Chicken Lettuce Cups
Add Preferred SourceChicken Lettuce Cups are fresh, satisfying, and just a little messy in the best way. Whether you’re serving picky eaters, hosting a casual summer get-together, or simply need something fast and flavorful, these lettuce cups deliver every time. They’re customizable, quick to cook, and best of all, they feel special without being fussy.
I make these often because they’re quick, fun to eat, and ready in about 20 minutes. Plus, you can totally prep them ahead; just store the filling separately in the fridge, and you’re set. These lettuce cups are super flexible, too. Toss in some bean sprouts, chopped mushrooms, or crunchy snow peas if you want to change things up.
I love the Asian flavors, but don’t worry, there are no hard to find ingredients in this dish. They taste a lot like PF Chang’s lettuce cups. Find the butter or Boston lettuce if you can, for the lettuce cups, but iceberg will work in a pinch.
Ingredients
- Canola oil – Or any other neutral flavored cooking oil.
- Green onions – Separate the white parts from the green.
- Ground chicken – Look for lean ground chicken, or try ground turkey or pork instead.
- Fresh garlic – Don’t even grab the jarlic. You need the fresh punch of real garlic in this recipe.
- Hoisin sauce – This is kind of like Chinese BBQ sauce, and it adds tons of flavor.
- Soy sauce – Any kind you have on hand will work, even low sodium.
- Rice wine vinegar – I use unsweetened rice wine vinegar.
- Ginger – Fresh ginger; powdered ginger has a totally different flavor profile.
- Water chestnuts – Grab a can from the Asian aisle of your grocery store, then just drain and chop them.
- Boston lettuce leaves or iceberg lettuce – You want lettuce that’s in a natural cup shape. Iceberg will do in a pinch.
- Cucumber – Fresh cucumbers, sliced. I love using mini cucs for this but English cucumbers will also work.
- Carrots – Grab them already cut into shoestrings to save time.
- Chili garlic sauce
How To Make Chicken Lettuce Cups
Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.
Heat the canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Sauté the white parts of the green onions for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant. Add the ground chicken and minced garlic. Break up the chicken with a meat chopper or sturdy spoon, cooking for 3 to 4 minutes until no longer pink.
In a grippy-bottom mixing bowl, whisk together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and grated ginger using a mini whisk. A mini whisk is perfect for this job because you don’t have a lot of sauce.
Pour the sauce into the skillet with the chicken. Stir well and let simmer for about 2 minutes until slightly thickened.
Remove from heat. Stir in the chopped water chestnuts and the green parts of the onions. Arrange the lettuce leaves on a platter. If needed, rinse and dry them using a salad spinner or clean towels. A salad spinner is one of my essential kitchen items!
Spoon the chicken filling into the center of each lettuce leaf. Top with sliced cucumbers, carrots, and a drizzle of chili garlic sauce. Serve immediately.
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Boston or butter lettuce works beautifully for these wraps thanks to their tender, flexible leaves, but crisp iceberg is great, too.
- Add cooked rice noodles or fresh bean sprouts to stretch the filling if you’re feeding a crowd.
- Ground turkey makes an easy swap if you don’t have chicken on hand.
Make It A Meal
Pair these flavorful lettuce cups with sides like a chilled cucumber salad, steamed edamame, or jasmine rice for a full, satisfying meal. I love serving them with sparkling water and lime or a light white wine to balance the flavors.
Storage
Leftover chicken filling can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. For the best results, store the lettuce leaves and toppings separately so they stay crisp and fresh. To reheat the filling, warm it gently in a skillet over low heat or in the microwave until heated through. Freezing the cooked filling is possible before adding the water chestnuts—add fresh ones after reheating for the crunch. Avoid freezing assembled lettuce cups, as the lettuce won’t hold up well after thawing.
Chicken Lettuce Cups
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 4 green onions chopped
- 1 pound lean ground chicken
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
- 7 teaspoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon ginger finely grated
- 8 ounce water chestnuts drained and chopped
- 12 leaves Boston lettuce or 12 leaves iceberg lettuce
- 2 mini cucumbers sliced
- 1 cup carrot matchstick-cut
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
Instructions
- Chop the green onions, keeping the white and green parts separate. Mince the garlic, grate the ginger, chop the water chestnuts, and slice the cucumbers and carrots.
- Heat the canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the white parts of the green onions and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until softened.
- Add the ground chicken and garlic. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, breaking up the meat with a meat chopper or spoon, until the chicken is fully cooked and no longer pink.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and grated ginger using a mini whisk.
- Pour the sauce mixture into the skillet with the chicken. Stir to coat and cook for about 2 minutes until the sauce slightly thickens.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the chopped water chestnuts and the green parts of the green onions.
- Arrange the lettuce leaves on a serving platter. Rinse and dry them using a salad spinner if needed.
- Spoon the chicken mixture into the lettuce leaves. Top with cucumber slices, matchstick carrots, and a drizzle of chili garlic sauce. Serve immediately.
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Boston or butter lettuce works beautifully for these wraps thanks to their tender, flexible leaves, but crisp iceberg is great, too.
- Add cooked rice noodles or fresh bean sprouts to stretch the filling if you’re feeding a crowd.
- Ground turkey makes an easy swap if you don’t have chicken on hand.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
