Love, love, love, lettuce wraps.
This recipe makes a double batch. However, there are only two of us, so if you have a large family of 4 or more, the entire recipe will be perfect. We eat about half and I freeze the other half for another dinner or lunch.
Lettuce wraps are also great for an appetizer party. My aunt puts the meat in a crockpot and just places the lettuce cups next to it. Everyone can serve themselves.
Did you know that PF Chang’s has gluten-free lettuce wraps? They have an entire gluten-free menu if you’re interested. Make sure when you order that you double-check that the condiments they bring to the table are also gluten-free.
Asian Lettuce Wraps
*This recipe is adapted from my aunt, Judy Zumeks’ recipe.
14 Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Thighs (sounds like a lot but they are small – you can also use ground turkey or pork)
1 Green Bell Pepper, finely diced (I had green, you can also use red, yellow, or orange)
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons Freshly Grated Ginger
1 Jalapeno, seeds removed and diced
4 Green Onions, thinly sliced
1 8oz Can Water Chestnuts, drained and chopped
8 Tablespoons Sweet Chili Sauce
3 Tablespoons Fish Sauce (make sure it’s gluten-free)
3 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
7 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (I use gluten-free Tamari sauce)
3 Tablespoons Sriracha Sauce
4 Tablespoons Fresh Cilantro, chopped
Olive Oil
Iceberg Lettuce (or any type of lettuce you like, I like the iceberg because it’s firm and crisp)
In two batches, place the chicken thighs in a food processor and pulse until “ground”. I thought I had ground turkey in the freezer but I did not, so this is what I settled with and I am so happy I did! It’s incredibly easy to “grind” and less expensive than buying organic ground meat. I will never buy ground chicken, turkey, or pork again.
Place the ground meat (both batches) in a bowl and add the bell pepper, garlic, ginger, jalapeno, and green onions.
Stir to combine. Drizzle the olive oil in a large skillet and heat on medium-high. Add the chicken mixture and cook until meat is done. It will turn a pale color, don’t cook it until it is browned, the garlic will burn and the chicken will be tough. Once the chicken is done, add the chili sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, sriracha, water chestnuts, and cilantro. Stir to combine and simmer for 10 minutes.
This meal was incredibly easy so right after dinner I even had time to make my Lemon Buttercream Cupcakes for dessert. (Of which my husband and I ate 3 each and then were so loaded up on sugar we couldn’t sleep. Two is perfect…three might have been just one too many. But they were so good!)
