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