Copycat PF Changs Chicken Lettuce Wraps

There are dozens of copycat PF Chang’s lettuce wrap recipes out there, and these are the authentic chicken lettuce wraps you have been looking for! Don’t skip the crunchy rice noodles!

Years ago we used to love getting the lettuce wraps at PF Chang’s and set out to make a copycat recipe. It was full of delicious Asian components like hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, mushrooms and water chestnuts, etc. They were absolutely delicious, but totally not a copycat recipe. The more we’ve tried them and researched the more we discovered that PF Chang’s claims only a few ingredients and no veggies at all. So, we stripped the recipe down and went for a simply delicious, far more authentic copycat.

Ingredients for Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I used to be so intimidated when it came to Asian recipes because the ingredients list can be so long and slightly overwhelming, not to mention hard to find and items you only use once in a blue moon.  Well, this is NOT a recipe like that! Here is what you will need:

• Rice Noodles – don’t skip these! They are quick and easy to fry up and add a fabulous crunch to the wraps that you don’t want to miss!
• Oil – vegetable oil or canola oil works great
• Ground Chicken – see section below for possible substitutes, but you can keep these lettuce wraps super healthy by using lean ground chicken
• Vegetable and Sesame Oils – the combination of the two oils gives the perfect flavor, that sesame oil is critical in Asian cuisine
• Garlic – adds flavor
• Green Onions – adds flavor
• Soy Sauce – I prefer to use low sodium so I can better control the salt in the recipe.
• Fresh Ginger – you can used dried ginger if you have to, but I strongly suggest to use fresh ginger. See section below for how to peel and grate ginger.
• Iceberg or Butter Leaf Lettuce – these lettuce leaves hold up well for wraps and stay crispy and fresh without breaking

The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Substitutes for Ground Chicken

We’ve found that it’s far easier and faster to use ground chicken because you can use your meat chopper and leave it in minced sized pieces versus the hassle of chopping up chicken thighs. However, that being said, chicken thighs do offer more flavor so it’s up to you. You could also chop up chicken breasts into little bits before cooking or use ground beef or pork as substitutes as well.

What Lettuce is Best for Wraps?

You really want cold crisp lettuce that is hearty and will hold up well wrapped around the yummy filling. We’ve found that iceberg or butter leaf lettuce work best. You would also use romaine hearts though they can be hard to wrap around the filling since they tend to be long and thin.

How to Peel Fresh Ginger

If you aren’t used to using fresh ginger, you might be confused when it comes to peeling it. You can peel ginger one of two ways. First, yo

This is beyond any doubt the BEST ham I have ever tasted – and the secret is all in the 3 ingredient ham glaze. (The ham recipe I’m sharing today is so completely worthy of hyperbole; I’ve given up attempting to write this post without it.)

You know how sometimes you make something that’s so good that even after you’re done with dinner you find yourself snacking on little bites as you put it away later? That was this ham for me the first time I made it.

It is tender and juicy, covered in a slightly crisp, sweet, tangy glaze that makes every mouthful tastier than the last. 

The balsamic dijon glaze is a fantastic compliment to the ham. Just a few ingredients and almost no real effort gets you an extraordinarily impressive meal that’s as suited for special occasions as it is for an everyday dinner.

3 Ingredient Ham Glaze

Because the glaze requires only three ingredients, for years, I’ve recommended using the best quality ingredients you can manage. I’ve gone so far as to use a high-quality aged balsamic whenever I have it on hand.

Guess what I’ve learned? It absolutely does not matter which balsamic vinegar you use to make this ham glaze. As long as the balsamic tastes good on its own, it will work fine.

Last Thanksgiving when I was roasting a ham, I was out of my fancy balsamic, so I grabbed the store-brand that I use for salad dressings. I’m happy to tell you that the ham turned out every bit as good as any of the glazes I’ve made using pricier vinegar.

For the dijon, just choose one with plenty of tang and flavor. It doesn’t need to be the most expensive dijon on the shelf but it should be tasty all on its own. You definitely do not want to substitute basic yellow deli mustard here.

You can use either light or dark brown sugar in the glaze. A darker brown sugar will yield a bit more of a molas

Braised One Pan Sausage and Cabbage and Potatoes – St Patricks Day Dinner

I don’t know what it is about these three ingredients combined, but this braised sausage, cabbage and potatoes dish is my new favorite easy dinner recipe! Perfect for St Patricks Day dinner!

I don’t love St Patrick’s Day. I can’t ever think up anything cute and the traps, ohhhhh the traps! They are so fun and I love watching the kids work for hours on them, but I’m also not crafty so I don’t just have doodads and whatsits lying around waiting to be artified.

Last year I was feeling all the feels of an inkling that we would be moving soon and then the dreaded St Paddy’s Day hit. I immediately asked my friend Megan why we had to celebrate and she came back with, “just do the ol’ cabbage, sausage and potatoes in one pot and be done.”

Wait what? No whining alongside me? She actually had a plan?! And so I did, I followed her example and recipe and voila! Dinner was done in 30 and it was delicious! WHY IS IT DELICIOUS!? It is literally 3 ingredients but everyone ate the whole darn thing. AND what was leftover I put in the Food Saver and froze it and oh my goodness, it totally held up perfectly a few weeks later when we had it again!

