Easy and Healthy these Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps are a great dinner that is ready to eat in 20 minutes! Using ground chicken, fresh vegetables, and served on lettuce this a flavorful yet fast dinner the whole family will enjoy! Plus check out my section on how to serve to kids!
This post may contain Affiliate Links.
Asian Ground Chicken Lettuce Wraps
It is no secret I love Asian inspired recipes. So today’s recipe is another one I am proud to add to my collection, Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps.
I wanted these Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps to be easy, healthy, and delicious. So using ground chicken, a handful of fresh vegetables along with some standard Asian pantry items this meal came together quick.
Today I am also PUMPED to share with you a ‘kids plate’ version of this meal. I am in full support of dinners that feed the whole family but sometimes it isn’t always that easy to figure out how to do that. It is hard for a 2 year old to eat a lettuce wrap, I feel ya! So while my older kids adores this lettuce wrap style, serving the chicken mixture with rice is a great option for my younger child. Same meal just a bit different plating! So make sure you check that section out below!
Recipe for Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
So let’s check out the ingredients needed for this recipe:
- ground chicken
- carrot
- celery
- sliced shiitake mushrooms
- canned water chestnuts
- green onions (scallions)
- bibb or butter lettuce
And for the sauce, some Asian pantry staples:
- fish sauce
- soy sauce
- rice vinegar
- sesame oil
- honey
- red pepper flakes
This dinner comes together fast so I make sure the sauce is mixed together and the veggies are all prepped before starting! While there isn’t a lot of veggie chopping for this recipe you can make it even simpler by buying pre-cut when available, items like sliced mushrooms are readily available.
So to start I make the sauce, in a bowl mix together the fish sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
Now to cook the chicken, in a large skillet brown and crumble ground chicken over medium-high heat 6 to 7 minutes. Drain any extra liquids from the skillet. I find that some brands of ground chicken can release quite a bit of water so make sure you drain that out.
Next add the sauce, carrot, celery, and shiitake mushroom to the skillet. Mix in with the chicken and cook 6 to 7 minutes stirring occasionally until vegetables have become tender and sauce has reduced.
Add the water chesnuts and green onion to the skillet. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
To serve cut the lettuce leaves apart, I like to use a clean kitchen scissors to cut off each leaf at the stem. Then just add a scoop to the center of each leaf to make a lettuce wrap. Serve with garnishes like sesame seeds and sriracha if desired.
Serving Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps to Kids
First thing to note is that you know your kids the best, so go off of what you think is best! Second is that infants 12 months and younger should not consume honey which is in this recipe.
When introducing a new recipe like this one there are a ton of options of how you can help your kids LOVE it!
The first thing to take into consideration is your Child’s age. Lettuce wraps like tacos can require fine motor skills to eat. So my 4 1/2 year old can handle them with slight assistance while I don’t even bother with my 2 year old. Each kid is different but keep in mind how much you want to assist them or if they are able to handle eating the lettuce wraps on there own!
Next some kids flat out refuse lettuce/green things, if this is your case I definitely wouldn’t serve the meal as a lettuce wrap but still offer the lettuce on the off chance they will try it…
Speaking of trying lettuce, Bibb and Butter lettuce are both a more mild flavored lettuce as well as a soft texture, maybe you can even turn this into a little learning lesson, they might actually like this lettuce compared to others they have tried!
So if your kid isn’t going to eat this meal as a lettuce wrap then what on earth should you do?
Great question!
I recommend serving it with something familiar and one thing that I am guess most kids are going to be familiar with is rice! This Asian Chicken Filling goes so perfect with rice! PLUS rice would also make a great side dish for all of the adults and older kids eating this meal.
Now the exact kind of rice is up to you but I am a sucker for white rice plus it doesn’t take long to make! Check out my post on how to make the Best Stovetop Rice!
As far as serving I recommend serving each item separately on a plate, the Asian Chicken Filling, the rice, and a piece of lettuce.
Now when it comes to them eating, let them go at it! If the kids go for the rice first, great! If they are picking the chicken out of the filling but not eating the mushrooms, good for them! If they want to try to eat it with the lettuce like mom & dad, help them!
Remember kids are learning, even when it comes to things like trying new foods. Did you know that kids can be offered something up to 10 times before they truly decide whether or not they like it!? It might seem dramatic but be patient!
So give it a try! Feed your family with just one easy skillet meal!? No short order cooks here!
Need more side dish ideas for this meal? Besides rice I like to serve these Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps with an easy roasted vegetable like my Oven Roasted Broccoli. You could also skip the white rice and go for a healthy alternative like cauliflower rice or quinoa!
When I am feeling like a nice mom and want a little treat I will grab a box of frozen egg rolls to make with this dish!
Looking for more Asian Inspiration!? I have got you covered! Check these out:
- Asian Chopped Grilled Chicken Salad
- Grilled Pork Banh Mi (Vietnamese Sandwiches)
- Ground Pork Stir Fry
- Easy Pork Fried Rice
- 20 Minute Chicken Stir Fry
- Shrimp Stir Fry
- Crockpot Beef Pho
- Korean Ground Turkey & Rice Bowls
- Shrimp Banh Mi
- Orange Ginger Beef Stir Fry
Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
A healthy dinner ready to eat in 20 minutes, these Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps are made easy with ground chicken, fresh vegetables, and served in lettuce leaves to make the perfect meal for the whole family.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon honey
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 carrot, grated
- 1 celery rib, minced
- 5oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 8oz can water chestnuts, drained & roughly chopped
- 2 green onions (scallions), sliced
- 1 head of bibb or butter lettuce
Instructions
- In a bowl mix together the fish sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, and red pepper flakes to make a sauce. Set aside.
- In a large skillet brown and crumble ground chicken over medium-high heat 6-7 minutes. Drain any extra liquids from the skillet.
- Add the sauce, carrot, celery, and shitake mushroom to the skillet. Mix together with the chicken. Cook 6-7 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Add the water chesnuts and green onion to the skillet. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- To serve cut the lettuce leaves apart and add a scoop to the center of each leaf to make a lettuce wrap. Serve with garnishes like sesame seeds and sriracha if desired.
Notes
Using regular soy sauce gives this dish a lot of flavor but some might find it a bit salty, if sensitve to salt I recommend a low-sodium soy sauce.
In a pinch romaine lettuce would work in place of bibb or butter lettuce.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 294Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 121mgSodium: 1842mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 30g
Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.
Skip to Recipe
We are vegetarians but I’ve found you can just about follow any recipe, minus the meat. Any suggestions on what I could use to add texture? Making your blk bean slow cooker soup tonight…sounds delicious! Stay tuned for picture. Many thx. Katherine
You could try replacing the chicken with either tofu or maybe chickpeas? Hope that helps Katherine!