Chicken Lettuce Wraps
These chicken lettuce wraps with quick pickled carrots and puffed rice noodles take inspiration from Thai and Southeast Asian flavors. They're quick, easy and make a light and fun weeknight dinner!
This is one of my favorite recipes and I make it every couple of months. It's been in regular rotation for a while. It has a great balance of flavors and textures, and it's just as fun to eat as it is to make.
These wraps bring together a savory chicken filling, bright quick pickles, plenty of fresh herbs and some light, crunchy noodles, all tucked into cool, crisp lettuce for a light but satisfying meal.
The crunchy puffed fried rice noodles are optional but highly recommended! They're really easy to prepare and add great texture. Just make sure your oil is hot and work in small batches. They puff up really quickly so be ready!
You can put just about anything in a leaf of lettuce and call it a wrap, but not everything will work. I find that following a simple formula leads to the best results. One part substantial and meaty, one part bright and tangy, and one part crisp and crunchy. On, and ton of fresh herbs! The more, the better.
Want more great chicken recipes? Try this crispy Chicken Milanese with arugula salad, my comforting classic Chicken Parmesan, or this simple Whole Roasted Chicken with Herbs for a simple, yet impressive dinner.
Why This Recipe Works
- Packed with bold flavors and lots of different textures.
- The wraps come together fast and are simple to make any night of the week.
- Light and fresh yet still feel satisfying.
- Easy to customize with your favorite toppings or sauces.
Chicken Lettuce Wrap Ingredients
Ground chicken - You can make these with any kind of protein, like ground turkey, ground pork or even ground beef. You could make them vegetarian with a mix of veggies, mushrooms and plant based proteins. I prefer using a dark meat chicken with higher fat percentage. If using low fat chicken breast, add a little bit more oil to make up for it.
Lettuce - I love to serve these with either crisp iceberg lettuce, butter lettuce or bibb lettuce. Use anything that has a nice crunch, mild flavor and is big enough to use as a wrap.
Vermicelli rice noodles - These puff beautifully when fried and add a fun, crisp texture if you choose to include them.
Carrots and shallots - These make easy quick pickles and bring a bright tang that lifts the filling.
Chillies - Thai bird chilies work well, but you can use any chili pepper you prefer. Remove the seeds if you want less heat.
Soy sauce and fish sauce - These season the filling and balance the lime and sugar in the sauce. Look for fish sauce in the Asian section of your grocery store.
Fresh herbs - Fresh cilantro, mint and Thai basil are all great and a combination is even better!
*Find the full ingredient list in the recipe card below!
Helpful Equipment
- Heavy bottomed pot
- Tongs
- Small saucepan
- Wok or large skillet
- Mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Measuring spoons
- Paper towel
How to Make Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Make the Puffed Rice Noodles
- Heat vegetable oil in a medium heavy bottomed pot with high sides. Do not fill the pot more than ¼ of the way up with oil. Heat until very hot and almost smoking, then drop in a small handful of rice noodles. They will puff up instantly. If they are not fully submerged in the oil, use a pair of tongs to flip them over so they puff up on the other side.
- Remove from the oil immediately and set on paper towels to drain. Make as much or as little as you'd like. They will keep in a zip top bag at room temperature for up to one week.
Pro Tip: Make sure the oil is hot enough so the noodles puff instantly. If the oil is not hot, they won't crisp properly and become tough.
Make the Quick Pickled Carrots and Shallots
- Bring the vinegar, salt and sugar up to a boil in a small saucepan, then remove from the heat.
- Add the carrots and shallots to a bowl or mason jar and pour the vinegar over top.
- Allow to pickle for at least 15 minutes. Remove from the brine before serving.
Pro Tip: Make these in advance, store in an airtight container or mason jar and refrigerate for up to two weeks.
Make the Chicken Filling and Assemble
- Heat vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat. Add the shallots and stir until just starting to turn golden, about 30 seconds. Add the garlic and chiles and continue stirring for another 15-30 seconds, being careful not to let it burn.
- Quickly add the ground chicken and use a wooden spatula to break it up into little bits. Season with salt and plenty of black pepper, then use the back of the spatula to press down on the chicken to help it get brown and crisp, about 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, chicken broth, soy sauce, fish sauce and lime juice until the sugar is dissolved. Pour it into the pan with the chicken and stir. Allow it to cook until the liquid has mostly evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in half of the scallions and remove from the heat.
- Transfer the chicken to a serving bowl and top with the remaining scallions. Serve family style at the table along with the pickled carrots and shallots, puffed rice noodles, lettuce leaves, fresh herbs and Sriracha.
Tips for Success
- Prep noodles, pickles and lettuce before cooking since the chicken stir-fry cooks quickly.
- Use a head of lettuce with broad leaves so it holds a large spoonful of the chicken mixture without tearing.
- Chill the lettuce cups before serving, which keeps the crisp lettuce refreshing against the warm filling.
- Taste the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl before adding if you prefer more lime juice, sugar or heat.
- Make sure not to overcrowd the skillet so the meat browns properly.
Variations
- If you want a little crunch, add chopped peanuts, water chestnuts or sesame seeds.
