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These are easily one of the best things I have (ever) eaten. Welcome to my dinner rotation, lettuce wraps! Absolutely DE-LISH.
Jill C.
It’s Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps Day!
Which is obviously my best kind of day. Even if it is a Monday which, in my previous life as a teacher, would have been a holiday, which, in my current life as a blogger, I now don’t have as a holiday because I have the world’s strictest boss ( –> myself).
My boss is actually so strict that she requires me to eat a minimum five lettuce wraps for lunch every day. I KNOW. It is seriously rough around here sometimes.
I probably don’t even need to tell you that these lettuce wraps are totally my jam right now. From the savory chicken, peanut, and rice noodle filling to the crunchy, beautiful peanut and cilantro toppings to the just-barely tangy sauce that goes over the top, and right straight into the fresh, delicate lettuce leaves that will then transport the overflowing boat of deliciousness into your mouth…
OHMYGOSH. It’s all just really, really good.
These lettuce wraps are a little different, though, because HI RICE NOODLES.
That’s right – I just added rice noodles to my lettuce wraps. Whatcha gonna do about it? (And if you’re really into this idea, there’s even more where that came from)
It all started because I was bringing these over to a friend’s house for an appetizer dinner (by the way – when was the last time you had an appetizer dinner? it’s the best thing ever and you need to make it happen. asap.) and I realized before I even got there that I was going to be sad after I ate these lettuce wraps as an appetizer.
Because I have this thing: I am consistently plagued by the I’m-Still-Hungry dilemma anytime I eat lettuce wraps. Ugh. Like, I get two bites of filling and then somehow they’re gone and I still need more food. Wh-hy-hy-hyyy? Black magic, I tell you.
Being firm in my convictions about food, I cannot morally support any kind of skimpy, un-filling lettuce wraps any longer. So naturally, I made lettuce wraps that are appropriately sized for small giants. Filled with chicken, peanuts, and rice noodles (my favorite!) and meant to be eaten as a MEAL. None of this two bite business, my friends. No thank you.
Go lettuce-wrap-big or go home.
Please hear me when I say that these are as simple as they are delicious. I mean like 20-minute simple. It’s totally a Monday and WE CAN TOTALLY DO THIS.
Step one: Sauce. The best things in life always start with sauce.
Step two: Marinate chicken and peanuts. For, like, .37 seconds because we have hangry people in the house.
Step three: Brown the chicken and peanuts and rice noodles. There they are, those sneaky rice noodles.
Step four: Wrap, sprinkle, drizzle sauce, and DEVOUR IN BLISS.
May these Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps for The Hungry Girl bring you much joy, friends.
More Seriously Delicious Lettuce Wraps
Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Ginger Garlic Sauce
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings (3 lettuce wraps each) 1x
Description
Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps with a Ginger Garlic sauce – made from scratch with chicken, peanuts, rice noodles, and extra sauce for serving!
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon sambal oelek (chili paste)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (I use a paste)
- juice of 2 limes
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 green onions, minced
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (optional – makes it more tangy)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch (optional – helps the sauce thicken)
For the Lettuce Wraps
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 lb. ground chicken or turkey
- 1/2 cup lightly salted peanuts, chopped
- 6 ounces rice noodles
- 12 leaves of lettuce (I used Boston lettuce)
- chopped cilantro, green onions, and peanuts for topping
Instructions
- Whisk all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Pour about 3/4 of the sauce into a bowl with the ground chicken and peanuts. Stir to combine – marinate for 15 minutes.
- Soak the rice noodles in a large bowl of water while the meat is marinating. When the noodles are softened, drain and rinse with cold water. Cut into small pieces.
- In a large skillet, heat the sesame oil over medium heat. Add the meat and peanut mixture and sauté for 10 minutes or until cooked through. Add the noodles and stir-fry for another 5 minutes or until soft, adding a splash of water, oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce, or lime juice to moisten the pan as you see fit.
- Remove from heat, scoop mixture into lettuce leaves, top with cilantro, green onions, peanuts, and the reserved sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Asian-Inspired
Keywords: chicken lettuce wraps, peanut chicken lettuce wraps, garlic ginger sauce
Insanely pumped about the rice noodle-age here! I ADORE lettuce wraps…not I DO NOT adore being hungry about .005 seconds after eating 20 of them.
