Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
My favorite dinners are the ones that are simple, fresh, and herbaceous. These Thai chicken lettuce wraps hit all of these requirements and more. The marinated chicken in this recipe is an easy, hands off way to create tremendous flavor while reducing the amount of prep time. The freshness you’ll get from the lettuce combined with the savoriness of the chicken and herbaceousness from the relish is the perfect combination for a quick, satisfying dinner.
How to make lettuce wraps that don’t fall apart? This is a very valid question that I’ve solved based on a lot of trial and error. The key to structuring lettuce wrap so they don’t fall apart is to use multiple pieces of butter lettuce to wrap the chicken and relish in. This way there’s more of a foundational base of the wrap to hold in all of the rest of the ingredients.
Can you substitute any other nuts for peanuts in Thai chicken lettuce wraps? Yes, feel free to use any nuts or seeds you have instead of peanuts. Pretty much any substitution works in this case. My personal favorite substitution for peanuts in Thai chicken lettuce wraps would be sliced or chopped almonds. The main reason why nuts are included in this recipe is to add a nice crunch to the wraps. As long as you’re keeping that texture in mind when making substitutions, the recipe will turn out great. If you’d prefer to forego nuts altogether, substitute for a shredded cabbage or carrot. This will make the relish more of a slaw, but still contribute a nice crunch to the recipe.
Ingredients for the marinade
Can you make Thai chicken lettuce wraps with ground meat? Yes, for a super quick dinner you can substitute ground turkey, chicken, or beef for chicken thighs in this recipe. When making this substitution, I recommend using the marinade to cook the ground meat in after it’s been browned in a saucepan. Keep in mind, if you’re using a fatty meat such as ground beef you may want to drain some of the fat from the pan after browning it.
Ingredients for the cilantro peanut relish
Cilantro peanut relish, ready to serve
What goes with lettuce wraps for dinner? My favorite sides to accompany Thai chicken lettuce wraps are a fresh, spicy cucumber salad or steamed rice. See our recipe for spicy smashed cucumber salad here. The reason why I love this cucumber salad is because this recipe is very citrusy and savory, making the cucumber salad a welcome fresh addition to the Thai chicken lettuce wraps. Steamed rice is also a great side dish to lettuce wraps because it adds carbs to the dinner, but it’s also a great vessel to soak up any sauce, relish, or meat that falls out of the wraps. Bonus points if you prepare both to go with these Thai chicken lettuce wraps!
Which lettuce is best for wraps? My preference is to use butter lettuce for lettuce wraps. This lettuce typically comes in full heads that will last a while in the fridge, and they’re the perfect balance of fresh, crisp, and delicate. If you can’t find this at your grocery store, you can also substitute iceberg lettuce or romaine lettuce. The key here is to choose a very crisp lettuce, avoiding any dark leafy greens that will either be too delicate or too fibrous for this recipe.
How to make Thai chicken lettuce wraps:
Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
- Juice and zest of one lime
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 1 tbsp grated garlic
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/2 cup peanuts, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- 2 limes, for serving
- 4 chicken thighs, about 1 lb in total
- 1 head of butter lettuce
Instructions
- Mix together all of the ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl and add chicken thighs. Toss the meat in the marinade until they’re fully coated. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate the thighs in the fridge for at least one hour or up to overnight.
- When ready to cook, preheat the grill or grill pan and spray with coconut oil so the chicken doesn’t stick.
- Mix all of the components for the relish in a small bowl and set aside to let the flavors come together while you’re grilling the chicken.
- Grill chicken thighs over medium heat for about 5 minutes per side, until the meat registers 165 degrees with a meat thermometer. Discard any extra marinade.
- Set the chicken aside to rest for about 15 minutes before slicing.
- Meanwhile, wash and separate out all of the lettuce layers from the head of butter lettuce, ensuring you dry each piece significantly to avoid the lettuce from getting soaked.
- Slice a lime into wedges for serving.
- Slice the chicken into thick strips so you can fit about 3 pieces on each wrap.
- Assemble wraps when ready to eat, putting chicken, a big spoonful of relish, and a fresh squeeze of lime on every one. Enjoy!
