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Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps (Better than P.F. Chang’s)!

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Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps (better than P.F. Chang’s)! A quick (less than 30 minutes), easy, and healthy dinner that tastes delicious! Gluten and dairy-free!

Overhead picture of asian chicken lettuce wrap filling in a bowl on a platter with fresh lettuce and crushed peanuts.

I know that’s a pretty bold claim…Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps you can make at home that are better than the beloved dish from P.F. Chang’s?! It may be bold, but it’s true! This Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps recipe is one that took me years of trial and error, and lots of taste-testing, to get it just right.

I’ve already discussed my love for Asian food here and here. These Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps wraps are one of my favorite dinners. They are quick and easy and my whole family loves them.  Even my kids eat them, and have tons of fun doing it!

Overhead process shot of cooking Asian chicken lettuce wraps in a skillet.

How to make Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps 

  1. Brown the ground chicken! This recipe is very straightforward! There is, however, one very important step and that is to brown the ground chicken. Making sure the chicken is nice and crispy and brown is essential to the overall flavor and texture of this dish!
  2. Use a Wok, Sauté pan, or a cast iron skillet. For traditional Asian recipes I love pulling out my wok. But as you can see in the photo above, a regular sauté pan or cast iron skillet works perfectly!
  3. Dice the vegetables very small. This is one of the keys to making sure every bite is bursting with both texture and flavor! Sometimes I even let my food processor do the chopping for me!
  4. The sauce! Oh please, I bet you, do not tamper with the sauce. That is the part of this recipe that took me years to perfect, and is absolutely delicious as-is!

overhead view of six photos showing how to make this Asian Chicken Lettuce Wrap Recipe step-by-step

What lettuce is best for wraps?

There are three varieties of lettuce that I recommend to use when making these chicken lettuce wraps:

  1. Butterhead lettuce
  2. Green Leaf Lettuce
  3. Romaine Lettuce

Just be sure to choose a head of lettuce that has large and flexible enough leaves to use as a wrap!

How do you cut lettuce for lettuce wraps?

It’s actually very simple! Just cut the bottom part of the head of lettuce off. Then carefully peel away each lettuce leaf! Don’t forget to wash and dry the lettuce leaves before serving!

Serving Suggestions 

I prefer to eat them the traditional way…as lettuce wraps! 😉 However, to be totally real with you all (because that’s the only way to be), I usually serve these Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps to my kids over noodles or rice, because it’s much easier for them to eat with a spoon than wrapped in a piece of lettuce!

Front view of a bowl of Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps filling on a platter with fresh lettuce and a bowl of crushed peanuts in the background.

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps: Substitutions 

As always I recommend making this recipe exactly as it’s written! Like I said, I tested and retested this recipe more times than I can count to achieve lettuce wrap perfection! However, here are a few potential substitutions!

  • Ground chicken: Finely diced chicken breasts are a great substitute for ground chicken!
  • Peanut Oil: Any oil can be used here if you don’t keep peanut on hand or if you have a peanut allergy. I recommend olive oil or avocado oil!
  • Soy Sauce: If you have a soy allergy you can substitute coconut aminos for the soy sauce.
  • Peanut Butter: If you have a peanut allergy any nut or seed butter could work here, but peanut butter definitely gives the best results!

Overhead view of a bowl Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps filling on a platter with fresh lettuce and a small bowl of crushed peanuts.

If you make something from JoyFoodSunshine I would love to see your creations! Don’t forget to rate this recipe and leave a comment below! Also, follow along with me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter for more recipe inspiration and a glimpse into our everyday life!
4.88 from 33 votes
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Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps (better than P.F. Chang's)!

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps (better than P.F. Chang's)! A quick, easy, and healthy dinner that tastes delicious! Gluten and dairy-free! 

Course Main Course
Cuisine asian
Keyword asian chicken lettuce wraps, asian lettuce wraps, chicken lettuce wraps, lettuce wraps, lettuce wraps recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6 people
Calories 306 kcal
Author Laura

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • 1 TBS peanut oil
  • ½ onion minced
  • 1 cup red or green pepper diced
  • 1 8 oz can water chestnuts drained and minced

For the Sauce:

To serve

  • ¼ cup peanuts crushed.
  • Lettuce or your favorite Asian salad

Instructions

  1. Whisk together sauce ingredients until well combined. If you use a firmer peanut butter you may need to microwave the mixture for 30-60 seconds in order to melt it and ensure everything is well-mixed.
  2. Heat 2 TBS peanut oil in a frying pan. Once hot, add ground chicken.
  3. Cook until some pieces are starting to brown. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes or until the onion is becoming translucent.
  4. Add the peppers and water chestnuts and cook about 5 minutes or until peppers are becoming soft.
  5. Add sauce and simmer on low heat until the chicken and veggies are evenly coated and everything is heated through.
  6. Serve in lettuce leaves, on top of your favorite Asian salad, or over noodles or rice!

