Name: Asian Lettuce Wraps
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 tsp olive oil; 1 lb ground chicken ((or ground meat of choice)); 1/2 cup finely chopped onion; 8 oz canned water chestnuts, drained & finely chopped; 1/2 cup finely chopped celery; 1 head iceberg lettuce; 3/4 cup storebought teriyaki sauce + 1 tbsp cornstarch ((whisked together to combine)); 4 tbsp hoisin sauce; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp rice vinegar; 1 tsp sesame oil; .5 tbsp fresh chopped ginger ((or ginger paste)); .5 tbsp cornstarch

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Asian lettuce wraps are one of my favorite restaurant dishes. They are healthy, fresh, and low carb. You can enjoy them as an appetizer or a main course! Our version is full of veggies, ground chicken and an asian sauce (we’ll show you how to make it, or you can use store bought if you are short on time). This is an easy 15 minute meal we love!

Ingredients for Asian Lettuce Wraps:

Celery- This helps with giving a nice crunch to the filling.
Water Chestnuts- Another crunchy texture, canned water chestnuts are delicious left in large or small chunks.
Onion- I used half of a large white onion, which yielded about 1/2 cup chopped.
Ground Chicken- The base of these lettuce wraps, Isernio’s is my favorite brand (it is half breasts and thighs which gives it a much richer flavor). You could use pork, turkey, beef, or any other favorite ground meat of your choice.
Sauce
- Homemade: Hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, garlic and ginger.
- Store Bought: My favorites are Yoshida’s, Veri Veri Teriyaki, and Trader Joes Island Soyaki.
Cornstarch- This helps thicken the sauce to a sticky texture.
Sesame Seeds- Optional, for garnish.

First step is to prep our veggies by chopping celery, onion and water chestnuts. I like to chop them finely, but chefs choice if you prefer a heartier lettuce wrap filling.

You could add or substitute other vegetables for the filling.

Mushrooms
Carrots
Bean Sprouts (mung beans)
Zucchini
Broccoli
Peas
Sweet Peas

Next step is to sautéed the ground chicken on medium-high heat, breaking it up into small pieces as you cook it. No need to add seasoning, we will do that as the final step with the sauce. Place the fully cooked ground chicken into a separate bowl, then sauté the chopped vegetables until the onion is translucent. Once translucent, add in the ground chicken, and the sauce (full instructions on the recipe card below). Once the sauce is bubbling, cook for about 2-3 minutes and then turn off heat.

Add cornstarch to the teriyaki mixture directly, and whisk with a fork until fully combined, which will help thicken the sauce once it cooks (you don’t want to add cornstarch directly to the pan as it will be lumpy). Once the sauce is bubbling, cook for about 2-3 minutes and then turn off heat.

I like to allow the filling to cool slightly so it doesn’t wilt the lettuce- about 10-15 minutes seems to do it.

Spoon the filling, garnish with green onion and/or sesame seeds and serve! This dish is delicious served with white rice (oven baked rice is so easy!).

If you are looking for more delicious Asian inspired recipes, here are some other ideas.

Enjoy these delicious low carb treats! – Rachel and Kathi