These Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps are delightfully fresh and the taste is tantalizingly Thai! You will love the combination of warm filling with the crisp, cool lettuce (cabbage, large spinach leaves, or fresh roll wrappers can also be used). When it comes to making a good wrap, the filling is everything, and this Thai version is especially good, made with lightly marinated chicken which is stir-fried and then accented with both mint and basil for a perfect marriage of flavors that will delight your palatte, and the various crisp and crunchy textures make for a fun, satisfying meal. It works as a lively and impressive party food or appetizer. ENJOY!
Prep Time: 24 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: SERVES 2-4 as a Main Entree
Ingredients:
- 1 head iceberg or other lettuce, OR pre-packaged lettuce for wraps
- 1/2 to 1 lb. chicken breast or thigh, chopped into small pieces
- 4 green onions, finely sliced
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1 small red bell pepper, diced
- 4-5 mushrooms
- 3-4 Tbsp. chopped roasted peanuts or cashews
- 2 cups bean sprouts
- 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil for stir-frying
- STIR-FRY SAUCE:
- 2 Tbsp. sherry or cooking sherry
- 1 Tbsp. oyster/oyster-flavored sauce
- 2+1/2 Tbsp. fish sauce
- 1 tsp. palm sugar OR brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper OR chili flakes
- 1/2 Tbsp. vinegar
- EASY SERVING SAUCE: (double if more than 2 people)
- 2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp. fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp. palm sugar OR brown sugar
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, to taste
Preparation:
- Cut the core out of the head of lettuce and separate into leaves (see tips below). Pile on a plate and set in refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Combine all 'Stir-Fry Sauce' ingredients together in a cup, stirring well to dissolve sugar, and set aside. In a separate cup, combine all 'Easy Serving Sauce' ingredients. Taste-test for spice, adjusting the cayenne to suite your taste. If too sweet or salty, add a little more lime juice. Place in a small bowl for serving.
- Pour 3-4 Tbsp. of the stir-fry sauce over prepared chicken. Stir well and set aside to briefly marinate.
- Warm a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle in vegetable oil, then add half the green onions (reserve rest for later), and garlic. Stir-fry one minute, then add the chicken. Stir-fry 2-3 minutes, adding more stir-fry sauce if pan becomes dry.
- Add mushroom and bell pepper, plus 2-3 Tbsp. more stir-fry sauce, or as much as you need to keep ingredients moist and frying nicely. Stir-fry 2-3 more minutes, or until everything is nicely cooked. Reduce heat to low and taste-test, adding more fish sauce if not flavorful enough. If too salty, add a squeeze of lime juice.
- Switch off heat. Transfer the stir-fry to a bowl for serving using a slotted spoon (you want the filling on the dry side). Chop up the mint and basil and add to the bowl. Also add the reserved green onion, peanuts, and bean sprouts (OR you can serve the peanuts and sprouts as separate toppings to be added by your guests). Drizzle over the lime juice (1 Tbsp) and gently all together. Serve immediately.
- To Serve, place this flavorful bowl of filling on the table together with the prepared lettuce leaves and side sauce, letting each person wrap their own. To assemble: spoon some of the hot filling into a lettuce leaf, drizzle over some of the sauce, and ENJOY! (Note: crispy noodles also make a fun & delicious topping).
Tips for Separating Lettuce Leaves: To make separating easier and with less ripping, I find it helps to fill your sink one-third to halfway with cold water and plunge the lettuce head into it. Then gently separate leaves under water. Or simply rinse the head well with cold water, including the hole where the core was, and then separate.
