Chicken Lettuce Wraps (Exact PF Chang's Copycat!) (VIDEO) - CJ Eats Recipes (2024)

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Table of Contents

• Watch the Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe Video Below!
• Chicken Lettuce Wraps Ingredients
• Minced vs. Ground Chicken
• Chicken Lettuce Wraps: Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
• How to Keep Lettuce Crisp (a PF Chang’s Secret!)
• Expert Tips for Making The BEST Chicken Lettuce Wraps at Home!
• What Should I Serve with Chicken Lettuce Wraps?
• Storage, Reheating, and Make Ahead Tips
• Chicken Lettuce Wraps (Exact PF Chang’s Copycat!) Recipe
• Expert Tips for Making The BEST Chicken Lettuce Wraps at Home!

Chicken Lettuce Wraps Ingredients

Chicken

• 1lbchicken thigh,minced (see note)
• ½tspkosher salt
• ¼tspwhite pepper
• ¼tspBaking soda
• 1/2tspsesame oil

Vegetables

• ¼cupwater chestnuts,roughly chopped
• ¼cupdried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated and roughly chopped
  • I love cooking with shiitake mushrooms – they really shine in recipes like Mushroom Fried Rice and Creamy Mushroom Udon!
  • If you don’t have shiitake mushrooms on hand, you can substitute with another mushroom of your choice.
• 1scallion,sliced
• 4clovesgarlic,minced
• 4ozvermicelli rice noodle,use Three Lady Brand or Lungkow Brand for the signature crispy rice sticks to top Chicken Lettuce Wraps – I’ll talk about the exact technique I use to get them super crispy and puffed up below!
  • Vermicelli noodles are also used for Bihun Goreng and the filling for your favorite Egg Rolls!

• 1head iceberg lettuce – use a cold, crisp lettuce that can hold up to being used as a wrap. Butter and iceberg lettuce are the best options. You can also use romaine lettuce but they’ll be less like wraps and more like scoops, due to the long, thin and firmer nature of romaine lettuce leaves.

Sauce

• 2tbspoyster sauce
• 1tbspmushroom water – this is water from the rehydrated shiitake mushrooms; if you used fresh mushrooms or didn’t use shiitake mushrooms, you can substitute with broth or stock.
• 1tbsplight soy sauce
• 1/2tbspdark soy sauce
• 1tbspwhite vinegar
• 1tbspsake – You can substitute sake with another dry cooking wine (such as white wine or sherry) or chicken broth.
• ½tbspsugar
• 1tspsesame oil
• ½tspcornstarch

PRO TIPS

Minced vs. Ground Chicken

For Chicken Lettuce Wraps, I recommend hand-mincing boneless skinless chicken thighs. Hand-mincing the chicken (vs using ground chicken) results in a chunkier, less uniform texture that holds up nicely when mixed with the mushrooms and water chestnuts. Ground chicken cooks down to a finer texture than I prefer for Chicken Lettuce Wraps. I also find that using chicken thighs add more flavor.

If you are pressed for time or prefer to use ground chicken, that is okay! Use what you have or prefer.

Want to Use a Different Protein?

If you want to substitute with another protein, like ground beef or ground turkey, both work well for Chicken Lettuce Wraps.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps: Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions

1. Prepare and Season The Chicken

Finely mince the chicken thigh. (If you are using ground chicken, skip this step.) But notice how the texture is irregular vs ground chicken. I find that the chunks are more desirable and produce a better end result most similar to the version at P.F. Chang’s.

Season minced or ground chicken with salt, white pepper, sesame oil, and baking soda. Set aside.

PRO TIPS

Expert Tips for Making The BEST Chicken Lettuce Wraps at Home!

Hand Minced Chicken

• I recommend hand mincing chicken for Chicken Lettuce Wraps. Hand-mincing the chicken (vs using ground chicken) results in a chunkier, less uniform texture that holds up nicely when mixed with the mushrooms and water chestnuts. Hand minced chicken thighs also add more flavor to the dish. However, you can use ground chicken if you prefer!

Different Protein Substitutions

• If you want, you can also substitute with another protein, like ground beef or ground turkey.

Lettuce Options

• For Chicken Lettuce Wraps, you should use a cold, crisp lettuce that can hold up to being used as a wrap. Butter and iceberg lettuce are the best options. You can also use romaine lettuce but they’ll be less like wraps, more like scoops, due to the long, thin and firmer nature of romaine lettuce leaves.

How to Keep Lettuce Crisp

• To keep the lettuce crisp, pull off the individual lettuce leaves and submerge them in ice water until just before serving. When ready to serve, dry them with a towel or salad spinner – this is a PF Chang’s restaurant trick to keep the lettuce leaves springy and fresh!

What Should I Serve with Chicken Lettuce Wraps?

Chicken Lettuce Wraps are a crowd favorite at PF Chang’s, so why not have a PF Chang’s themed dinner at home? These are all dishes sold at PF Changs that you can make better and cheaper –

• Start with some noodles, like Chicken Lo Mein, Beef Lo Mein, Shrimp Lo Mein or a recent addition to their menu, Pad Thai! Don’t forget the Fried Rice!
• I always order some soup there, whether it’s Wonton Soup, Egg Drop Soup or Hot and Sour Soup, with a side of Pork Dumplings or Shrimp Dumplings.
• There are so many main dish options – like Beef with Broccoli, Monglian Beef, Kung Pao Chicken, Sesame Chicken, Orange Chicken, or Sweet and Sour Chicken. If you feel like seafood, make Salt and Pepper Shrimp or Miso Glazed Salmon. I can’t resist Sticky Ribs and we always get an order of Mapo Tofu, too!
• Don’t forget a vegetable side, like Chinese Eggplant or Spicy Sichuan Green Beans!

Storage, Reheating, and Make Ahead Tips

You can make the Chicken Lettuce Wrap filling ahead of time (1-2 days) and warm it up quickly on a pan or in the microwave right before serving.

You can store any leftover Chicken Lettuce Wrap filling in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Store the lettuce separately – I like to wrap the clean lettuce leaves in paper towels and keep them in a plastic bag in the vegetable crisper drawer of my refrigerator.

If you tried this Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!