P.F. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps

The flavor from this Chicken Lettuce Wrap is a common base used in many Asian cuisines, so it was fairly easy for me to recreate.

Lettuce wraps are a great way to have a very satisfying guilt-free meal in minutes!

This recipe has been kid-tested and approved!

And most of the ingredients can be found in your local grocery store. Take a look below for a list and photo of what you will need to make this chicken lettuce wrap copycat recipe.

• Sesame oil - I used roasted pure sesame oil. It gives the dish a nice smoky flavor which goes well with the other sauces used in this lettuce wrap recipe. You can find Sesame oil in the Asian aisle of the grocery store. This one is my favorite!
• Ground chicken
• Onion - any variety will work
• Garlic
• Soy sauce - You can use either regular or low-sodium.
• Hoisin sauce - Gives this lettuce wrap recipe that authentic Asian flavor.
• Ginger
• Rice vinegar
• Sriracha sauce
• Water chestnuts - They are canned and you can get them whole or sliced.
• Green onions
• Lettuce - I used Boston Bibb lettuce. See substitution below.
• Mung bean noodles (optional) - They are also known as Bean Thread noodles and are typically gluten-free.

1. Add sesame oil to a medium skillet on medium heat. Add the ground chicken and cook until it is no longer pink.
2. On the same skillet, add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook until soft and translucent.
3. Add soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, rice wine vinegar, and sriracha sauce. 
4. Fold in water chestnuts, green onion, and more sesame oil. You can stop right here, and start enjoying your chicken lettuce wraps if you wish. Steps 5 and 6 are for preparing the mung bean noodles if you want to add noodles to your lettuce wraps. See instructions on how to cook mung bean noodles below.

*See the recipe card below this post for full written instructions on how to make Chicken Lettuce Wraps.

How To Cook Mung Bean Noodles

You have the option of stir-frying the noodles or deep-frying them.

Some people like to deep fry the mung bean noodles because it gives an extra crunch to the dish. In my personal opinion, the water chestnuts give the lettuce wrap that crunch and it has flavor. Deep-fried mung beans don't have flavor by themselves. They need to be eaten with savory dishes.

I chose to stir-fry the noodles in this recipe because it gives the noodles more flavor and gives them a nice golden color. Stir-frying also eliminates the extra fat from deep-frying the noodles.

But you have options!

5. If stir-frying, first soak the noodles. Drain. Using the same skillet, add the noodles and stir-fry. Add a bit of water to scrape off bits from the pan.  
   • If deep-frying put dry noodles in oil, and cook until noodles puff up. Using a slotted spoon, remove the noodles from the pan and place them on a plate covered with a paper towel to help absorb the oil from the noodles.
   • NOTE: Whether you're stir-frying or deep-frying the mung bean noodles, be sure to cut them first so they're not too long and will be easier to eat.
6. Serve ground chicken mixture on a bed of stir-fried (or deep-fried) mung bean noodles and wrap it in a lettuce leaf. Garnish with sliced green onions and more sriracha sauce as needed. 

*See the recipe card below this post for full written instructions on how to make Chicken Lettuce Wraps.

Fun Facts About P.F. Chang's Lettuce Wraps

Did you know that lettuce wraps originated in Southeast Asia over a thousand years ago?

And did you also know that the name P.F. Chang originated from the names of the two guys who created the idea and the vision behind P.F. Chang restaurant, named Philip Chang and Paul Fleming? Philip was born in Shanghai and came to the States with his mom Celia Chang. Philip started his own bistro and served small plate types of dishes, with a focus on fresh ingredients.

One of his regular patrons, Paul Fleming, the co-owner of Ruth Chris Steakhouse, convinced Philip to open up a restaurant specializing in Asian cuisine.

And the rest is history.

Substitutions and Variations

What I love about this recipe is that the ingredients are so versatile you can make some substitutions if you wish to suit your own flavor profiles and make your own version of this lettuce wrap copycat recipe. Enjoy!

• Sesame oil - any other oil you choose would work fine. We prefer the roasted flavor of the sesame oil which complements the other sauces in this recipe.
• Ground Chicken - you can use ground turkey or ground pork if you prefer.
• Vegetarian - use tofu in place of ground chicken. I will have a recipe for that coming soon.
• Onion - you can substitute and use shallots.
• Soy sauce - use Coconut Aminos to make this gluten-free.
• Hoisin sauce - there are gluten-free brands, be sure to read the label.
• Sriracha - any of your other favorite hot sauces will do. Note that Sriracha sauce is naturally gluten-free. Make this recipe kid-friendly and omit this ingredient if they do not like spicy!
• Lettuce - Iceberg, Romaine, Boston, Butter Bibb lettuce leaves are all great options.
• Mung Bean Noodles - you can use vermicelli rice noodles, glass noodles, or cellophane noodles.

NOTE: By substituting the soy sauce for coconut aminos, this Chicken Lettuce Wrap recipe can be made gluten-free. It can also be made complete vegetarian, by replacing ground chicken with tofu or just omitting the ground chicken altogether.