CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS MADE EASY
Let me tell you what is my favorite thing about these lettuce wraps! The best thing about them is that the base of everything has such a neutral flavor and light texture that you can load them up with so many different flavors and elements. There are truly an infinite number of combinations of flavors and textures that you can make with this type of recipe.
These specific lettuce wraps come together quickly, just a few ingredients and it is bursting in flavor. Another thing I love about a recipe like this, is that you can make a night out of it! How, you may ask? You place all the ingredients in separate bowls, every ingredient you can think of. Add some lettuce for the wrap, cheeses, beef or chicken, vegetables, broutons, whatever you can think of really. You can also make sauces or dips, anything to give this wrap more flavor.
Everyone around the table can make their own wraps with the ingredients they enjoy the most. Such a great weekend activity with friends or a way to spice up a weekday dinner at home as well.
TIPS FOR PERFECT LETTUCE WRAPS
Serving: You want the lettuce to be as fresh as it can possibly be to maintain the crunch and freshness. At the same time, the leaf has to be big enough so that you can use it as a wrap, even be able to close it over the filling. I use iceberg lettuce or summer crisp lettuce for these recipes. Very carefully, I separate the leaves to maintain their shape and size.
The Chicken: I have a few tips specifically for the chicken. You can cook the chicken, just as it is and cut it into pieces once completely cooked. This, is the best way of cooking chicken when you are going to mix it with some kind of heavy sauce, like a creamy pesto for example. The second way of cooking the chicken for lettuce wraps, is cutting it into squares and cooking them like that. Lastly, my favorite way to make chicken for wraps, is to process it in a food processor for a couple of seconds. This makes the chicken break down into tiny pieces, an in mixes with the sauce and vegetables so well.
Prep: Start by chopping all of your vegetables first, before even cooking the chicken. Cut the onions into squares, the purple cabbage in small strips, the carrots, everything. When you finally cook the chicken, you want to have everything ready. The last thing you add to the lettuce is the cooked chicken, this way, it maintain its crispy freshness.
EQUIPMENT:
Food processor: To break down the raw chicken into small pieces.
Cutting board: To cut and prep all the ingredients.
Pan: To cook everything on!
Bowl: In this case, you will only need 1 small bowl to mix the sauce in.
Measures: Spoon measures. Yes, you can use regular kitchen spoons but, I recommend using spoon measures for all of the ingredients.
Knife: In case you don’t have or use a food processor for the chicken, a knife will work just as well. Just cut the chicken into the tiniest pieces you can. You will also use it for the vegetables!
Fork: Or a small whisk. You will use it for the sauce.
Peeler: I found using one of these was perfect to get thin slices of carrots.
Teflon Spatula or spoon: To move the ingredients around while they are cooking.
EASY CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS
Ingredients
- 150 gr Chicken Breast
- 1 Small carrot
- 1/2 small white onion
- 1 Garlic clove
- 2 TBSP teriyaki sauce
- 1 TBSP honey
- 3 TBSP soy sauce
- 1 TSP powdered ginger
- Purple Cabbage (as much as you like)
- Iceberg or summer crisp lettuce
- Salt
- Pepper
- Olive Oil
- 1 TSP sesame seeds
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into very small pieces or process it for a couple of seconds.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Chop the onion into small squares.
- Slice the carrot into thin slices and cut into strips.
- Place pan over medium heat and add olive oil.
- Once the oil is hot enough, add onion, carrots and season with salt. Cook vegetables moving them around until the onions are almost transparent.
- Add chicken and move it around a bit so it mixes in with the vegetables.
- While the chicken is cooking, make sauce. Add soy sauce, honey, ginger, teriyaki sauce, garlic ( chopped into the smallest pieces you can) and sesame seeds. Mix well.
- When the chicken is pale, add sauce. Mix well.
- Let cook for a couple of minutes more until it almost completely absorbs the sauce.
- When the chicken is ready, you can make the wraps. Add a bit of chicken, some purple cabbage, and extra sesame seeds.
Notes
You can also make some extra sauce for these delicious wraps by mixing some mayo, mustard, honey and pepper. This makes a great honey mustard that in my opinion goes well with this recipe!
