Chicken lettuce wraps, you sneaky things you.
You make me want to wrap vegetables in the leaves of more vegetables and top it all with more vegetables. Just kidding – meant to say PEANUT SAUCE but we’ll get there later.
First things first: the vegetables wrapped in vegetables, for the love of vegetablesss.
I’m not going to lie to you and pretend that it didn’t take kind of a long time to chop up all these green, yellow, red, and orange beauties. My perception might be a little skewed considering my 2-second attention span and low tolerance for cooking related work. Cause, I want you to like my recipes, but I just don’t like cooking that involves work. Yeah? Totally makes sense.
In truth, you will thank yourself over and over again for all the chopping. In fact, TWELVE times over because you’ll get at least 12 deliciously fresh, crispity, crunchity, rock-your-face-off-flavor-y lettuce rolls outta the deal.
Can you just imagine it in your mouth right now? It’s soy sauce salty, lime juice tangy, and bell pepper crunchy all in one amazing veggie boat. IT’S SO GOOD.
Ok, now’s the time when we talk about the peanut sauce. Because up until this point you probably have seen the peanut sauce and mistakenly thought it was ground chicken. I hope it doesn’t bug you that the peanut sauce is a little awkward looking, because… well, it is. But it’s so, so good. And even better the next day. Can I put a request in? Make this sauce ahead of time. I just loved the flavor of the lemongrass, garlic, lime, soy, fish sauce, and sugar after those magical 24 hours in the fridge.
So just to make sure we’re clear on what’s what, here’s a before and after.
So that chunky peanut sauce you see poured all over the top? Yes. It’s peanut sauce and it’s a deal-winner.
I liked mine the best topped with a little sauce, a little drizzle of extra soy sauce because I love to eat too much salt, and then lots and lots of green onions. I didn’t have cilantro but all you fellow devoted cilantro groupies, you know what to do.
Another thing we should discuss. These aren’t actually lettuce wraps! Ha. Trickery. These are cabbage wraps. You can use lettuce if you want watery, tasteless rolls that fall apart after one bite. Just kidding. That was kind of mean. You really can use lettuce and I won’t be mad because that peanut sauce can make anything taste good.
But here’s why I love cabbage:
- It has a taste.
- It’s strong enough to hold a TON of filling.
- It’s better for you.
And speaking of holding a ton of filling, here’s how we get it done round here. Lettuce wrapping style, his and hers.
Perks of being in the same room as your wife when she takes pictures of lettuce wraps:
And perks of making lettuce wraps in the first place:
I’m exhausting myself.
You guys? I hope you make these and adore them as much as I do.
ONE LAST THING. For all my blended stuff, I always have the best results with my Blendtec Designer Series Blender. If you’re in the market for a new grown up blender, this has your name all over it.
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Light Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: makes 12 wraps 1x
Description
These light Thai chicken lettuce wraps are THE BEST! Super healthy and covered with a simple Thai peanut sauce. So flavorful and delicious!
Ingredients
For the salad
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 small head green cabbage (at least 12 large leaves)
- 2 yellow bell peppers, cut into thin strips
- 2 red bell peppers, cut into thin strips
- 2 large carrots, shredded (about 2 cups)
- green onions, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
- cilantro for topping (optional)
For the peanut sauce
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 4 teaspoons fish sauce
- 4 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce
- 4 teaspoons canola oil
- 3 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 teaspoons water
- scant 1 cup peanuts
- 8 small cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemongrass paste (I used fresh lemongrass ground into a paste)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Place the chicken breasts in the water (add garlic cloves or salt to season if you want). Simmer for 20 minutes or more until the chicken breasts are cooked through. Drain the water. When they are cool enough to handle, shred the chicken with two forks. Chill in the refrigerator.
- Cut the bottom stem off the cabbage so the leaves come apart easily while still staying intact. Wash the leaves and set aside. Prepare the other vegetables.
- Combine the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor. Puree or blend until the mixture resembles chunky peanut butter (just not as thick). Taste and adjust to fit your preferences.
- Assemble the lettuce wraps by filling the cabbage leaves with chicken, carrots, peppers, green onions, and cilantro. Add a few extra peanuts if you want. Top with a spoonful of peanut sauce and an extra drizzle of soy sauce.
Notes
For a vegetarian option, use quinoa instead of chicken. You can definitely use regular lettuce but I like the flavor and the texture of the green cabbage leaves better.
If you can, make the dressing a day ahead of time. It needed a few spoonfuls of water to make it saucy again, but I really liked the flavor on the second day!
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Thai
Keywords: thai lettuce wraps, chicken lettuce wraps, healthy lettuce wraps
Nutritional information is for 1 lettuce wrap with peanut sauce.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.
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I like this idea Lindsay. Lettuce wraps are good for men especially because any green cruciferous vegetable reduces unhealthy Estrogen levels in a man and helps balance the Estrogen to Testosterone ratio. And it also reduces the need for Bread.
