Easy Chicken Lettuce Wraps
These Easy Sesame Chicken Lettuce Wraps with radishes, snap peas and fresh herbs can be ready in as little as 15 minutes! They have plenty of crunchy fresh flavor the whole family will devour!
I originally shared this recipe on April 2nd, 2018. I have updated the images and text to share it with you today.
Table of contents
Why We Love This Recipe For Chicken Lettuce Wraps
If you are as busy as can be, then fast meals like these Easy Sesame Chicken Lettuce Wraps are a huge help for weeknight dinners. The gluten-free sesame and tamari sauce is slightly sweet from the addition of maple syrup. Plus the addition of toasted sesame oil lends bold Asian flavor to the dressing.
These easy lettuce wraps can be made with chicken breast or are ready in only 15 minutes when you use rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken.
Serve them with Sesame Noodles or Peanut Noodles or make it a grain-free meal and serve Simple Cucumber Salad or Napa Cabbage and Cucumber Slaw on the side.
Ingredients For Sesame Chicken Lettuce Wraps
For The Sauce
The sauce is made with a blend of tamari (wheat free soy sauce), avocado oil, toasted sesame oil, maple syrup, salt and red pepper flake.
Chicken Breast
We make this with leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken or it can also be made with chicken breast meat that is poached specifically for this recipe.
Below you will find instructions for how to cook the chicken using the poaching method. But note that you can also use leftover grilled or cooked chicken to make this a 15 minute recipe.
To make this with rotisserie chicken, note that one chicken yields about 14 ounces of cooked meat, so it’s perfect for a family of four. And make sure to save the bones to make chicken stock.
Veggies
To bulk up the serving size for these healthy lettuce wraps, we added in radishes and snap peas which are great spring and early summer veggies and low in calories.
Cut the radishes into thin strips. Remove the strings from the snap peas and cut them into bias strips about 1/4-inch thick.
Lettuce
For the starring ingredients you can choose whichever type of lettuce you like, but we happen to prefer the shape and texture of Boston Bibb Lettuce. Buttercup and Buttercrunch are also great tender bibb head lettuces to look for.
Remove the roots if still attached (specifically in hydroponic lettuce sold in clam shells) and gently pull the leaves from the head. Wash the leaves gently in cold tap water and spin them dry.
Herbs
To give this even more freshness and flavor we also added in chopped cilantro and mint. If you can find Thai Basil that would be a delicious option as well.
How To Make This Lettuce Cups Recipe
Step 1: Place chicken in a large saucepan and cover with water. Add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue simmering until the chicken is no-longer pink in the center, 12 to 16 minutes (depending on thickness.)
Step 2: Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and cut into bite-sized cubes and let cool 10 minutes.
Step 3: Whisk the avocado oil, tamari, maple syrup, toasted sesame oil and red pepper flake in a large bowl.
Step 4: Add the chicken, snap peas, radishes and herbs to the sauce.
Step 5: Stir the veggies and chicken into the sauce to coat.
Step 6: Lay the lettuce on the work surface hollow side up. Scoop the sesame chicken into the lettuce cups to form the wraps and add on the peanuts for topping.
FAQ and Expert Tips
Yes these are low carb. They have 9 total grams carbohydrates and 2 grams of fiber so they have a total of 7 grams net carbs and 5 grams sugar. For folks following a sugar-free diet, sugar substitute can be used in place of the maple syrup.
We recommend using any variety of Bibb lettuce such as Boston or Buttercup. Look for loosley dense heads with outer leaves showing no sign of wilt or breakage. Make sure to wash the leaves well in cold water and spin dry.
The chicken mixture is great made ahead and enjoyed cold. Store it up to 1 day in advance. Stir the chicken well before serving. Use a slotted spoon to leave any excess moisture behind.
More Recipes You May Like
- If you love lettuce wraps then try this Mexican Chicken Salad Lettuce Cups recipe with pepitas and avocado. They are creamy and spicy!
- The flavors of this recipe remind me of this Sesame Chicken Wonton Cup Bites recipe which is a fun little appetizer.
- Maple and sesame are a match made in heaven. Try them together in this recipe for Maple Tahini Sesame Chicken Stir-fry with Broccoli.
- This Mizuna Salad with peanuts may be one you would like.
