My paleo take on an Asian takeout favorite, these chicken lettuce wraps are a quick and easy meal! If you’re looking for a healthier and tastier spin on P.F. Chang’s chicken wraps, you need to try this gluten-free recipe!

A closeup of a paleo and Whole30 chicken lettuce wrap.

What are chicken lettuce wraps?

Many folks have seen Asian chicken lettuce wraps on P.F. Chang’s menu, but my introduction to this dish didn’t come from a chain restaurant. After all, my mom’s been making these home-cooked Southern Chinese san choy bow—“lettuce wraps” in Cantonese—since I was a little girl.

Spooning seasoned ground chicken from a skillet into a lettuce leaf.

Why are lettuce wraps eaten for Chinese New Year?

Growing up, my mom only cooked lettuce wraps on special occasions like Lunar New Year—partly because lettuce wraps can be time-consuming to make (my mom chopped everything by hand!) but also because in Chinese culture, lettuce is a symbol of prosperity and good fortune.

A hand holding a chicken lettuce wrap over a skillet filled with the filling.

Why, you ask? The word for lettuce in Cantonese sounds like “rising fortune” and the word for wraps sounds like “luck”—so when I was growing up, my dad always insisted that I eat a lettuce wrap during the Lunar New Year to ensure an auspicious and fortune-packed future.

A healthier spin on a classic Chinese recipe!

Inspired by my mom’s recipe, I created a lettuce wrap recipe that tastes very similar to hers but uses paleo and Whole30 ingredients like my homemade hoisin sauce, coconut aminos, fish sauce, and toasted sesame oil. I also simplified this stir-fry recipe so there’s not a ton of chopping, making the whole dish a cinch to throw together. Now you can eat these lettuce wraps ANY TIME, not just on special occasions!

What kind of lettuce is best for wraps?

Although my mom always used iceberg lettuce as her wrap of choice, I prefer butter lettuce—a.k.a. Boston lettuce, Bibb lettuce, or Boston Bibb lettuce. They have wider and softer leaves that are easier to wrap around the filling. For a heartier shell, you can opt for Romaine lettuce or endive spears.

Ingredients

Ground chicken: I use ground chicken thighs rather than ground chicken breast because it has more flavor and fat. If you can’t find ground chicken, just buy some boneless and skinless thighs and chop it up yourself or pulse them in a food processor. You can also substitute ground turkey, but steer clear of the super lean stuff.
Water chestnuts: I keep the veggies to a minimum in my lettuce wraps, but I always include canned water chestnuts for the crunch (and because my mom always adds them).
Hoisin sauce: If you haven’t made my Whole30-compatible paleo hoisin sauce, DO IT ALREADY. It tastes like the real deal and you’ll need it to properly season the filling of the lettuce wraps.
Coconut aminos: Combine coconut aminos and a smidge of fish sauce for a paleo soy sauce substitute. If you decide to use tamari, feel free to leave out the fish sauce.
Red Boat fish sauce
Rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar: Adds some acid in place of cooking wine.
Arrowroot powder: I use this starch in place of cornstarch to thicken the sauce. Tapioca flour or potato starch can also work.
Toasted sesame oil
Avocado oil
Minced shallot
Garlic cloves
Minced fresh ginger
Green onions
Butter lettuce

How to make chicken lettuce wraps

Make the sauce for the lettuce wraps

In a small bowl, whisk together the hoisin sauce, coconut aminos, arrowroot powder, fish sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil.

Combining the lettuce wrap sauce ideas into a measuring cup and whisking until combined.

Make the lettuce wrap filling

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and when the pan is hot, add the avocado oil. Toss in the minced shallots and cook about 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until slightly tender. Add in the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Four process shots that show someone adding avocado oil to a skillet, along with minced shallots.

Toss in the ground chicken and break it up with a spatula.

Adding raw ground chicken to a skillet with minced shallots, garlic, and ginger.

Cook the chicken, stirring frequently, until the chicken is no longer pink, about 6 to 8 minutes. (If your chicken releases a lot of liquid, feel free to drain the excess fat.)

Cooked ground chicken in an enamel cast iron skillet.

Stir in the sauce.

Pouring a brown sauce from a measuring cup into a skillet with cooked ground chicken.

Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce is slightly thickened and bubbly.

A skillet filled with ground chicken in a thickened brown sauce.

Toss in the water chestnuts and stir until combined.

Adding a bowl of diced water chestnuts to a skillet with cooked chicken in a brown sauce.

Sprinkle on the green onions and taste. Adjust the seasoning if needed.

Sprinkling sliced green onions into a skillet filled with ground chicken lettuce wrap filling.

Serve the lettuce wraps

When you’re ready to eat, grab a lettuce leaf, spoon in the chicken mixture, and dig in! You can serve it with a squirt of sriracha or with extra hoisin sauce, but I don’t think you’ll need it!

An overhead shot of someone adding a spoon full of chicken filling inside a lettuce wrap.

How to store leftovers

Leftover chicken lettuce wrap filling can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps (Whole30, Paleo, Gluten Free)

Table of Contents

What are chicken lettuce wraps?

Why are lettuce wraps eaten for Chinese New Year?

A healthier spin on a classic Chinese recipe!

What kind of lettuce is best for wraps?

Ingredients