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Korean Chicken Lettuce Wraps
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4.71 from 17 votes

Korean Chicken Lettuce Wraps

No chopping or lengthy prep required for this easy weeknight meal of crisp lettuce wraps filled with saucy Korean ground chicken. The sauce is sweet and savory - spice it up as much as you'd like!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: chicken dinner, easy, easy dinner, easy, weeknight-friendly, quick
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef
Cost: $9.00

Equipment

  • Wok

Ingredients

Sweet and Savory Korean Sauce:

Korean Lettuce Wraps:

  • 1 Tbsp Cooking Oil (I like avocado or grapeseed oil; vegetable or canola oil would also work)
  • 1 1/2 lbs Ground Chicken (sub ground turkey or any other ground meat)
  • 2 Tbsp Water
  • 2 tsp Cornstarch
  • 2 tsp White Sesame Seeds
  • 16 leaves Boston, Bibb, or Butter Lettuce Leaves (see note)
  • 2 cups Cooked Rice (see note)
  • 1/2 cup Roasted Peanuts (preferably unsalted)
  • Extra Gochujang, for serving

Instructions

  • Make sauce by whisking together soy sauce, 6 Tbsp water, brown sugar, ketchup, Gochujang, rice vinegar, and toasted sesame oil. Set aside.
  • Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add cooking oil and when it begins to shimmer, add ground chicken. Saute, breaking the chicken apart, until chicken is nearly cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes.
  • Pour sauce over chicken and cook, stirring, until sauce begins to bubble.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together 2 Tbsp water and cornstarch to make a slurry.
  • Pour slurry over chicken and stir. Continue cooking until sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes more. Top chicken with sesame seeds.
  • Set out chicken, lettuce leaves, cooked rice (if using), roasted peanuts, and extra Gochujang. Assemble lettuce cups at the table and enjoy!

Notes

Gochujang is a Korean chili sauce that is spicy, sweet, and smoky. It is delicious and adds depth to the sauce. In a pinch, a bit of red pepper flakes or some Sriracha hot sauce would also work (but use 1/2 tsp because these have a more concentrated level of spice).
If you prefer to skip the spice you can reduce or omit this ingredient, but it would be a great idea to add some fresh chopped garlic or ginger to give the sauce added flavor that Gochujang would have given it.
Boston, Bibb, or Butter Lettuce leaves work best for these lettuce cups. Romaine or iceberg will also work (these have more crunch but are more difficult to wrap around the filling).
These lettuce wraps are great with some cooked rice to soak up the flavorful sauce. Quinoa, farro, or cauliflower rice would also work.
For a gluten-free version: substitute Tamari for the soy sauce and look for a gluten-free Gochujang or use another gluten-free hot sauce of your choice. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup (plus 1/2 cup rice) | Calories: 516kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 1244mg | Potassium: 885mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 95IU | Vitamin C: 4.8mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1.8mg