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!
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
- How to make chicken lettuce wraps
- How to store leftovers
- Looking for other paleo stir fry recipes?
- Chicken Lettuce Wraps (Whole30, Paleo, Gluten Free) Recipe
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.
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.
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.
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.
Toss in the ground chicken and break it up with a spatula.
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.)
Stir in the sauce.
Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce is slightly thickened and bubbly.
Toss in the water chestnuts and stir until combined.
Sprinkle on the green onions and taste. Adjust the seasoning if needed.
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!
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.
Looking for other paleo stir fry recipes?
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).
Chicken Lettuce Wraps (Whole30, Paleo, Gluten Free)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons Paleo Hoisin Sauce plus extra for serving (optional)
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder
- 1 teaspoon Red Boat fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 large shallot minced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
- 1 pound ground chicken (dark meat preferred)
- 1 cup minced canned water chestnuts
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- 1 head butter lettuce separated into leaves
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together hoisin sauce, coconut aminos, arrowroot powder, fish sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the avocado oil when the pan is hot. Toss in the minced shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add in the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add in the ground chicken and break it up with a spatula. 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 fat if needed.)
- Stir in the sauce. Cook, stirring frequently until the sauce is slightly thickened and bubbly.
- Toss in the water chestnuts and stir until combined. Sprinkle on the scallions/green onions and taste to see if you need to adjust the seasoning.
- When you’re ready to eat, grab a lettuce leaf, spoon in the chicken mixture, and dig in! You can serve it sriracha or with extra hoisin sauce, but I don’t think you’ll need it!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’m thinking about making these as meal-prep lunches for the week. I know the serving size is 4 but how many lettuce wraps does this make in total?
It depends on how much filling you put into each one, but maybe 8-12.
This is one of our favorite take-out dishes. We look forward to making a healthier version at home!
These lettuce wraps are absolutely delicious. ❤️❤️❤️❤️