Ground Chicken Lettuce Cups
These chicken lettuce cups are a reliable weeknight dinner my family always asks for. They come together quickly and are adaptable: use ground chicken, turkey, or pork depending on what you have on hand. Once you know the method, the whole meal can be on the table in about 20–30 minutes. The filling cooks fast, the prep is minimal, and everyone can customize their own cup with the garnishes they prefer.
Prep Tips
Start by heating a bit of neutral oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Brown the ground meat, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. While the meat cooks, slice the green onions and dice the carrots so they’re ready to add once the meat is almost done.
When you add the vegetables, whisk the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and pour it over the meat and veggies. Let everything simmer briefly so the flavors meld and the carrots soften. For a quick way to peel ginger, use the side of a teaspoon—it’s easier and wastes less. Store toasted sesame oil in the refrigerator to extend its shelf life.
What to Serve with Lettuce Cups
Serve these lettuce cups with plenty of fresh garnishes so everyone can build their own. Good options include julienned red or yellow bell pepper, cucumber sticks, avocado slices, shelled edamame, fresh cilantro leaves, sriracha for heat, sesame seeds, or chopped toasted peanuts for crunch. Leftover filling reheats well and makes a convenient lunch the next day.
Asian Lettuce Wraps
I like to offer a variety of condiments so each person customizes their wrap: sliced bell peppers, cucumber sticks, cilantro, radish slices, and a hot sauce like sriracha if you want heat. Ground turkey or pork work well in place of chicken. To make the recipe gluten-free, swap regular soy sauce for tamari or coconut aminos; to make it compliant with Whole30, omit hoisin and use coconut aminos.
15 mins
15 mins
30 mins
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon organic avocado oil (or any neutral oil)
- 2 pounds ground dark-meat chicken (or turkey or pork)
- 4 green onions, white and green parts thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
- 2 large carrots, diced (about 2 cups)
- 1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari (use coconut aminos to make Whole30)
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (omit for Whole30)
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated (about a 2-inch piece)
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil (optional; omit for Whole30)
- 1 large head bib or butter lettuce, leaves separated, washed and dried
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground chicken and brown it, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. When the meat is nearly cooked through, add the sliced green onions and diced carrots and sauté together for 2–3 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce (or tamari), hoisin sauce, grated ginger, water, and sesame oil. Pour this mixture over the meat and vegetables. Cover the pan and let everything simmer for 5–7 minutes, or until the carrots are tender and the flavors have blended.
- To assemble, spoon about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture into the center of a lettuce leaf and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Offer additional toppings on the side—such as julienned bell pepper, cucumber sticks, edamame, avocado, sesame seeds, or chopped peanuts—so everyone can build wraps to their taste.
