Chicken Lettuce Cups

5 from 45 votes

This is a healthier version of a popular restaurant recipe for Chicken Lettuce Cups. It's loaded with vegetables for added nutrition and full of flavor!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Asian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 431kcal

Author Yumna Jawad

Equipment

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ¼ pound ground chicken
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 onion diced
1 8-ounce can water chestnuts diced and drained
4 ounces mushrooms diced
2 carrots diced
¼ red pepper diced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger minced
2 cloves garlic cloves minced

Sauce

3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sriracha
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seed oil
1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated

For serving

1 head Bibb lettuce leaves or butter lettuce
2 green onions thinly sliced
Crushed peanuts

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook until no longer pink, 5-8 minutes.
Add the onions, water chestnuts, mushrooms, carrots and peppers and continue cooking until the vegetables soften, 5 more minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 more minute.
In a small bowl whisk together the ingredients for the sauce.
Lower the heat to low and transfer the sauce to the skillet, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes to make sure the chicken mixture is well coated with the sauce.
To serve, scoop the chicken mixture onto the lettuce. Add peanuts and green onions, if desired.

Video

Notes

Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container, with the chicken mixture and lettuce separate. The recipe will last about 3-4 days in the fridge.

Make Ahead: The easiest part of the recipe to prepare in advance is the sauce. Just store it in the fridge when complete and it will be ready for the recipe. I would also recommend chopping the vegetables in advance, which can be a tedious part of this recipe if you choose to use all the vegetables I chose.

Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.

Ground chicken: You can substitute ground turkey, ground beef or even small diced chicken breasts for the ground chicken!
Vegetables: All the vegetables are optional. You can omit any or all of them or substitute with your favorites.
Soy Sauce: If you have a soy allergy, try tamari sauce, or liquid aminos, and you can't tell the difference in taste.
Peanut Butter: If you have a peanut allergy, you can substitute any nut butter or seed butter.

Nutrition