Asian chicken lettuce wraps are one of my all time favorite dishes that I have been eating since my college days. I love these lettuce wraps because they are delicious, simple and so easy to make. These healthy lettuce wraps are delicious and perfect for a family dinner or meal prep.
About This Easy Asian Chicken Lettuce Wrap Recipe
I first tried this dish at a restaurant I worked at in college (the Cheesecake Factory) and I have been hooked ever since. These lettuce wraps have delicious slices of chicken that sit in a bed of Bibb lettuce and are topped with the most amazing toppings.
These chicken lettuce wraps are just like the ones at the Cheesecake Factory and it really couldn't be easier to make. I think these actually are better than the restaurant version.
What are chicken lettuce wraps?
Chicken lettuce wraps are made up of thinly sliced veggies, chicken, ramen. It is then topped with some really delicious sauces that you pile on top of the lettuce cups and eat with your hands.
It is a finger food kind of affair and a little messy when eating but so worth it. There are a few details in putting this together that I think take this to a whole new level so don't try to economize in these areas or or will not be as amazing!
Ingredients
- Chicken
- Ramen
- Coconut Milk (don't skip using this)
- Peanut Butter or any Nut Butter
- Soy Sauce
- Tamarind Sauce (optional for the tamarind sauce). If you want to skip the tamarind sauce, you can use the Asian Dipping Sauce from my Miso Glazed Salmon Recipe.
- Red Peppers
- Cucumber
- Sesame Seeds
- Cliantro
- Carrots
- Lettuce
- Peanuts (optional)
Now this may seem like a lot of stuff but you can prepare a double batch of this and have some for 2 meals. I really like having a bunch of this stored in the refrigerator in separate containers.
I assemble these healthy wraps during the week for lunch.
I also like to make extra chicken to have for other meals later in the week because it is so good. I have a post just for this satay chicken because it really is a stand alone item that is so good.
How to make Asian chicken lettuce wraps
The first thing you want to do is start making the sides. This is the bulk of the recipe (the sides) and once that is done it is on to making the chicken.
- Pickle the cucumbers. Slice the cucumbers and place in a bowl with some water and vinegar so they lightly pickle.
- Make the coconut ramen noodles. Boil the ramen in coconut milk. If you do not have coconut milk, you can just cook the ramen in water. Toss in coconut oil when done cooking.
- Shred the carrots.
- Make the sauces. This is an Asian dipping sauce and a creamy Asian peanut sauce.
- Cook the chicken. Add some of the peanut sauce to the chicken and grill or saute until fully cooked.
Tips for chicken lettuce wraps
- Use coconut oil if you can. The coconut oil (especially version coconut oil) really adds to the flavor of these lettuce wraps.
- Add some heat with more red pepper flakes. If you like spicy, feel free to adjust the amount of spice in the Asian dipping sauce to suit your taste.
- Switch up thee vegetables. My favorite veggies to use are the shredded carrots and cucumber. If you have other veggies you prefer, add those in too or in place of the ones in this recipe.
- Make sure to use Bibb lettuce or butter lettuce for this recipe. This type of lettuce is usually sold in plastic containers at the store and they both make the perfect cup shape to hold the ingredients.
How long does it take to make these chicken lettuce wraps
Like most Asian style dishes, most of the work in making these chicken lettuce wraps are what I call front loaded. This means the bulk of your time is spent prepping with very little cooking vs what most of us are use to which is the opposite.
I mention this because you may feel like there is so much work but really the main part of the work is just at the beginning! From start to finish, this dish should be ready in around 35-40 minutes.
Making these ahead of time or making them vegetarian
This is a great dish to make vegetarian by leaving out the chicken and adding in some more veggies. It also makes a great dish for your lunches during the week just.
To store lettuce wraps properly in the fridge make sure you keep all of the ingredients in separate containers (veggies in one, the lettuce for making the wraps in another, and so on).
Give these Cheesecake Factory lettuce wraps a try and you will see how eating healthy can be really delicious!!
More Like This
If you love these Asian lettuce wraps, you may also like these recipes:
Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Tried the Recipe? We Would Love To Hear From You In The Comments Below!
