Thai peanut chicken lettuce wraps are the healthy low carb dinner that tastes like takeout and comes together in 25 minutes. ♡
These Thai peanut chicken lettuce wraps spoon saucy ground chicken tossed in creamy peanut ginger sauce into crisp butter lettuce cups, then pile on shredded carrot, cucumber, and fresh herbs. Low carb, healthy, and ready in 25 minutes, this Thai inspired dinner tastes exactly like your favorite takeout menu. If you love bowl style Asian dinners, try my Thai basil ground chicken and Asian sesame noodle salad.
One skillet, bold Thai flavors, no deep frying. Let’s make it together.
Ingredients
Thai Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- 1.5 lbs ground chicken
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 scallions, sliced, white and green parts separated
- 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup diced water chestnuts, optional
Thai peanut sauce
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sriracha, more to taste
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tbsp warm water, as needed
For serving
- 2 heads butter lettuce, leaves separated
- 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup chopped Thai basil
- lime wedges
How to Make Thai Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Mix the sauce. Whisk peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, honey, rice vinegar, sriracha, and sesame oil. Add warm water 1 tablespoon at a time until silky.
- Brown. Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add ground chicken and cook 4 minutes, breaking it up into crumbles.
- Aromatics. Add the ginger, garlic, and white parts of the scallions. Cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Veggies. Stir in the bell pepper, carrots, and water chestnuts. Cook 3 minutes until just tender crisp.
- Sauce. Pour half the peanut sauce over the chicken and toss until every crumble is coated. Reduce heat and warm through.
- Prep lettuce. Separate butter lettuce leaves carefully and stack on a platter.
- Assemble. Spoon the saucy chicken into each lettuce cup. Top with cucumber, peanuts, cilantro, Thai basil, scallion greens, and a drizzle of extra sauce. Serve with lime wedges.
Why This Recipe Works
The Thai flavor triangle lives in this peanut sauce. Salty from soy, sour from lime, sweet from honey, and heat from sriracha. When all four hit at once the sauce tastes like the neighborhood Thai spot, not a homemade attempt. Balance is the entire secret.
Ground chicken browns in crumbles which hugs the peanut sauce in every bite. Sliced chicken or cubes have less surface area for sauce to cling to, but crumbles maximize the sauce to chicken ratio. Each spoonful carries the full flavor of the sauce.
Butter lettuce is used because the leaves hold their shape when filled. Iceberg tears, and romaine cracks. Butter lettuce has a soft curl that naturally cradles the filling and stays tender without flopping open.
Tips
- Storage. Store the chicken mixture and lettuce separately in the fridge for 3 days. Assemble fresh so the leaves stay crisp.
- Reheating. Reheat the chicken in a skillet over medium for 3 minutes with a splash of water. Microwave works in a pinch.
- Meal prep. Batch the chicken and peanut sauce on Sunday. Assemble lettuce wraps each day for 4 fresh lunches.
- Mistake to avoid. Do not pour all the sauce into the pan. Reserve half for drizzling so every wrap tastes fresh, not heavy.
- Ingredient swap. Ground turkey, pork, or beef work in place of chicken. Shrimp is also delicious.
- Spice level. Adjust sriracha to taste. Thai basil adds a subtle peppery heat.
- Nut free. Swap peanut butter for sunflower seed butter for a nut free version with the same creamy texture.
Variations
- Low carb bowl: skip the lettuce and serve over cauliflower rice
- Thai peanut rice bowl: spoon over jasmine rice for a heartier version
- Crispy noodle wrap: sprinkle with crispy chow mein noodles for crunch
- Mango summer: top with diced mango for a sweet tropical twist
- Nut free: swap peanut butter for sunflower butter, same creamy texture
- Vegetarian: use crumbled extra firm tofu in place of chicken
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Overcooking the chicken. Ground chicken dries fast. Pull it off heat the moment it is no longer pink.
- Saucing too much. Drowning the chicken in sauce makes the wraps messy. Use half the sauce for tossing and half for drizzling.
- Wet lettuce. Dry butter lettuce leaves thoroughly so the wrap does not slide apart.
- Skipping herbs. Cilantro and Thai basil are non negotiable. Without them the wraps taste flat.
- Using natural peanut butter without stirring. Unmixed peanut butter throws off the sauce consistency. Always stir the jar first.
Thai Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, honey, rice vinegar, sriracha, and sesame oil until silky.
- Heat avocado oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Brown ground chicken for 4 minutes, breaking into crumbles.
- Add ginger, garlic, and white parts of scallions. Cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in bell pepper, carrots, and water chestnuts. Cook 3 minutes until tender crisp.
- Pour half the peanut sauce over the chicken and toss to coat. Warm through.
- Separate butter lettuce leaves and stack on a platter.
- Spoon chicken into lettuce cups and top with cucumber, peanuts, herbs, and extra sauce.
