These Chicken Lettuce Wraps have a flavorful orange-ginger sauce and cashews (or peanuts) for crunch. They’re just as good, if not better than P.F. Chang’s!

Five chicken lettuce wraps served on a plate.

You can never have too many quick, healthy meals, and these chicken lettuce wraps are one of my favorites! They’re light and fresh, but also so satisfying. The tangy sauce is what brings these lettuce wraps together and makes them taste so incredible. It’s a lovely balance between sweet and savory, made with ginger, garlic, orange zest, soy sauce and honey. It thickens up beautifully and coats the chicken and veggies so that each bite is bursting with flavor.

For convenience, I use ground chicken to make these lettuce wraps. It cooks quickly in a skillet and you get to skip the step of chopping raw chicken breast. I’ve also added chopped bell pepper and carrots to bulk up the filling of these wraps. When I serve the leftovers (if there are any!) I like to mix in some cooked quinoa to make the leftovers go farther.

Ingredients

Ingredients for lettuce wraps recipe.
  • Olive Oil: For cooking the chicken and vegetables.
  • Ground Chicken: Chicken’s satiating protein makes the wraps nice and filling so you won’t be hungry again right away.
  • Carrots: For color and flavor.
  • Bell Pepper: For color and flavor.
  • Green Onions: Their mild onion flavor pairs well with the tangy sauce.
  • Cashews or Peanuts: They add a delicious crunch and some fat to make the wraps more satiating.
  • Lettuce Leaves: For serving. See below for tips on what kind of lettuce to use for lettuce wraps.

For the Sauce

  • Soy Sauce: Use a low sodium soy sauce so that the sauce isn’t too salty.
  • Honey: The sweetness balances out the savory flavors.
  • Rice Vinegar: For tanginess.
  • Water: I’ve found that adding just 2 tablespoons of water makes the sauce stretch a bit farther without having to add more soy sauce. You can substitute orange juice from the orange after zesting it, but I like to slice up the orange to serve on the side instead.
  • Fresh Ginger: It’s warm, spicy flavor is so good in Asian-inspired recipes like this one. Fresh ginger will give you the best flavor, but in a pinch you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger.
  • Garlic: For flavor.
  • Orange Zest: The orange zest is that special something that makes the flavors of the sauce pop.
  • Cornstarch: To thicken the sauce.
  • Red Pepper Flakes: For a touch of spice. You can add more or less red pepper flakes depending on your preferred spice level. I use less when I’m serving this to my kids, and more if I’m making these for just Brad and I.

Best Lettuce For Lettuce Wraps

My top choice for lettuce wraps is butter lettuce, such as Boston Bibb. The tender, flexible leaves are ideal for wrapping around the filling. Iceberg lettuce and romaine also work well and will give you more of a crisp crunch.

How to Make Lettuce Wraps

Here is an overview of how to make this recipe. Find the full recipe with measurements below.

Make the sauce. Whisk together all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

Brown the chicken. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, add the chicken, and cook, crumbling the meat, until it starts to brown. (The chicken does not have to be fully cooked yet.)

Add the veggies. Add the chopped bell peppers and carrots to the skillet. Cook until the veggies are softened and the chicken is cooked through.

Chopped bell pepper and carrots added to skillet with browned ground chicken.

Add the sauce and cook for 1-2 minutes until thickened. Then stir in the green onions and nuts.

Cashews and green onions added to skillet.

Serve! Place the chicken and vegetable mixture in a serving bowl and let everyone assemble their own lettuce wraps at the table.

Ground chicken, veggie and cashew mixture in a skillet with a wooden spoon.

What to Serve with Chicken Lettuce Wraps

  • This Fried Rice is an excellent side dish for lettuce wraps. Or, keep it extra simple and cook a batch of Brown Rice.
  • Work some extra veggies into the meal with a Vegetable Stir Fry or Broccoli Stir Fry.
  • Make an appetizer-y meal by serving egg rolls or spring rolls and lettuce wraps.
  • As an alternative way to serve this meal, serve the chicken lettuce wrap mixture over noodles, rice or quinoa instead of wrapping the filling in lettuce leaves.

Recipe Tips and Variations

  • You can swap the ground chicken for ground turkey or ground pork.
  • To make this recipe with chicken breasts or boneless chicken thighs, chop the chicken into very small (about 1/2-inch) pieces and follow the rest of the recipe as written.
  • Gluten-free: Replace the soy sauce with gluten-free tamari, gluten-free coconut aminos or gluten-free soy sauce.
  • Save time by chopping the carrots and bell peppers while the chicken cooks. Chop the veggies finely so that they won’t take too long to soften.

How to Store and Reheat

Store any leftover chicken mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat it in the microwave or in a pan on the stove, stirring often, until hot.

Close up of chicken lettuce wraps on a plate.

Try These Easy Dinner Recipes Next

  • Kung Pao Chicken: This spicy stir fry is a favorite for good reason!
  • Sesame Chicken: Tender bites of chicken are coated in a sticky sweet and savory sesame sauce.
  • Beef Stir Fry: This flavorful stir fry is another colorful, healthy meal.
  • Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas: This easy chicken recipe is one of my family’s favorite meals.
  • Chicken Meatballs: Another favorite ground chicken recipe, serve them with pasta for a quick dinner.
Five chicken lettuce wraps served on a plate.
5 from 2 ratings

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Servings: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
These chicken lettuce wraps are a light and healthy 30 minute meal that's packed with flavor! They're made with a tangy orange-ginger sauce, ground chicken, veggies and cashews or peanuts for crunch.
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Ingredients

For the Sauce:

  • 6 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • zest of 1 orange
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • pinch red pepper flakes

For the Wraps:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 2 medium carrots, finely chopped*
  • 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 3 green onions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup cashews, or peanuts
  • 16 leaves butter lettuce, or iceberg or romaine, for serving

Instructions
 

  • Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground chicken and cook, crumbling, until the chicken starts to brown. (Meanwhile, this is a good time to chop the carrots and bell peppers.)
  • After the chicken has been cooking for about 5 minutes, add the chopped carrots and bell peppers to the skillet. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is browned and cooked through and veggies are tender.
  • Add the sauce to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes more until sauce thickens. Stir in the green onions and cashews (or peanuts).
  • Place chicken and vegetable mixture in a serving bowl and let everyone assemble their own lettuce wraps at the table.

Notes

  • Chop the veggies, especially the carrots, finely so that they won’t take too long to soften.
  • You can substitute the ground chicken with ground turkey or ground pork.
  • To make this recipe with chicken breasts or boneless chicken thighs, chop the chicken into very small (about 1/2-inch) pieces and follow the rest of the recipe as written.
  • Gluten-free: Replace the soy sauce with gluten-free tamari, gluten-free coconut aminos or gluten-free soy sauce.
  • Store any leftover chicken mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat it in the microwave or in a pan on the stove, stirring often, until hot.
Serving: 1/4 recipe, Calories: 381kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 98mg, Sodium: 963mg, Potassium: 1038mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 18g, Vitamin A: 6277IU, Vitamin C: 43mg, Calcium: 50mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is an estimate.
Cuisine: Asian
Course: Main Dish
Tried this recipe?Mention @kristines_kitchen on Instagram or tag #kristineskitchenblog.

Recipe originally published January 2016. Recipe, text and photos updated March 2024 to improve the recipe, add a step-by-step video and add more tips for making the recipe.

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