Lettuce wraps are one of the best meals (or appetizers) to make; they are incredibly delicious, an amazing low-carb meal, and they are one of the quickest and easiest meals to prepare. When it comes to lettuce wraps, nobody does it better than PF Changs. If you’ve ever been there and had their lettuce wraps, you know what I’m talking about, they are to die for. And if you haven’t been there and tried them, you probably should. After eating them there many years ago, I knew I had to recreate the recipe at home so I could enjoy that deliciousness at home whenever I wanted, and not just when we went out to eat. I found multiple copycat recipes on the internet and after testing out several of them, I put together this recipe by combining my favorite parts of each recipe to get what I think is the closest replica of the PF Changs ones, and I’ll have to say I think they are pretty darn close! The ingredients and spices used are perfect, the sauce has the right flavor and consistency, and everything comes out so delicious when combined.
As I said before, the preparation of these lettuce wraps is so fast and easy and it makes for the perfect weeknight meal when you don’t have a lot of time (they only take 15-20 minutes to prepare). The first, and probably most important, component is the sauce. This is what brings all the flavor into the dish and this is what varied most in all of the recipes I looked at. I finally settled on a sauce made of tamari, rice vinegar, sesame oil, peanut butter, water, agave, red chili sauce, and pepper. I found this to be the perfect combination of flavors to make the best and most flavorful sauce. The only ingredient that isn’t so common is the red chili sauce. I buy this one that’s sold at my local grocery store. I love this sweet red chili sauce in this recipe because it’s made with sun-ripened whole chili peppers and garlic and it adds such great flavor.
To make the filling for the wraps, you combine the chicken, onion, salt, and pepper in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Then add in the garlic and ginger (I absolutely love ginger, so I always tend to add way more than the recipe calls for!). Once those cook for a few minutes, you add in the sauce and combine. And then finally add in the green onion and water chestnuts. I think the water chestnuts are actually one of the most important ingredients in this whole dish; they add such a great textural pop and crispness that balances out the chicken and warm peanut sauce, so make sure you don’t forget them! Once everything is heated through, transfer the mixture to a bowl for serving and serve the filling alongside some chilled butter lettuce (or other large boat-like lettuce leaves), peanuts, and as usual, some hot sauce. I hope you enjoy these PF Changs lettuce wraps as much as we do and add them to your weeknight meal plan.
- 2 1/2 tablespoons gluten-free tamari (or soy sauce)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1/2 tablespoon water
- 1/2 tablespoon agave
- 2 teaspoons red chili sauce
- dash of pepper
- 1 pound ground chicken breast
- 1/2 onion, minced
- salt and pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 1/2 cup water chestnuts, drained & chopped
- 1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
- 1 head butter lettuce
- In a small bowl, combine the tamari, rice vinegar, oil, peanut butter, water, agave, red chili sauce, and pepper with a fork. Set aside.
- Heat a large, non-stick skillet over med-high heat. Add the chicken, onion, salt, and pepper. Cook until chicken is almost done, stirring often to break up the meat.
- Add the garlic and ginger and continue cooking until chicken is no longer pink. Then add the sauce and stir until combined.
- Add the green onions and water chestnuts and cook for 2 minutes until heated though.
- Serve in a bowl alongside the chopped peanuts and cold lettuce leaves.
