The first time that I made these Asian Lettuce Wraps, it cost me twice as much as it should have because I had absolutely no Asian cooking staples in my kitchen. And now, I use sesame oil, fish sauce and coconut aminos so often, I wonder how I went without them!
These were my gateway, if you will, into recipes with Asian sauces. I hope that you enjoy these, and if you don't have the staples in your house to make them, I promise, it's worth the investment!
Plus then you'll have them on hand to make some Chinese-Inspired Barbecue Pulled Pork!
The Ingredients
- Sesame Oil- You can use another cooking oil if needed but you'll miss out on the distinct flavor that the sesame oil adds.
- Ground Chicken- Ground turkey would also work.
- Carrots
- Onion
- Shiitake Mushrooms- These can be left out if you're not a fan of mushrooms.
- Garlic
- Ground Ginger- You can also use 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger.
- Red Pepper Flakes- You could use ¼ teaspoon of hot sauce such as sriracha if needed.
- Fish Sauce- do not leave this out!
- Peanut Sauce:
- Peanut Butter- I typically use smooth natural style peanut butter.
- Coconut Aminos- Soy sauce can be substituted.
- Lime Juice
- Garlic Powder
- Ground Ginger
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Water- Start with 2 tablespoon and add more to reach desired consistency- I usually use 3 tbsp.
The Method
- Mix together all of the ingredients for the peanut sauce.
- Brown the meat and vegetables in a skillet until meat is cooked through and vegetables are soft.
- Add garlic and ginger followed by fish sauce and red pepper flakes.
- Serve!
Leftover Storage
Store leftover sauce and chicken mixture in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator. Reheat chicken mixture in the microwave, or leftovers can be eaten cold. Stir a bit of additional water into the sauce if needed.
How to Serve Asian Lettuce Wraps
Serve the chicken mixture taco style over lettuce. We usually eat it with butter lettuce but romaine or iceberg would also work. Top generously with the peanut sauce. Chopped peanuts, green onions and cilantro all make excellent toppings as well. Or try it all tossed together as a salad (great if you want to pack the leftovers along for lunch!)
Dietary Notes
If you have dietary restrictions, check the packaging of specific ingredients that you use to ensure they are compliant. This recipe is:
- Dairy Free
- Gluten Free
- Nut Free- If you use sunflower seed butter in place of peanut butter.
- Paleo- If you use sunflower seed butter in place of peanut butter.
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Asian Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 2 large carrots grated (about 1 and ½ cups)
- 1 small onion diced (about ½ cup)
- 2 cups shiitake mushrooms (optional) diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 and ½ teaspoon fish sauce
Peanut Sauce:
- 3 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoon water plus additional as needed
For Serving:
- 1 head butter lettuce or Romaine
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro (optional) chopped
- 2 tablespoon green onions (optional) chopped
- ¼ cup roasted, unsalted peanuts (optional) chopped
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for the peanut sauce until combined, adding more water if necessary to reach desired consistency.
- Meanwhile, heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the chicken, carrots, onion and mushrooms if using. Cook, stirring occasionally to crumble the chicken and combine the ingredients, until the chicken is browned and the vegetables are starting to soften.
- Once the chicken mixture is cooked through, stir in the garlic and ginger until fragrant, followed by the fish sauce and red pepper flakes.
- Remove from heat and serve, filling the center of a lettuce leaf and topping with cilantro, onions and peanut sauce, as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
More Asian Inspired Recipes!
Karen
Love it. Have made it 3 times now
Shelby
These came out amazing and made such a great Friday night movie app!
Janessa
I'm glad that you enjoyed them! Thank you for your kind review, Shelby!
Donny
These are really good but that sauce! I could put that sauce on everything, lol.
Janessa
Right! I could definitely just eat the sauce with a spoon haha. I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe.
ChihYu
There's nothing better than delicious lettuce wraps! Light and refreshing! Love all of the flavors!
Janessa
I'm glad you enjoyed this recipe ChihYu! Thank you for your kind review.