Name: Asian Chicken Lettuce Cups
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 3/4 cup Hoisin Sauce; 1/4 Soy Sauce ((low-sodium preferred; reduce to 2 Tbsp if using regular soy sauce)); 1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar; 1 clove Garlic, minced; 2 tsp grated Fresh Ginger; 3 tsp Cornstarch; 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes ((optional)); 1 Tbsp Oil; 1 Bell Pepper, chopped ((any color)); 1 1/2 lb Ground Chicken ((or use ground pork / beef / turkey or finely chopped extra-firm tofu)); 1/4 cup Water Chestnuts, rinsed and drained and finely chopped; 16 leaves Lettuce ((Boston Bibb or the outer leaves of a head of Iceberg)); 1/2 cup Roasted, Unsalted Peanuts; 1 Lime, cut into wedges

These Asian Chicken Lettuce Cups are super addictive with tangy, sweet hoisin sauce, crunch from fresh vegetables and peanuts and just messy enough to add a little fun to dinner. Our version takes 25 minutes and can easily be adapted to be vegetarian(made with chopped tofu).

Yes, these are a copycat version of the Asian Chicken Lettuce Cups of a certain chain restaurant. And yes, we think our version is even better than theirs.

Just sayin’.

Why Lettuce Cups are a Weeknight Fave

Lettuce cups are a DIY weeknight dinner at our house. We make a big batch of filling and let everyone assemble their cups / wraps at the dinner table. Using ground chicken (or pork, or turkey, or beef, or even tofu – any will work) makes prep super fast. Chop a few vegetables and combine everything in a great big wok or skillet.

And this sauce. Sweet, tangy hoisin sauce balanced with soy sauce and fresh lime juice.

I could eat this sauce with just about anything.

Drizzled over salads, tossed in a stir-fry, as a dipping sauce for chicken wraps…

I could practically drink this stuff.

Make Ahead / Pack for Lunches

And as great as they are for a quick weeknight dinner, lettuce cups like these make awesome leftovers. The filling can be entirely cooked and assembled a day ahead and just reheated on the stovetop or in the microwave. With everything cooked in advance, you can literally have dinner on the table in 5 minutes flat.

And they’re a pretty spectacular lunch as well. In my book, saucy, fresh lettuce wraps trump a boring old PB&J any day. Just pack the filling and the lettuce leaves in two separate containers so the lettuce doesn’t get soggy. If eating them taco-style is too messy for the middle of the work-day, just pour the topping over the lettuce and eat it like a salad – it’s great either way!

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5 from 1 vote

Asian Chicken Lettuce Cups

Super saucy chicken and vegetable in a sweet, tangy sauce comes together in 25 minutes and makes a perfect filling for lettuce cups. We love the leftovers packed for lunches!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Asian, Chinese

Keyword: 30-minute meal, chicken dinner, easy dinner, fakeout takeout

Servings: Servings

Calories: 480kcal

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef

Cost: $10.00

Equipment

Mixing Bowl
Wok or skillet

Ingredients

For the Sauce:

3/4 cup Hoisin Sauce
1/4 Soy Sauce (low-sodium preferred; reduce to 2 Tbsp if using regular soy sauce)
1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
1 clove Garlic, minced
2 tsp grated Fresh Ginger
3 tsp Cornstarch
1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (optional)

For the Lettuce Cups:

1 Tbsp Oil
1 Bell Pepper, chopped (any color)
1 1/2 lb Ground Chicken (or use ground pork / beef / turkey or finely chopped extra-firm tofu)
1/4 cup Water Chestnuts, rinsed and drained and finely chopped
16 leaves Lettuce (Boston Bibb or the outer leaves of a head of Iceberg)
1/2 cup Roasted, Unsalted Peanuts
1 Lime, cut into wedges

Instructions

In a small mixing bowl (or a mason jar with a lid), combine all ingredients for the sauce. Whisk or shake until smooth and evenly combined. (Sauce can be made up to a week ahead.)
Prep all remaining ingredients and set them beside the stove.
Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and when it begins to shimmer, add bell peppers and saute until tender, about 3 minutes.
Add ground chicken and saute until chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes more. Carefully drain off any liquid in the pan and return the pan to the heat. Add water chestnuts and sauce and bring to a simmer. Simmer until sauce thickens and coats chicken, 2 minutes. Squeeze the juice of 2 lime wedges over the filling (reserve the other wedges to serve with dinner).
Set filling, lettuce cups, and peanuts on the table so that everyone can assemble their own or scoop roughly 1/4 cup of filling into each lettuce leaf and serve peanuts in a bowl in the middle.

Nutrition

One of my little mischief-makers (*cough* Clara) is so eager for dinner these days that she figured out how to pull out the dining room chairs and take a seat. Now she’s eyeing the table as her new favorite spot to play.

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