Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Savory ground chicken stir-fried with shiitakes, water chestnuts, garlic and ginger in a glossy tamari sauce, spooned into cool butter lettuce cups. A restaurant favorite in 25 minutes.
Nutrition per serving
3 lettuce wraps- Net carbs
- 6.1g
- Calories
- 329kcal
- Protein
- 33g
- Fat
- 19g
- Total carbs
- 12 g
- Fiber
- 2.4 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Pork lettuce wraps: Ground pork is richer and more traditional in many Chinese-style lettuce wraps, and it browns beautifully.
- Cook the pork 7–9 minutes, until browned and no pink remains (160°F/71°C), and spoon off excess fat before adding the mushrooms.
Shrimp lettuce wraps: Chopped shrimp cook in a couple of minutes and give the filling a sweet, juicy bite.
- Cook the mushrooms and aromatics first, then add the shrimp and stir-fry 2–3 minutes, just until pink and opaque, before adding the sauce.
Vegetarian (tofu): Crumbled, crisped tofu and extra shiitakes make a savory meat-free filling with the same sauce and crunch.
- Crumble the pressed tofu into the hot oil and cook 8–10 minutes, stirring now and then, until golden and slightly crisp, then add all the mushrooms and continue as written.
- Sauce
- Filling
- To serve
- Nice to have (optional)
- Sauce
- Filling
- To serve
- Nice to have (optional)
- Sauce
- Filling
- To serve
- Nice to have (optional)
- Sauce
- Filling
- To serve
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
Estimated cost $19.42 for 4 servings ($4.86 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Whisk the tamari, rice vinegar, allulose, sesame oil and sriracha in a small bowl.
-
Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and let it brown undisturbed for 2 minutes, then cook 4–6 minutes more, breaking it into small crumbles, until no pink remains and it reads 165°F (74°C).
-
Add the shiitakes and cook 3–4 minutes, until softened and any liquid has cooked off. Stir in the water chestnuts, garlic, ginger and green onion whites and cook 1 minute, until fragrant.
-
Pour in the sauce and toss 1–2 minutes, until it bubbles, reduces slightly and coats the filling. Stir in most of the green onion tops.
-
Spoon the filling into the lettuce cups and top with the remaining green onions and the sesame seeds. Pass extra sriracha at the table.
Tips for success
-
Water chestnuts give the classic crunch but are the main carb source here. Finely diced jicama is a lower-carb crunchy swap. - Let the chicken brown before you break it up too finely — those golden bits add a lot of flavor.
- For a richer, hoisin-style sauce, use 3 tbsp sugar-free hoisin sauce in place of the allulose and rice vinegar.
Nice to have, not needed
- A drizzle of chili oil adds heat and gloss — sriracha at the table works too.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 4 days in the fridge
- Freezes up to 3 months
Reheat: Microwave the filling 1½–2 minutes or warm it in a skillet, then spoon it into cold, crisp lettuce leaves.
Prep tip: Pack the filling and the washed lettuce leaves separately; wrapped in a damp paper towel, the leaves stay crisp for several days.
Refrigerate the filling up to 4 days or freeze it up to 3 months; keep the lettuce separate. Reheat the filling and spoon it into cold lettuce.
Variations
3 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosPork lettuce wraps
ProteinGround pork is richer and more traditional in many Chinese-style lettuce wraps, and it browns beautifully.
- ground chicken → ground pork
6.7 g net · 456 kcal · 34 g protein · 32 g fat · ≈$4.59 per serving (+0.6 g net carbs vs the original)
Shrimp lettuce wraps
ProteinChopped shrimp cook in a couple of minutes and give the filling a sweet, juicy bite.
- ground chicken → raw shrimp
6.1 g net · 230 kcal · 37 g protein · 5.8 g fat · ≈$6.73 per serving (same net carbs as the original)
Vegetarian (tofu)
ProteinCrumbled, crisped tofu and extra shiitakes make a savory meat-free filling with the same sauce and crunch.
- ground chicken → extra-firm tofu (14 oz / 397 g)
- + 2 cups extra shiitake mushrooms
8.1 g net · 240 kcal · 21 g protein · 14 g fat · ≈$5.02 per serving (+2 g net carbs vs the original)
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