I totally understand the super strict boss dealio..but I like her style. Minimum 5 lettuce wraps for the win! Pinned!
I agree Taylor. I’ll take you on an eating contest. Lettuce wraps are a great way to get a veggie and save some calories.
Lettuce wraps are the best way to go. So healthy and delicious!
Cheers!
This has to be a lovely lunch to break the winter blues! I like to use different lettuces each time I make lettuce cups; even purple leaf lettuces make wonderful colour additions.
Awesome grain-free solution!
I love that you picked Boston lettuce for this- it doesn’t have that crunchy spine that romaine does so it doesn’t suddenly crack open and leave you with a lap full of peanut chicken. Boston lettuce all the way! 🙂
YES! For sure! I love how Boston lettuce looks, too. So pretty.
Rice noodles aren’t considered grain nowadays?
I love love love lettuce wraps, but I’ve never had ones like these before. 😀
Superb recipe, thanks Lindsay! 🙂
Thanks Neil! appreciate that!
These look so incredible! Adding this to my recipe list to try out soon 🙂
Yum! Not surprisingly, it looks like you have PF Changs totally beat.
So simple, but I can just taste all the big flavors by looking at the filling. Annnnd now I’m hungry again..
I love lettuce wraps ,so good!
YEEESSSS. My husband will probably kill me if we DON’T have this for dinner soon.
sounds delish! I didn’t see the ginger in your list of sauce ingredients – how much should we add? thanks!
one tablespoon fresh (grated, or in paste form)! Should be fixed now. Thanks for the catch!
Sounds good…but where is the ginger?
Missed it! Thanks for the catch! It should be added now.
You always know how to make me salivate in front of my work computer! I want to make these tonight!
Oh my goodness… these look absolutely amazing! Quick, before it starts to snow again, I’m going out to buy the ingredients for these 🙂 Happy Monday!
ok girl you got me with all that yumminess!! I am seriously craving these super bad now! Already planning to make these for dinner this week!
They look just wonderful!
I so appreciate that you put rice noodles in these lettuce wraps! I totally agree–just lettuce wraps for dinner would totally leave me hungry. Sometimes I get hungry just looking at something like a salad or a lettuce wrap…is that weird? I need some sustenance!
I hosted an appetizers for dinner dinner party and it was the best. Lettuce wraps always are so fresh tasting. I will enjoy them while pretending I’m not freezing my butt off here in the Midwest.
Right? They gave me a nice mid-winter pick me up.
I made lettuce wraps twice. They were so involved that I just didn’t go there again. These look amazing without all of the tedious steps to my old recipe. Take that old recipe you are out of here!
No fancy, complicated steps here! Hope you like them Julie!
An stunning recipe, as usual! These wraps look good enough to eat right through the screen!
Lindsay, I wish you’d quit putting out so many must-try recipes. I don’t have time to make them all. This dish sounds absolutely wonderful – not only the flavors, but I, too really appreciate the fact that there is substance to the recipe. I will not go hungry eating this one. Definitely want to try this.
Thanks Susan! 🙂 Appreciate that!
Love the idea and the chicken peanut combination sounds delicious but…am I the only one who is totally unable to eat lettuce wraps without making a mess??
SAME. Usually it would be five bites with the lettuce leaves, and the last three bites with a fork. 🙂
These are my kind of thing! Love everything about them. Sorry about your boss….you’d better do as you’re told and eat those wraps!
I will obey. 😉
I’m going to try with regular rice. Forgot to buy rice noodles and I live in the sticks.
Rice would be yummy here! Let us know how it goes for you, Elizabeth! 😊
If I’m making these for one person, would they last long in the fridge?
Yes! They should last for a few days – I wouldn’t stretch them over more than three days though. I get weird about leftover chicken in the fridge for any longer than that…
Oh I totally agree with you. I always want more after lettuce leaf wraps! Where are the carbs I always think. Great solution and you have successfully made me want them RIGHT NOW!