Chicken Lettuce Wraps, you have my heart. This lightened up version still tastes damn good, too! Crunchy water chestnuts and mild mushrooms offer texture to the ground chicken. Almond butter serves as the creamy base for this to die for sauce, which you may need to consider doubling the recipe for.
Er mer gersh.These lettuce wraps are so freaking good. I seriously can’t.
But I can-and you can too! Let’s do this.
Lettuce wraps. They resonate with most as a healthy option to order when out at a restaurant. Right? Like, lettuce is the first word describing the dish. Of course it’s healthy.
Not quite, dear. Wonder why you can’t stop eating them? Or why your waiter has refilled your water glass at least 3 times? Yeeeeaaaaa that’s the sodium pal. Most recipes call for far too much soy sauce, fish sauce, or other sugar-laden sauces to bring flavor to the dish. While they may be delicious, their nutritional value probably doesn’t match your over confident swagger (“Ohhh…. you’re getting a burger? I’M getting the lettuce wraps”).
Deflated.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy these at home without the guilt! These Chicken Lettuce Wraps get their flavor from fresh and better for you ingredients than most standard recipes.
- Chicken versus beef.
- Aminos versus soy sauce.
- Homemade lick-the-bowl Thai Almond Sauce versus sugar-filled Thai Peanut Sauce.
You ready for this?
- Mushrooms and water chestnuts give the chicken extra texture and flavor.
Nom nom nom. Not much is needed for a sauce – some Aminos and fresh ginger.
This Thai Almond Sauce is bound to be on your repeat list. SERIOUSLY. SO. GOOD. Almond butter, sesame oil, sriracha, fresh ginger, Aminos, fresh citrus. BOOM! You’re in heaven.
Sautéed peppers don’t need much: I threw in the shredded knob of ginger I used in the chicken and for the Thai Almond Sauce. That’s about it! Feel free to season these how you like best-which is how cooking should always be. #options
Artfully create a delicious looking platter, or just throw everything on a plate. Or eat straight from pan. It’s cool. I get it. Just don’t forget the extra Sambal Olek, please?
Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Thai Almond Sauce
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 6 oz can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
- 6 oz mushrooms, chopped
- 2 Tbsp liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
- 1 tsp grated ginger
For the peppers:
- 2 bell peppers sliced (I used orange and red)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 1-inch knob fresh ginger
For the Thai almond sauce:
- 2 Tbsp almond butter
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp garlic
- 1/4 tsp grated ginger
- liquid aminos to taste
- hot water, to thin
To serve:
- 1 head Boston bibb lettuce, leaves removed and rinsed
- Lime wedges
- Sambal Olek
Instructions
For the chicken:
- Lightly spray a wok or large saute pan with oil. Place over medium heat.
- Add mushrooms and water chestnuts, sauteeing until mushrooms release liquid.
- Add ground chicken and ginger, stirring to thoroughly combine ingredients.
- When chicken is finished cooking, add aminos and toss to combine. Remove chicken from pan, reserving for later.
For the peppers:
- Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan, followed by the peppers and ginger.
- Turn heat to high, tossing peppers every so often.
- Once charred and cooked through, remove from heat.
For the Thai almond sauce:
- Add almond butter, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger in a small bowl, stirring to combine.
- Slowly add 1 teaspoon of hot water at a time to thin out sauce, until desired consistency is reached (you want to be able to drizzle it).
- Add aminos to taste.
To serve:
- Arrange rinsed lettuce leaves, sauteed peppers, Thai almond sauce, chicken mixture, lime wedges, and hot sauce on a platter.
- Place about 1-2 tablespoons of chicken mixture in lettuce leaf, topped with peppers, hot sauce, Thai almnond sauce, and a squeeze of fresh lime. Enjoy!