Asian Lettuce Wraps Recipe

Written by
Rhonda Parkinson
Rhonda Parkinson is a freelance writer who has authored many cookbooks, including two Everything guides to Chinese cooking.
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Rhonda Parkinson
Updated 08/18/19
Chicken lettuce wraps

Jason Poole / E+ / Getty Images
  • Total: 25 mins
  • Prep: 15 mins
  • Cook: 10 mins
  • Yield: Serves 6
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
282 Calories
13g Fat
19g Carbs
23g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: Serves 6
Amount per serving
Calories 282
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13g 16%
Saturated Fat 3g 16%
Cholesterol 63mg 21%
Sodium 415mg 18%
Total Carbohydrate 19g 7%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Protein 23g
Calcium 87mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Popular at Asian restaurants, lettuce wraps make a great appetizer or main dish. These delicious chicken lettuce wraps are made with an oyster flavored sauce.

Note: If you are on a gluten-free diet, this can easily be turned into a gluten-free recipe by using gluten-free brands of oyster sauce and soy sauce and making sure all your other condiments are gluten-free.

Ingredients

  • 1 head iceberg lettuce (or romaine lettuce leaves, whichever you prefer)
  • Sauce:
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon dry sherry
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Remaining Ingredients:
  • 1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
  • 1 slice ginger (minced)
  • 1 garlic clove (minced)
  • 2 green onions (chopped)
  • 1 pound meat from chicken breasts (or sliced white chicken meat)
  • 1 red pepper (seeded and diced)
  • 1 can water chestnuts (rinsed in warm running water and chopped)
  • 1 stalk celery (diced)

Steps to Make It

  1. Wash the lettuce, dry, and separate the leaves. Set aside.

  2. Mix together the sauce ingredients. Heat the sesame oil in a non-stick frying pan on high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and green onions and fry until the garlic and ginger are aromatic. Add the chicken and cook until the chicken is browned. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

  3. Add the red pepper, water chestnuts, and celery to the frying pan. Add the sauce ingredients and cook over medium heat, Give the cornstarch/water mixture a quick stir and add to the sauce, stirring to thicken. Add the chicken back into the wok. Cook for 2 to 3 more minutes, stirring, to heat through and finish cooking the chicken.

  4. Lay out a lettuce leaf and spoon a heaping teaspoon of the chicken and vegetable/sauce mixture into the middle. The lettuce wraps are designed to be eaten "taco-style," with the lettuce/chicken mixture folded into a package. Continue with the remainder of the chicken and lettuce leaves. Serve.

Recipe Variations

  • Try substituting different vegetables, or using one of the many stir-fry sauces that are now on the market in place of the sauce.