Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I think I’ve eaten at PF Chang’s maybe one time in my 30+ years. We didn’t even have one in RI until a year or two ago, though I still haven’t actually been to that location since it’s opened. But when I lived in Nashville forever ago there was a PF Chang’s down the street from the law school and my apartment, and that’s the one I visited. To be honest, I remember almost nothing about my experience at the restaurant – not who I was with, what I tried or what I thought of the food. A rousing endorsement, huh? 🙂

Am I missing out? Do I need to go again?

I didn’t know it at the time but apparently the lettuce wraps at PF Chang’s are quite popular – there are a million and one copycat recipes out there! When we were going through our big ground chicken phase a few months ago, I decided to see what all the hype was about and give one of them a try.

These lettuce wraps are the very definition of quick and easy weeknight meal. It takes maybe 10 minutes tops to throw them together, and, summer bonus – you don’t even have to turn on your oven to do it! The filling is fairly low-cal and wrapped in cool, crisp lettuce leaves, makes for a light and fresh summer dinner idea. It even reheats well so you can make it ahead of time if necessary. What I’m trying to say is, you really should make them 🙂

I wasn’t sure if Shane would be a fan – this combination of ingredients is a little outside of his comfort zone, but I served the chicken filling over rice for him and he loved the recipe just as much as I did. Obviously I have no idea how these lettuce wraps compare to PF Chang’s but they’ve definitely earned a place in our dinner rotation!

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
adapted from Iowa Girl Eats (via Heat Oven to 350)

{Note: the original recipe also called for water chestnuts and peanuts. I skipped both as I’m not a fan, but you can reference the links above if you want to include those ingredients.}

1 lb ground chicken
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon water
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon peanut butter
4 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
3 scallions, chopped
1 head Boston lettuce, washed and leaves separated

Set a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground chicken and onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is browned and cooked through. In the last minute or two of cooking, add the garlic and ginger to the pan, stirring often until fragrant. Season the mixture to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the sesame oil, soy sauce, water, honey, peanut butter, rice wine vinegar, and chili garlic sauce to make the sauce. Microwave the sauce for 20 seconds, then stir until smooth. Pour the sauce into the skillet, stirring to incorporate with the chicken/onion mixture. Stir in the scallions, and cook for just a minute or two to soften slightly and warm through. Taste and season with additional salt and/or pepper if necessary. Serve with cold lettuce leaves.