Chicken lettuce wraps are rapidly becoming our favorite healthy dinner choice. It started last fall when our daughter, Lauren Keys, happened to mention that Trader Joe’s Korean BBQ sauce turned diced chicken into amazing lettuce wraps. Lauren’s college friend. Katherine Kaiser, conspired and made a bottle of the stuff appear on my kitchen counter. The first time I made them, we could not stop eating these lettuce tacos: they had heat and sweet and crunch and were filled with everything fresh and healthy.
I know; the sauce is from a bottle and not homemade. Could you make the sauce from scratch? Absolutely. And I would give you a standing ovation! I just like the ease that it comes from a bottle and its really delicious. If you don’t have Trader Joe’s nearby, you can order the sauce from Amazon or you can use another brand from your local grocery store. I have listed a gazillion chopped toppings to go with the chicken and lettuce. Please don’t try to use all of them because it will be too much. Select half a dozen that you like or have on hand. For sure do the chopped peanuts, a few veggies, the cilantro, and a spicy sauce, either chili garlic sauce or sriracha. And about the lettuce, iceberg is my favorite, because it has such great crunch. For this blog, I used butter lettuce, with its more manageable sized leaves and tender taste. I imagine romaine would work as well.
Chicken Lettuce Wraps
boneless, skinless chicken breasts ( I used 2.5 lbs which would be plenty for 4 people)
bottled Korean BBQ sauce (I used 1/2 of a 19 oz. bottle of Trader Joe’s brand)
lettuce, a large head of iceberg or 2 heads of butter lettuce
chili garlic sauce or sriracha
choice of toppings:
julienned carrot
chopped cucumber
cilantro, roughly chopped
thinly sliced radish
thinly sliced purple cabbage
sliced water chestnuts
bean sprouts
minced jalepéno
chopped green onion
roughly chopped peanuts
Wash the lettuce and carefully separate the leaves, placing them out on a towel to drain. Prep all the toppings and place them in small bowls. Small dice the chicken breasts. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle in a bit of olive oil and add the diced chicken. Allow it to sear a few minutes and then stir, to allow other surfaces to sear. Cook through, until no more pink shows. Stir in desired amount of Korean BBQ sauce and heat for a minute or so. Remove from heat and place into a serving bowl.
Arrange the chicken, lettuce, and toppings out on the table, to allow everyone to assemble their own lettuce wraps. You will need a garden hose to clean your hands and face when you are finished eating, but you will be so happy that you won’t care. And your body will thank you too. If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, turn them into a salad for lunch the next day.
