These lettuce wraps with spicy crumbled chicken, fresh herbs, and lime are a longtime favorite of Bon Appétit readers (and staff). Inspired by larb, the saucy filling gets its savory-sweet heat from a blend of soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, and sriracha, with plenty of garlic and scallions. The combination of warm, spicy ground chicken, cool, crisp lettuce, fresh cilantro or mint, crunchy store-bought fried shallots, and bright citrus comes together in just about 20 minutes. It’s a high-reward dinner for very little effort.
Chicken lettuce wraps FAQ
What kind of lettuce should I use?
Bibb lettuce is our first choice: Its leaves are tender and pliable enough to fold around the spicy chicken filling without tearing. Boston and butter lettuce are good substitutes, while romaine “boats” will give the wraps more crunch.
Can I make these lettuce wraps with a different ground meat?
Absolutely. Ground pork, beef, turkey, or lamb can be swapped for the ground chicken without otherwise changing the recipe. For fattier meats, like ground beef and lamb, you can start with 1½ Tbsp. oil.
Can I make these chicken lettuce wraps gluten-free?
Yes. Swap the soy sauce for tamari or liquid aminos. (Check the label to ensure the brand you’re using is certified gluten-free.)
What should I serve with chicken lettuce wraps?
These lettuce wraps make a complete light dinner on their own, but steamed jasmine rice or coconut rice will make the meal more substantial. You can also skip the lettuce and spoon the chicken, herbs, fried shallots, and lime over rice for an easy rice bowl.
Recipe information
Total Time
20 minutes
Yield
2 servings
Ingredients
3
2
2
2
3
6
4
1
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
Mix 3 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce, 2 Tbsp. light or dark brown sugar, 2 Tbsp. sriracha, and 2 tsp. fish sauce in a small bowl to combine; set aside.
Step 2
Heat 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a skillet over medium. Add 6 scallions, thinly sliced, and 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped, and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until softened (a little color is okay), about 3 minutes. Add 1 lb. ground chicken and lightly season with kosher salt. Cook, breaking up meat with spoon and tossing occasionally, until cooked through, 5–7 minutes. Add reserved soy sauce mixture and cook, tossing occasionally, until liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
Step 3
Serve chicken mixture with Bibb lettuce leaves, mint leaves and/or cilantro leaves with tender stems, lime wedges, store-bought fried shallots, and more sriracha for making lettuce wraps.
Editor’s note: This recipe was first published in 2019; it has been updated based on reader feedback to increase the sauce and reduce the saltiness. Head this way for more of our favorite weeknight dinners →