Recipe Video

Nutrition Facts
Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps (better than P.F. Chang's)!
Amount Per Serving
Calories 306 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 18%
Cholesterol 68mg 23%
Potassium 408mg 12%
Total Carbohydrates 24g 8%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 7g
Protein 24.5g 49%
Calcium 2%
Iron 12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Overhead view of three asian lettuce wraps on a platter sprinkled with peanuts with the bowl of lettuce wrap filling on the platter.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase a product through a link you clicked on here, I receive a portion of the sale. Thank you for supporting JoyFoodSunshine! 

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps (better than P.F. Chang's)! A quick, easy, healthy and delicious dinner or appetizer! Gluten and dairy-free! Step-by-step recipe video! #lettucewraps #pfchangs #glutenfree #dairyfree #easydinner #healthyrecipe #asianlettucewraps
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I have not been to PF Changs in so long, but one of my favorite things there are the Chicken Lettuce Wraps! thank you so much for sharing this at the Link-Up! I can’t wait to try it, Pinned 🙂 Have a Great Week!!

    Reply

    • We ate there again a few months ago and both my husband and I agreed we prefer this recipe to what we got at the restaurant! 🙂 Thanks for hosting the link up! So fun!

      Reply

    • Morgan! It’s pretty much the best thing on the menu there! 😉 You’ll have to let me know how this measures up if you give it a whirl! 🙂

      Reply

  7. Yum! I love PF Changs lettuce wraps but we don’t eat there very often. I’m so excited to make these at home. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe at Inspiration Thursday!

    Reply

  10. We don’t eat a lot of Asian food, it’s definitely something I want to look into cooking! I love the idea of lettuce wraps as a healthy alternative though! Thanks for linking to #YumTum this week x

    Reply

  11. Hi Laura, thank you for linking up your Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps at the Creative Muster Party, they look amazing and I love lettuce wraps! We hope you’ll stop by next Tuesday night at 6 pm EST to party with us again. Your post is one of my #FavoritePosts this week, so it’s been shared on Google+ with my followers. 🙂 ~Heather

    Reply

  16. Can you believe I’ve never been to P.F. Changs? I actually made a similar recipe based on a Thai restaurant, but using cabbage instead. The cabbage is much more sturdy. Have you ever tried substituting the lettuce for cabbage?

    My recipe is different, but I’m definitely going to try yours + mine to mix and mingle.

    I found you through the #SHINEbloghop!

    Reply

  18. I have made many, many reciepe’s from Pinterest, some have been good and some have been not so good. I have to say this is the best reciepe I have made. I have never made any comments on the reciepes that I have made but felt I needed to on this one. My husband and I absolutely loved it! Full f flavor and so easy to make. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

    • Amy! I can’t thank you enough for stopping by and letting me know that you loved this recipe! It is one of my favorites as well! It means SO much to me when other people try and enjoy my recipes! Have a wonderful day!

      Reply

  20. I literally just made these for lunch, leaving out the bell pepper because I don’t like them in my Asian food… these are amazing! And a fantastic way to get in some protein and a green without resorting to a salad. I think wilting kale in the chicken part could make them even more vitamin packed. Yum yum yum!

    Reply

    • Hey Amanda! I’m SO glad you and your friends enjoyed these lettuce wraps! They’re definitely a staple in my house! The addition of Sriracha sounds incredible!

      Reply

    • Hey Laurel! I love serving them over salad or rice. Also stir-fried veggies, egg rolls, potstickers, wontons are all great side options!

      Reply

  24. This looks so yummy! Only problem is my kids are allergic to all things nuts. What kind of oil would you recommend using instead of peanut oil?

    Reply

  26. Love your site! I made your Greek yogurt brownies the other day. Wow! So good. I just saw these on your InstaStories. These look so good and I can’t wait to try them! Just a note though, they are not GF if regular soy sauce and hoison sauce is used. Both almost always have wheat in them.

