me to put in less fish sauce than you call for because he hates the smell! Then I always insist on what “Mel says” and every single time he admits he’s wrong haha. Scary but worth it!