- Add diced shiitake mushrooms to the chicken filling for extra depth.
- Stir in a splash of sesame oil or a spoonful of peanut butter for a nutty flavor.
- Replace the soy sauce with coconut aminos if you need to meet certain dietary needs.
- Add red bell pepper or green onion for more fresh veggies.
- Serve with a drizzle of chili sauce or peanut sauce if you want next level flavor.
- You can substitute rice vinegar instead of lime and red pepper flakes instead of the chilli peppers.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these Asian chicken lettuce wraps as a main dish with either rice or something bright on the side. Try them with my refreshing Thai Green Papaya Salad or a light Thai Cucumber Salad.
If you want extra crunch or acidity, add these tangy Ginger Pickled Carrots to the table!
How to Store and Reheat Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Store the chicken filling in an airtight container for up to three days. Keep all fresh veggies and lettuce leaves separate so they stay crisp.
Pickled vegetables last longer and can be stored in the same airtight container or jar. The puffed noodles are best eaten the day they're made, but if kept in an airtight container at room temperature they will stay crisp a couple of days.
Reheat the chicken over medium-high heat or in short microwave bursts.
FAQs
Romaine lettuce, butter lettuce or green leaf lettuce both work well as long as the leaves are large enough. Choose whatever fits your personal preference. Fresh ingredients are always preferable.
Fresh ginger adds a brighter flavor to these Asian lettuce wraps, but you can skip it if you don't have any. I keep my ginger in the freezer - it's easier to grate and keeps for a long time. The wraps still have much flavor from the chicken mixture.
Yes, you can fry the noodles, make the pickles, prepare the lettuce, mix the sauce ingredients in advance and rinse the herbs. The chicken mixture also reheats well if you cook in advance.
A touch of hoisin sauce or chili paste in the sauce ingredients adds a similar sweetness and depth to pf chang's chicken lettuce wraps.
P.f. chang lettuce wraps also include water chestnuts and mushrooms, so add them in too!
Did you LOVE this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️ rating and comment and tag your creations @ColeyCooks on Instagram!
Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
For the Puffed Rice Noodles
- vegetable oil for frying
- vermicelli rice noodles
For the Quick Pickled Carrots and Shallots
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 medium carrots peeled and julienned
- 2 shallots halved and thinly sliced lengthwise
For the Chicken
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 shallot thinly sliced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1-3 Thai bird chiles minced, seeds removed for less heat
- 1 ½ lbs ground chicken
- salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 2 packed tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 3 scallions thinly sliced on a bias
Assembly
- 1 Boston bibb butter or iceberg lettuce leaves separated, washed and dried
- fresh cilantro fresh mint, fresh Thai basil or a combination of all three washed, dried and large stems removed
- Sriracha as needed
Instructions
Make the Puffed Rice Noodles
- Add vegetable oil to a medium heavy bottomed pot with high sides. Keep the pot filled no more than one quarter of the way up. Heat the oil until very hot and almost smoking.
- Drop in a small handful of rice noodles. They should puff up immediately. If they don't fully submerge, flip them with tongs so they puff on the other side.
- Remove right away and drain on paper towels. Repeat until you have as much as you'd like.
- Store in a zip top bag at room temperature for up to one week.
Make the Quick Pickled Carrots and Shallots
- Add the vinegar, salt and sugar to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat.
- Place the carrots and shallots in a bowl or mason jar. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over top. Let them pickle for at least 15 minutes.
- For longer storage, cover and refrigerate for up to two weeks. Remove from the brine before serving.
Make the Chicken Filling and Assemble
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat.
- Add the sliced shallots. Stir until they begin turning golden, about 30 seconds.
- Add the garlic and Thai chiles. Keep stirring for another 15 to 30 seconds, being careful not to burn them.
- Add the ground chicken. Break it into small pieces with a wooden spatula. Season with salt and plenty of black pepper.
- Use the back of the spatula to press the chicken into the pan. This helps it brown and crisp, about 10 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, chicken broth, soy sauce, fish sauce and lime juice until the sugar dissolves.
- Pour the mixture into the pan with the chicken and stir to coat.
- Cook until the liquid has mostly evaporated, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in half the scallions. Remove from the heat.
- Transfer the chicken mixture to a serving bowl. Top with the remaining scallions.
- Set the bowl on the table along with the pickled carrots and shallots, puffed rice noodles, lettuce leaves, fresh herbs and Sriracha. Let everyone build their own wraps at the table.
Notes
- Prep noodles, pickles and lettuce before cooking since the chicken stir-fry cooks quickly.
- Use a head of lettuce with broad leaves so it holds a large spoonful of the chicken mixture without tearing.
- Chill the lettuce cups before serving, which keeps the crisp lettuce refreshing against the warm filling.
- Taste the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl before adding if you prefer more lime juice, sugar or heat.
- Make sure not to overcrowd the skillet so the meat browns properly.
Nutrition
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These lettuce wraps were so delicious and so flavorful! My family loved them so much that there were no leftovers. It was also easy to make as well.
Oh please make a video of the puffed rice noodles! I had no idea you could make them at home. And thank you for the bad idea jeans. That's good stuff.