I just made these for lunch today and you are right, they rocked my socks off! I found the dressing a little too salty and citrusy with all that lemongrass and fish sauce, so I added more honey and peanuts and it helped balance the flavor. Great suggestion with the cabbage, very strong. I love this recipe and will continue to make it over and over. Thank you for sharing!
Also… I used a food processor for the chopping/shredding and it cut the prep time by a ton! If presentation isnt a priority, this is the perfect way to make this an easy prep dish!
Thanks for the tip, Danielle! Glad you enjoyed them!
made them tonight family loved them I’m happy
I did this the lazy way by putting all the veggies in the food processor, then the chicken (quick chop), then the sauce. It was DELISH and no chopping required!
I, too, would like to know the serving size and nutritional value.
I made these and they are quite fantastic. And since it’s just me, it lasts a long time, so makes the chopping no hassle at all if I get like a week or more off of having to worry about lunch!!
But one thing, could someone tell me the nutritional facts? If it’s posted below the recipe, it is not showing up for me and I’ve revisited a few times to see if it’s there, if it was just a glitch or something. Thanks for anyone’s help!
Hi,
Can u plz help me would like 2 know whether to use the raw peanuts or the roasted 1 for wraps.
either one will work!
Ok. I never write comments or reviews but this one is a must! I luckily had all the ingredients in my pantry except for the lemon grass. However, the peanut sauce still taste just like the real stuff. My boyfriend was very skeptical about the whole idea and started making his own dinner. When i was finished with all the chopping and when the chicken was cool enough I put everything in a mixing ball except the sauce and put it into the lettuce (didn’t have cabbage) and drizzled the sauce on top. He couldn’t resist not giving it a try and to my expectations he loved it. Ate 4 wraps!!! They were very filling and light at the same time. I must say that it only took about a half hour very simple to make and would make it often.
Aw, how awesome! Thank you Glenda! Thanks for taking the time to leave your comment! š
Found your site on Pinterest and made these tonight. That peanut sauce is unreal. We loved it!
Thank you so much! I LOVED that sauce too!
I finally got around to making these a few weeks ago and they were delicious. The perfect summer recipe!
http://lifeinthewindycityandbeyond.tumblr.com/post/54265181192/light-thai-chicken-lettuce-wraps
I made these with a few slight variations and they were terrific! I made the sauce, put it in another bowl, then processed the chicken in my food processor to make it like ground chicken. Then I sauteed onions, added the ground chicken and cooked it. Then I added about 1/2 c. – 3/4 c. of the sauce to the chicken along with some water. I cooked it together and added more sauce and water until it was the consistency and flavor I wanted.
I also used slightly less lemongrass (1 T.) and added about 1-2 T. sirracha.
Very tasty! Great recipe!
Mmm love this! thanks Sarah!
And I used quinoa instead of chicken, which was a genious suggestion!! Can’t wait to try your other recipes! š
I just made this tonight and it was delicious!!! I used a bit of extra water and sesame oil instead of fish oil and lettuce instead of cabbage. Although messy, they were so yummy. I used 3 large cloves of garlic and found that to be plenty (if not a bit too much). Thanks so much for sharing!
Thanks Daniella! Glad you liked the quinoa too!
Made these tonight, and they were soooo good. The peanut sauce is fantastic. But please share how you separate your cabbage leaves without ripping them to pieces??
Shoot, I should have taken a picture of that. On cabbage, there should be one spot where there’s a stem (or what’s left of the stem) holding all the leaves together. I just cut that off right at the base and then pulled the leaves apart from there. I had to cut the stem base a few more times as some of the inner leaves were still connected. Hopefully that helps! š
I love peanut sauce! I like to mix in some sriracha and I pour it over everything ;). It’s like my ketchup. Have you ever tried it with napa cabbage? Soo good. I like to steam it beforehand so it’s not too crunchy and refrigerate it. It’s so refreshing and satisfying!
I love lettuce wraps and these look absolutely perfect! Such pretty colors š
Oh the beauties that these chicken lettuce wraps are. I have only had lettuce wraps a hand full of times but love them. I need to try making them more often.
ok, i’m totally looking to make this recipe!
i LOVE peanut sauceee!!
I love lettuce wraps! It’s the only time I’ll eat veggies. And yes to all that chunk peanut sauce!
Bravo for making lettuce wraps look gorgeous in photos! Oh my goodness — they have fallen into the crazy-delicious-but-I-can-never-seem-to-make-them-look-appetizing category on my blog. But these look so fresh and delicious! š
Cheers to cabbage, all of those delicious veggies, and anything covered in peanut sauce!!
I’ve NEVER thought to use cabbage instead of lettuce but what a genius idea. I don’t like lettuce either and when I buy it for this sort of thing it’s such a waste cause I don’t use the rest of it. Genius Lindsay. Genius!
These are amazing – I love all the colors from the peppers and peanut sauce? I never say no to that!
Oh I love the idea of using cabbage instead of lettuce. Extra crunch never goes amiss. And the peanut sauce as well….will be definitely giving these a go.