Description
These Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps are a flavorful and healthy dish featuring ground chicken cooked with shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and fresh aromatics, served in crisp butter lettuce leaves with a creamy, tangy peanut sauce. Perfect as a light lunch or appetizer, they combine savory, spicy, and zesty flavors with a satisfying crunch.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chicken Mixture
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, diced
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 shallot, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 head butter lettuce, leaves separated (for wrapping)
For the Peanut Sauce
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce (or more to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 2-3 tablespoons water (to thin sauce)
Instructions
- Cook the Chicken Mixture: Heat vegetable oil and toasted sesame oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground chicken, diced shiitake mushrooms, diced carrot, and diced shallot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned and cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain any excess fat from the skillet.
- Add Aromatics: Stir in minced garlic and freshly grated ginger into the skillet. Cook for about 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
- Season the Mixture: Add hoisin sauce, chili garlic sauce, and fish sauce to the skillet. Stir well to combine and cook for an additional 30 seconds until heated through. Remove the skillet from heat and fold in chopped fresh cilantro.
- Prepare the Peanut Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together creamy peanut butter, reduced sodium soy sauce, freshly squeezed lime juice, brown sugar, chili garlic sauce, and grated ginger. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water gradually to reach your preferred sauce consistency, whisking until smooth.
- Serve: Spoon the warm chicken mixture into the center of each butter lettuce leaf. Drizzle generously with the prepared peanut sauce. Wrap the lettuce around the filling and enjoy immediately.
Notes
- For extra heat, increase the amount of chili garlic sauce in both the chicken mixture and peanut sauce.
- You can substitute ground chicken with ground turkey or pork.
- Make sure to drain excess fat after browning the chicken to keep the wraps light.
- To add crunch, consider topping with chopped peanuts or sliced green onions.
- Butter lettuce works best for wrapping because of its soft, pliable leaves.
- This recipe can be made ahead by preparing the chicken mixture and peanut sauce separately, then assembling just before serving.
