Description
These Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps are a vibrant and flavorful dish combining ground chicken, shiitake mushrooms, and fresh vegetables with a savory and spicy peanut sauce. Perfect as a light, healthy meal or appetizer, they bring a delightful crunch with butter lettuce wraps and a balance of sweet, tangy, and spicy flavors that make for a crowd-pleasing treat in just 25 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, diced
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 shallot, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- Butter lettuce leaves (for wrapping), about 8-12 leaves
For the Peanut Sauce
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce (or more to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 2-3 tablespoons water (to adjust consistency)
Instructions
- Heat the oils and cook chicken mixture: In a large cast iron skillet, heat the vegetable oil and toasted sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground chicken, diced shiitake mushrooms, diced carrot, and diced shallot. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is fully browned and the vegetables are softened. Drain any excess fat from the skillet.
- Add aromatics: Stir in the minced garlic and freshly grated ginger into the skillet. Cook for about 1 minute until fragrant, stirring constantly to avoid burning the garlic.
- Incorporate sauces and cilantro: Add the hoisin sauce, chili garlic sauce, and fish sauce to the skillet. Stir well to combine all ingredients and cook for about 30 seconds more until everything is heated through. Remove the skillet from heat and mix in the chopped fresh cilantro.
- Prepare the peanut sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the creamy peanut butter, reduced sodium soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, chili garlic sauce, and freshly grated ginger. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water to thin the sauce to your desired consistency, whisking until smooth.
- Assemble and serve: Spoon the warm chicken mixture into the centers of butter lettuce leaves. Drizzle each wrap generously with the prepared peanut sauce. Serve immediately as an appetizer or light meal.
Notes
- You can substitute ground turkey or tofu for chicken for a different protein option.
- Adjust the chili garlic sauce amount to control spiciness according to preference.
- Butter lettuce is recommended for its soft texture, but iceberg lettuce can also be used for added crunch.
- To make this dish gluten-free, use tamari instead of soy sauce and ensure hoisin sauce is gluten-free.
- For a low-sodium version, reduce soy sauce and omit fish sauce or use a low-sodium alternative.