Ingredients
- 1 red pepper thinly sliced
- 1 cup Carrots shredded
- 2 containers of Bibb lettuce these come in a plastic shell to protect the delicate leaves of Boston Bibb Lettuce or Butter Lettuce whole (not bagged)
- 1 cucumber thin sliced into circles
- 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar or white vinegar
- 1 large package of ramen noodles the kind without the flavor packets which can be found in the Asian sections of the grocery store. If you can't find them you can use 2 of the instant ramen packs but discard the flavor packets
- 2 boneless chicken breasts cut into small chicken tender sizes or 2 inch wide strips add your chicken
- 1 can of coconut milk shaken well
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (optional)
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 3 tablespoon water
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2-3 tablespoon of coconut oil or vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
- ½ cup chopped peanuts optional
Sauces
- 2 tablespoon of creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup of low sodium soy
- 1 bunch of green onions diced
- 2 tablespoon of water for thinning the sauce if needed
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 350 or your grill to medium heat. In a large bowl add your chicken, ¼ cup peanut butter, soy sauce for the chicken and the water and mix well.
- Place your chicken strips on to a large sheet pan and if you are using peanuts, sprinkle those on top of your chicken.
- Cook your chicken until the juices run clear either on your grill or in your oven. About 10 minutes on a medium heat grill and about 10-15 minutes in a 375 degree oven.
- While the chicken is cooking, start preparing your vegetables by thinly slicing your red pepper, shredding your carrots and thin slicing your cucumbers.
- Take the cucumbers, add them to a medium bowl with your vinegar and water and let them start to pickle.
- While that is happening, in a small to medium sauce pan (large enough to cook your ramen), add your can of coconut milk and enough water to come to the middle of the pot and bring to a boil.
- Once that is boiling, add your ramen and cook according to the instructions, usually just a few minutes.
- Once the ramen is cooked, drain and add to a bowl and add 2-3 tablespoons of coconut oil (or vegetable oil) so the noodles do not stick too much. Put aside.
- Now check if your chicken is ready. When done cooking, put it on a plate and cover it with tin foil to rest.
Sauces
- Grab two large ramekins or 2 small bowls and a whisk or fork.
- In one bowl, fill it with your peanut butter and ¼ cup of your soy sauce. carefully mix it together with your fork or whisk. At first it will seem like an impossible task but trust me it will start to come together. If your peanut sauce looks to thick go ahead and add 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of water at a time to thin it to your liking!
- Now in the other bowl, add a ½ cup of the soy sauce and red pepper flakes into your sauce. At this point you can add your diced green onions to the tops of both sauces for decoration and flavor.
Assemble
- Place your cooked chicken on a cutting board and thinly slice it and put aside. If you are using sesame seeds, go ahead and add them on top of your chicken.
- Drain the cucumbers and place them in a bowl and put aside.
- On a large platter, add one leaf of Boston or Bibb Lettuce on to the platter for each ingredient you have prepared.
- Now, place your ingredients (veggies, chicken and ramen) on top of the lettuce leaves like in the picture.
- Now, add your sauces to the platter as well adding spoons to the bowls so people can add the sauces to the wraps.
- For the wraps, carefully take each piece of lettuce off of the heads of lettuce and add to a large plate. This you will serve on the side of your large platter with the chicken and veggies.
- Now sprinkle your entire dish with your cilantro
To eat
- Take one whole piece of the bibb lettuce, add a small bit of chicken and small amounts of all the vegetables and place on top of the lettuce. Drizzle on the sauces (a little goes a long way) and carefully try to roll it and then eat. Keep repeating this until you're are full 🙂
- This is messy but amazingly delicious! Enjoy!!
Nutrition
Nutrition Values are estimates only.
See full nutrition disclaimer here
Meredith says
Made these for meal prep during the week and they were so good!
Melissa says
They make the best meal prep! I am so glad you enjoyed them 🙂
Megan says
Yum. I love lettuce wraps and these sound perfect for making a weeks worth of lunches