Ingredients for Sausage, Cabbage and Potatoes

Are you ready for the 6 (possibly 7) ingredients you need to make this quick and easy dinner? This is what you will need:

• Sausage: you can use any type of sausage you want…chicken, turkey, pork, etc…bratwurst also works or a kielbasa
• Potatoes: I prefer the flavor of Yukon Gold potatoes, but red potatoes would also work or just plain Russets, peeling is optional
• Red or Yellow Onion: either type works great, it just depends on which flavor your prefer
• Cabbage: regular green cabbage is my go-to, but you could also use red. If you’re using this for St Patricks Day, then the more green the better!
• Olive Oil: helps caramelize the onions
• Salt and Pepper: adds flavor
• Garlic: this is totally optional, it tastes great without it, but it does add delicious flavor if you are a garlic fan

The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post. 

Tips for Making Sausage, Cabbage and Potatoes

1. Cut the potatoes to be the same size so that they cook evenly.
2. Use a dutch oven, it caramelizes the onions and cooks the sausage and potatoes perfectly.
3. Don’t use too high of heat when cooking. The onions will start to burn before everything else cooks through.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

1. Easy: you only need 6 (possibly 7) ingredients, and it is all made in one pot which makes it super easy to clean up and the prep work is minimal
2. Quick: you can have dinner on the table in 30 minute

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! It’s good to be home. Our weather has cooled off again, no surprise there, but there are hints of spring everywhere. We have bright yellow daffodils in the yard and I grin every time I see them.

ON THE BLOG this week:  Sweet berries and buttery cake are perfectly combined in this very easy six-ingredient Berry Cake recipe. A friend who shall not be named Lynne may have helped me consume a ridiculous amount of this cake when I made it again to photograph it a while back.

Crisp, buttery tortillas filled with spicy chicken and melting cheese add up to a buffalo chicken quesadilla that any fan of buffalo chicken is certain to love.

Roasted sweet potatoes, browned and slightly caramelized on the edges, are tossed with spicy hot sausage and handfuls of baby spinach to create a flavorful Sausage Sweet Potato Hash.

Pasta with broccoli and mushrooms in a garlicky cream sauce is a quick dinner that my whole family enjoys. 

Want to spice up your chicken tacos and take them to the next level? Mix together a batch of homemade chicken taco seasoning and give it a try.

Fresh green beans with a buttery, cheesy sauce and a crispy breadcrumb topping will get rave reviews and clean plates every time. Tired of the traditional green bean casserole? Try this green bean gratin next time and you might have a new holiday favorite.

This is not your average Cookies and Cream Ice Cream, this isn’t Oreo dust or a few crumbles of cookies stirred into ice cream. This is nearly an entire package of chocolate sandwich cookies stuffed into a batch of ice cream and you’re going to love it.

You only need a handful of ingredients to make a Homemade Chocolate Sauce that it tastes better than any chocolate syrup you can buy at the store.

What I’m CRAVING: This Lemon Ice Box cake! I stumbled on it again the other day, having saved the recipe to try over ten years ago. Let’s just say it’s a “fussy” recipe, at least at first glance, but oh my word, it sounds incredible. I’m putting it on my list to finally make one weekend when I feel like playing in the kitchen.

My FAVORITE THING this week is my Kitsch

This is not your average Cookies and Cream Ice Cream, this isn’t Oreo dust or a few crumbles of cookies, this is nearly an entire package of chocolate sandwich cookies stuffed into a batch of ice cream.

If you love Oreos, you are certain to love this homemade cookies and cream ice cream.

This is creamy, rich, homemade vanilla ice cream absolutely loaded with chunks of Oreos. Oh, Cookies and Cream Ice Cream, how I love you. Is it the fact that handfuls of my favorite sandwich cookies are crammed into each bowl of creamy ice cream?

Or is it simply that I can never have too many ways to eat Oreos? or is it that I can never have enough recipes for homemade ice cream? Whatever the reason, this is our house’s newest favorite ice cream.

To really take this ice cream over the top, I recommend stirring together a batch of this Homemade Chocolate Sauce while the ice cream is churning.

Chocolate Magic Shell is another favorite topping for ice cream in our house as well. However you serve it, this ice cream is always a treat.

The most popular question I get is whether it’s possible to make ice cream without a machine. The answer is YES. You can make ice cream without a machine. Find the full directions here!

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

A great many of our favorite ice cream recipes begin with a batch of smooth and creamy vanilla ice cream.

To make the best-ever cookies n cream ice cream, chop up a whole pile of chocolate sandwich cookies while the ice cream is churning. When the ice cream is ready, layer those cookie pieces into a container with the soft ice cream.

All that’s left is to stash the ice cream cookie mixture in the freezer until it’s semi-firm and scoopable. Easy as can be to make and you likely won’t be buying another carton of cookie and cream ice cream from the store anytime soon.

Yes, homemade cookies and cream ice cream really IS that good.

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