- This Peanut Dressing and this Asian Sesame Dressing are two to try.
- This Snap Pea Spring Fattoush is made with spring ingredients! Or this Chicken and Quinoa Bowl also features peanut, snap peas and cilantro.
- If you have extra snap peas try our Roasted Sugar Snap Pea recipe.
At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie
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Easy Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
These Easy Sesame Chicken Lettuce Wraps are ready in just 15 minutes thanks to the convenience of rotisserie chicken. They have radishes, snap peas and fresh herbs in them to give plenty of crunchy fresh flavor the whole family will devour!
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 tablespoon organic canola oil or avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon tamari sauce
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons dark pure maple syrup
- pinch crushed red pepper flake
- 3 radishes, cut into strips
- 1 cup “stringless” snap peas, sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
- pinch salt, to taste
- 1/4 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped if desired
- 12 leaves Bibb lettuce, such as Boston, washed and dried
Instructions
- Place chicken in a large saucepan and cover with water. Add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue simmering until the chicken is no-longer pink in the center, 12 to 16 minutes (depending on thickness.)
- Transfer to a cutting board and cut into bite-sized cubes and let cool 10 minutes.
- Whisk avocado oil, tamari, sesame oil, maple syrup and red pepper flake in a large bowl.
- Add chicken, radishes, snap peas, cilantro and mint and toss to coat. Season with salt if desired.
- Serve the chicken salad in the lettuce wraps, about ½ cups each. Top with peanuts.
Notes
Rotisserie chicken can be substituted for the chicken breast. One chicken will yield about 14 ounces cooked chicken. For best results use while the chicken is still hot.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Category: entree
- Method: poach
- Cuisine: Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cup chicken mixture and 3 lettuce leaves
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 5 g
- Fat: 18 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 16 g
The photographs in this recipe are provided by Aysegul of Foolproof Living.
I love to find fast and healthy foods that only take minutes to prepare. Perfect for my lunch break.
What a fantastic recipe! We love these lettuce wraps, especially on a summer evening when we’re all craving something cool and easy. Love the dressing and the crunch of peanuts!
I already love lettuce wraps, but something about the crunchy fresh veggies in this recipe made these the best chicken lettuce wraps I’ve ever had!
These sesame chicken lettuce wraps are loaded with flavor! I love them for lunches.
These Easy Sesame Chicken Lettuce Wraps look and sound fabulous! They are perfect for a snack, lunch or even game day.
These are fabulous. Fun alternative to taco night.
I made your seasame noodles and heated up some store bought vegetable pot stickers to go with it. Do you happen to have a vegetable pot sticker recipe? Thanks so much for all you do.
I am so glad you liked them. I don’t have a potsticker but Lisa Linn is known for her potstickers. Here is her veggie ones https://healthynibblesandbits.com/how-to-make-potstickers/
Yum. I usually go to way more trouble than this and tonight: mama is tired. Great idea to just toss it all together. I have every single ingredient except the snap peas. 🙂 Frozen peas it is! Thanks for the inspiration. Pinned it.
Making lettuce wraps is such a great way to cut down on carbs. These are perfect for lunch or even dinner with a nice side salad. Healthy eating is so easy and delicious.
Scrolling all the way down seeing your beautiful and tempting clicks have made me hungry. This is such an easy and healthy recipe.I sometimes use a rotisserie chicken to make chicken curry when I am in a hurry, using it in a salad is a great idea.
I love finding ways to use rotisserie chicken!! I buy one almost every week! Love all the flavors in this wrap!
What a delicious way to start my day for lunch this looks amazing
That’s great to hear Claudia. Hope you enjoy it.
Already pinned this gorgeous number, Katie! I love using rotisserie chicken for so many things, and lettuce wraps is one of them. It’s my idea of the perfect lunch! Gorgeous photography, btw!
Thank you for pinning Traci!
This is a HIT with my teens … and me!!!
I am so glad you like the recipe Kimberly and your teens too. Glad to have the feedback. Have a great day.
I came to see the recipe, which looks delicious (as yours always do), & got the bonus of learning about the Hannaford app! How did I not know this? Now I do. Thanks!
Thank you so much for the compliment Julie. And glad to let you know about the app. It’s been so easy to use, and today I got my reward from the last quarter! Yay!