    Reply

  27. I made this tonight and it was a success! Hubby is already requesting for a repeat performance. I don’t usually cook but recently started meal planning and came across this recipe. Thank you! So good!

    Reply

  28. the flavor is amazing! just a quick comment tho that soy sauce is NOT gluten free unless u buy the gluten free kind, which u don’t specify in list of ingredients …mine did have to be specifically gluten free so I subbed out the sauce , but it would be nice if u listed the gluten free version in ur ingredients. absolutely great flavor profile and healthier version than the pre packaged sauce. Will make repeatedly!!!!

    Reply

  30. The recipe was delicious, thank you! But you probably shouldn’t advertise it as gluten free, since soy sauce and hoisin sauce both contain gluten…

    Reply

  31. This recipe is amazing!! So flavorful! I’ve never had P.F. Chang’s lettuce wraps, but I have had them from many other places. As soon as I mixed the sauce, the smell was already making me hungry. This recipe tasted like I bought it at a restaurant! I couldn’t believe I had actually made it. I’m definitely a cooking novice, but the hardest part was chopping the veggies. I made this for my boyfriend and after his first bite he instantly told me “Save this recipe!” If you are thinking of trying it, or just have it pinned for later, make it NOW! You will be happy you did.

    P.S. I have never felt the need to comment on a recipe I found online, but I just had to for this one. It’s that good!

    Reply

  32. LOVED this recipe! I used chopped chicken breast (chunks browned beforehand then chopped and back in the pan with the veggies), I substituted peanut butter with almond butter and low salt everything in the sauce. I also added a little chopped mushrooms. SOOOO GOOOOOD!!!

    Reply

  33. Great recipe! Girlfriend approved! The original recipe is great, but you can always make slight alterations to it. I’m not a pepper fan, so put in carrots and mushrooms instead. Also used Sesame Oil instead of Peanut Oil. Very good and felt pretty healthy!

    Reply

  34. I just tried this and I’m truly hooked. The tips worked like a charm. This will be on my monthly menu planning. Thank you.

    Reply

  38. This is amazing! I substituted Trader Joe’s gyoza sauce for the hoison, olive oil for peanut oil and left out the water chestnuts (didn’t have any). The recipie is an A+.

    Reply

  39. This was amazing!!! PF Chang’s is our favorite restaurant and we can never get enough of the lettuce wraps. I grumbled a bit when I had to buy so many ingredients that I didn’t think I would ever use again. Since it was so delicious, I’m happy to make them all of the time! I did not have peanut oil (used olive), I left out the crushed peanuts and I used chicken tenderloins rather than ground chicken (I would have had to nearly burn the ground chicken in order for me to stomach the texture). This made enough for my boyfriend and I to have for our dinner (nothing else with it) and I had a bit leftover for lunch.

    Reply

  40. This recipe is delicious! Even my picky children said it was the best dinner they have had in a long time!

    Reply

  41. I just made this and it was great! I did add half of can of mushrooms and only half can of water chestnuts. I also used diced grill chicken breast. The only thing I will do next time is add the water chestnuts at the end or not diced so finely. But will definitely make again.

    Reply

  43. I’ve never eaten the lettuce wraps at PF Chengs, but I can’t imagine that they’re as good as these! Thanks for sharing this recipe!

    Reply

  44. These were delicious.. My husband loved them, this will be in regular rotation. I had everything on hand except the peanuts, used ground turkey. Delish!

    Reply

    • Hey Gina! Unfortunately yes, hoisin sauce is a total staple for this recipe! It is available on Amazon if you can have it shipped to you, it’s totally worth it!

      Reply

  46. Yummy! So delicious and perfect for hot weather! As I picked up the ingredients at Trader Joe’s so surprised that Traders didn’t have peanut oil.Will definitely make again! Thank you so much! Charlene

    Reply

  47. These were delicious!! I didn’t have peanut oil so I used olive oil. Added a couple of minced garlic cloves when frying the meat and topped our wraps with a bit of extra hoisin sauce. Will definitely be making these again! Thank you for a super recipe!

    Reply

  48. I just have to rave about this recipe, specifically the sauce! After making a number of Asian inspired recipes and always being disappointed with the sauce (either completely lacking flavor, being too salty, etc), my expectations were low. BUT, this sauce is literally perfect in every way. Your years of perfecting it paid off because it is the BEST!

