Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps is an easy recipe bursting with the flavors of fresh ginger, garlic and Thai basil.
Ground chicken cooks on the stove top and is served in buttery lettuce leaves with a drizzle of fresh lime.
Our Thai lettuce wraps recipe will be a delicious lunch or dinner tonight.
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Thai Lettuce Wraps Recipe
Lettuce wraps are gaining popularity as the warmer weather arrives and we attempt (I'm trying!) to eat healthier.
Because, let's face it, bathing suit season is quickly approaching!
Skip the high carb bread and just wrap in lettuce to make healthy chicken lettuce wraps and you'll be happy you did!
Our healthy Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps recipe combines ground chicken with fresh ginger, garlic and Thai basil for a burst of Thailand flavor!
A quick cook on the stove top, spoon into lettuce leaves and drizzle with fresh lime juice for easy lettuce wraps and your taste buds will thank you!
I love adding sliced green onions and shredded carrots on top of the chicken mixture after cooking for added color and texture.
And you'll be thankful for an easy chicken lettuce wraps recipe that will quickly become a favorite.
Every bite of these delicious chicken lettuce wraps is filled with the perfect balance of fresh flavors and crunchy texture.
I visited Thailand years ago and have vivid memories of the flavorful foods, especially the street foods that are readily available on the sidewalks along with tables to sit and eat at.
Did you know that most apartments in Thailand don't have a stove?
Yep, that's right, they just head on down to the outdoor vendors, get some food and sit down at an outdoor table to dine with other neighbors.
Quite a concept!
So why not cook up a batch of Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps and invite some neighbors over to dine "Thailand style" together on your picnic table? It will be fun!
Love a good lettuce wrap recipe? Be sure to give my chicken salad lettuce wraps a try too!
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How to make asian chicken lettuce wraps
Scroll down for the full recipe instructions and ingredient amounts in the recipe card below
- Heat sesame oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add ginger, jalapeno, garlic, soy sauce and kosher salt and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add ground chicken and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Stir in carrots and scallions and cook until chicken is no longer pink and cooked through, about 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in mint and basil. Divide chicken between lettuce leaves. Drizzle with lime juice.
- Garnish with additional shredded carrots and scallions, if desired, and serve with lime wedges.
Recipe Tips
- Be sure to use a soft lettuce when making lettuce wraps so that it rolls up easily without breaking
- Add chopped water chestnuts for added crunch
- You can make this recipe with ground beef but the flavors will not come through as strongly as when you use ground chicken
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a hint of heat
- Drizzle with a creamy peanut butter sauce before serving
- Add minced red bell pepper when cooking the chicken mixture
Substitutions
- You can always use regular basil in place of the Thai basil
- Ground turkey or ground pork will work well when substituted for ground chicken
- Finely minced onion can be subbed for the scallions
Storage
- To keep the wraps the freshest, store the chicken filling and lettuce leaves separately.
- You can however store the already wrapped lettuce wraps in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Chicken wraps will stay fresh for 3-4 days.
FAQs
Which lettuce is best for lettuce wraps?
The lettuces most used for making lettuce wraps are:
- Boston lettuce
- Butter lettuce
- Bibb lettuce
- Green leaf lettuce
- Iceberg lettuce
Iceberg lettuce is used quite often for Asian wraps because it adds a nice crispness to the lettuce wrap.
The downside is that iceberg lettuce is difficult to roll and tends to break as you roll it because it is so crisp.
A softer lettuce like a butter lettuce is used a lot because it is very soft making it pliable and a very easy lettuce to roll or wrap.
What is butter lettuce?
Butter lettuce is a large category of lettuces which include the two popular US varieties, Boston lettuce and Bibb lettuce.
All butter lettuces have tender leaves that are smooth and loosely form the head of lettuce.
The entire lettuce leaf is tender, flavorful and has good texture with a slight crunch.
Ingredients
You will need these ingredients to make asian lettuce wraps:
- toasted sesame oil
- fresh ginger
- jalapeno
- garlic
- soy sauce
- kosher salt
- ground chicken
- carrots
- scallions
- fresh mint
- Thai basil
- lettuce leaves
- lime
Easy Chicken Recipes
You can never have too many chicken recipes, especially in the summer for grilling or eating as lettuce wraps on those hot summer days.
Prefer to fire up the grill for some summertime goodness? Grilled Chili Spiced Chicken With Cilantro Lime Gremolata will soon become a go-to summertime favorite. Perfectly seasoned grilled chicken breasts are topped with a cilantro lime scented gremolata and finished with a drizzle of fresh lime juice for a flavorful dinner.
You'll definitely want to serve up Strawberry Basil Margarita Chicken brimming with the sweet juiciness of strawberries, fragrant aroma of fresh basil and the lime flavor of the must-have summertime Margarita cocktail.
If you love the idea of lettuce wraps then be sure to give Curried Chicken Lettuce Wraps a try. You don't even need to cook for this recipe! Just toss cooked chicken with chopped apple and sliced almonds for a bit of crunch, raisins for bursts of sweetness, and red onion for just the right amount of savory with a creamy mayonnaise flavored with curry powder and fresh lime and wrap it up in lettuce leaves.
Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
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Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
- 2 Tbsp. minced jalapeno
- 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- 2/3 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup sliced scallions
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
- 2 Tbsp. chopped Thai basil leaves
- 8 lettuce leaves
- 2 Tbsp. lime juice
- Lime wedges
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Instructions
- Heat sesame oil in large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add ginger, jalapeno, garlic, soy sauce and kosher salt and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add ground chicken and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in carrots and scallions and cook until chicken is no longer pink and cooked through, about 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in mint and basil. Divide chicken between lettuce leaves. Drizzle with lime juice.
- Garnish with additional shredded carrots and scallions, if desired, and serve with lime wedges.
Yum! And looks very doable. Pinned and plan to try soon. Thank you!
Thank you Susan. I hope you enjoy this recipe. Happy Cooking and Savor The Moments, GG
Great wraps!! Need to make more!
This is one of our favorite dinners!
We loved this!
Yum!
Love the flavors!