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3 chicken lettuce cups on a plate.
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5 from 51 votes

Chicken Lettuce Cups

This is a healthier version of a popular restaurant recipe for Chicken Lettuce Cups. It's loaded with vegetables for added nutrition and full of flavor!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Asian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 431kcal
Author Yumna Jawad

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 ¼ pound ground chicken
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 onion diced
  • 1 8-ounce can water chestnuts diced and drained
  • 4 ounces mushrooms diced
  • 2 carrots diced
  • ¼ red pepper diced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger minced
  • 2 cloves garlic cloves minced

Sauce

For serving

  • 1 head Bibb lettuce leaves or butter lettuce
  • 2 green onions thinly sliced
  • Crushed peanuts

Instructions

  • Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook until no longer pink, 5-8 minutes.
  • Add the onions, water chestnuts, mushrooms, carrots and peppers and continue cooking until the vegetables soften, 5 more minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 more minute.
  • In a small bowl whisk together the ingredients for the sauce.
  • Lower the heat to low and transfer the sauce to the skillet, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes to make sure the chicken mixture is well coated with the sauce.
  • To serve, scoop the chicken mixture onto the lettuce. Add peanuts and green onions, if desired.

Video

Notes

Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container, with the chicken mixture and lettuce separate. The recipe will last about 3-4 days in the fridge.
Make Ahead: The easiest part of the recipe to prepare in advance is the sauce. Just store it in the fridge when complete and it will be ready for the recipe. I would also recommend chopping the vegetables in advance, which can be a tedious part of this recipe if you choose to use all the vegetables I chose.
Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.
  • Ground chicken: You can substitute ground turkey, ground beef or even small diced chicken breasts for the ground chicken!
  • Vegetables: All the vegetables are optional. You can omit any or all of them or substitute with your favorites. 
  • Soy Sauce: If you have a soy allergy, try tamari sauce, or liquid aminos, and you can't tell the difference in taste.
  • Peanut Butter: If you have a peanut allergy, you can substitute any nut butter or seed butter.

Nutrition

Calories: 431kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 990mg | Potassium: 1287mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 5491IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 3mg