    Reply

  49. Hi! Made these tonight and they are wonderful! One question though do you think this could be made ahead and frozen?

    Reply

  51. Delicious! A little sweet for my taste so I may leave the honey out next time, but still very very good. Even very picky hubby who has never touched a lettuce wrap loved them. Thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply

    • LOL! I always think of Ron Swanson from Parks and Rec when I make salad for my husband. When asked if he wanted salad he replied, “Since I am not a rabbit, no, I would not. LOL! I’m so glad you both enjoyed these!

      Reply

  52. I made this recipe last night for my boyfriend and it was perfect!
    Simple, Fun, and hands down delicious.
    I pre-made the sauce and replaced the soy with coconut amino s; and pre-choppped the veggies for a quick and easy assemble for when we were ready to eat.
    I added finely chopped carrots and mushrooms, green onion, and chopped cashews for a crunch on top.
    I simply loved your recipe, thank you for sharing! 🙂

    Reply

  53. I like your additions. Those would extend the meat a bit more. I also like how you did the veggie chopping ahead. I doubled the recipe, but found it took more than double the time due to all the chopping. I’m used to that, and to recipes that usually say they take less time than they do.
    It was delicious. I had some collard greens I needed to use up, so I used those for the wraps. My husband preferred using knife and fork, the second night I stir fried the rest of the collards with the swiss chard I served alongside, made some quinoa, and served the veggies and meat on top of the quinoa. Delicious! A little sweet, so I may leave out the honey in the future, or at least reduce it.
    Good for breakfast, too!

    Reply

    • Have you tried chopping your veggies in a food processor? It cuts down prep time significantly! 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed it, I love the idea of using collard greens too!

      Reply

  55. Amazing!!! Made it for the boyfriend, he loved it! I love the peanut butter in the sauce. Our usually lettuce wrap recipe isnt as good as this one, thank you thank you!

    Reply

  56. These are by far the best lettuce wraps I have tried, and I will definitely make them again. My family all loved them as well. Thank you so much:)

    Reply

  57. This review is just for the sauce: I tried out your blend for sauce on my take of a healthy turkey lettuce wrap and oh my goodness, the sauce is INCREDIBLE! Definitely a keeper in my books for regular meal prep rotation. Thanks so much!! In case anyone is curious, my meat filling includes 1lb of Jenny-O low fat ground turkey, 1 medium zucchini diced, 1 cup of diced mushrooms, 3 thinly sliced green onions, 1/2 cup of shredded carrot, and an 8oz. can of water chestnuts (drained and chopped). Most of the prep work is taken care of by my vegetable chopper/dicer (around $15-20 on Amazon). To bump up the spice, I also serve this with some Sambal Oelek on the side to add as you eat!

    Reply

  58. Made this recipe the other night and it was delicious! Will definitely be making it again!
    (Just left out the water chestnuts because *blech*)

    Reply

  60. This recipe is AMAZING!!!! In fact, we are enjoying it twice this week. Thank you so much for sharing!! I totally agree when it comes to the sauce—do not alter, it is perfect and oh so tasty!! I’m not too fond of the messiness of lettuce wraps (but LOVE the flavor!) so we shredded the lettuce the first night, and had chow mein noodles the second time. Both delicious! Try this recipe—-you will LOVE it!!!

    Reply

  61. Mom of three age three and under from Cincinnati, OH. I’ve been making these for two months now and I’m obsessed!
    I double the batch, add two chopped zucchini, 2 red bell peppers, 1 large diced carrot and about a pound of sugar snap peas. My kids and husband eat with rice and I eat over spinach and romaine. So yummy! Thanks for the recipe, love sharing it with family and friends.

    Reply

  62. Hi there!
    I LOVE this recipe, I made yours this summer, and loved it. Then tried a few others out there, and this is the winner for sure. However, I was just looking it up again to make for my parents this week, I noticed that you call this a gluten-free recipe. For the record, Hoisin Sauce is NOT gluten free. You can find G-free hoisin sauce out there, but as a rule, the basic stuff you buy in the store is not g-free.

    Just wanted those that don’t know that sneaky little detail not to officially call it a G-free thing at a potluck – you’ll hurt the celiacs out there without knowing it.

    Doesn’t change the fact that I love this recipe and make it all the time…

    Thanks thanks!

    Reply

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