Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
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Thai chicken lettuce wraps work as an appetizer, a weeknight dinner, or anything in between—fast, fresh, and packed with flavor.
This Thai chicken lettuce wraps recipe is based on Larb Gai, a Thai dish made from minced chicken, fish sauce, lime juice, chilies, and fresh herbs. Lettuce leaves act as crisp, cool little cups that are perfect for scooping up the savory, herby chicken mixture, and the whole thing comes together in about 30 minutes. It works equally well as an appetizer or a main dish—if you’re in the mood for something more substantial, you can always serve it over rice.
If you’re a fan of Thai flavors, you’ll also love my Thai grilled chicken skewers—they’re quick, fresh, and packed with flavor.
“This is one of my favorite recipes. The perfect weekday meal and best leftover snack.”
What you’ll need to make Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Iceberg or butter lettuce – Crisp cups for serving.
- Vegetable oil – For sautéing.
- Red onion, ginger & garlic – Aromatic base that builds flavor.
- Ground chicken – The hearty filling. Look for a blend of light and dark meat. All breast meat tends to be dry.
- Soy sauce & fish sauce – Savory, umami depth.
- Brown sugar, lime zest & juice – A touch of sweetness and brightness.
- Crushed red pepper flakes – A little heat.
- Scallions, cilantro & mint – Fresh, herby finish.
- Cashews or peanuts – Crunch and richness.
- Optional ingredients for serving: Sriracha, finely sliced carrots, and lime wedges.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cook the aromatics. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and ginger and cook until soft, then stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Be careful not to brown the garlic, as that will turn the flavor bitter.
Step 2: Add the chicken. Add the ground chicken and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon.
Step 3: Add the sauce ingredients and finish cooking. Stir in the fish sauce, soy sauce, lime zest, lime juice, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes, and cook until the chicken is fully cooked and everything is well combined.
Pro Tip: Taste and adjust at the end—depending on your lime and fish sauce, you may want an extra squeeze of lime or a pinch of sugar to get that perfect sweet-salty-tangy balance.
Step 4: Stir in the fresh herbs and nuts. Off the heat, add the cilantro, mint, scallions, and nuts and toss to combine.
Step 5: Serve. Transfer the filling to a serving bowl and set it out with the lettuce, finely sliced carrots, herbs, and sriracha. I like to let everyone assemble their own wraps—it keeps the lettuce crisp (the hot filling won’t wilt it) and lets everyone add whatever toppings they like.
More Easy Thai Recipes You’ll Love
Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
- 1 large head iceberg or butter lettuce
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large red onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger, from a 2-in (5-cm) piece (see note)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 lb ground chicken (not all breast meat)
- 1½ tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- ¼ cup (packed) light or dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons lime zest, from 2 limes
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, from 1½ limes
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 large scallions, white and green parts, finely sliced
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
- ¼ cup chopped cashews or peanuts
Optional For Serving
- Sriracha
- Finely sliced carrots
- Lime wedges
- Cilantro and/or mint sprigs
Instructions
- If using iceberg lettuce: fill a large bowl with cold water. Place the head of lettuce on a cutting board; cut off the stem, then cut around the inner core of the lettuce and remove (do not cut all the way through the lettuce; just deep enough to remove the core). Discard the flimsy, ragged outer leaves and then place the head of lettuce in the bowl of water. Gently pull apart the leaves, then place them on a paper towel to dry. Cut any large leaves in half. Chill the lettuce cups in refrigerator until ready to serve. (If using butter lettuce, you won't have any issues pulling apart the leaves so this step is not necessary.)
- Heat the oil in large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Add the ground chicken and turn the heat up to high. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until partially cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add the soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, lime zest, lime juice, and red pepper flakes and continue cooking, stirring frequently to break up the meat, until the chicken is cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes more. Off the heat, stir in the scallions, cilantro, mint, and nuts. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Spoon into lettuce cups and serve with optional garnishes.
Notes
- Check out some easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger.
- Freezing Instructions: The meat mixture can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months and reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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This recipe is so delicious. There we no leftovers for another meal so I’m making it again tonight. My only change was cutting back on the brown sugar which took nothing away from the recipe. I also want to thank you for your tip on how to pull apart your lettuce so it stays a cup instead of looking like it’s been through a shredder. My cups were perfect for the first time in years!
These are the best! So delicious, and makes a quick, flavourful, and healthy dinner. One of my go-to’s for sure!
Tried this tonight and it was delicious! I added a tiny bit of tamarind concentrate and the only fresh herbs I had on hand was some parsley so I used that but next time I will make sure I have some basil on hand…I’m not a fan of cilantro/mint in things. My husband liked it but found it on the sweet side from the brown sugar so next time I will drop that down to a couple tbsp instead of 1/4 cup but that is just a personal preference. There is a LOT of flavor in this dish and it is super quick to pull together if you’ve chopped the veggies in advance.
The whole family loved it (and that NEVER happens in my family).
Loved the freshness and flavor of the chicken. I know use this recipe to create a healthier and more filling option to serve with Asian noodles, similar to the northern Chinese noodle dishes. I dice up lettuce or cucumber to serve alongside.
I’ve made this twice, once with ground chicken and once with ground turkey. Both were delicious. Thank you!
Great, easy summer meal that did double duty as a tasty lunch the next day
This has wonderful flavor and was really easy to put together though there was a bit of prep to get all the ingredients in proper form – I did start buying ginger in bulk, grating it and then freezing so I can pull out it without needing to prep it .
I had no problem with the fish sauce. I used one of the brands Jenn has recommended and it was fine.
I made some brown rice with it for my husband. Our lettuce cups kind of fell apart so we ended up eating it more like a salad, but this didn’t change the delicious taste!
Excellent recipe. It turned out exactly as I expected it to taste, flavourful, delicious, and healthy! Who needs tortillas, when lettuce does the trick?! Thanks for sharing it!
Proud that I tried this good flavored dish. Two obstacles for me to overcome was the fish sauce and the ground chicken. I almost always use chicken breasts but did not want the meal to be dry. Mentally just not used to seeing chicken ground up like beef or turkey. Fish sauce proved to be more of a challenge. I searched online for substitutes before just deciding to go purchase some from the grocery store. At $5 per bottle it was not super expensive. When it came time to add the fish sauce I happen to be visiting with family and I opened up the door hoping for some pre airing. No chance. Really really bad smell once it was simmering in the skillet. Overpowering to my guests and me. I tried to stay positive because I didn’t want them to be scared of my dish 🙂 They left the house LOL…. and went home. I turned on the attic fan, Had the doors open, sprayed lots of room sprays, even concentrated room sprays, and it was so hard to get out. The end flavor of the dish was good. The lingering smell of the fish sauce made some remaining family members not want to try the dish.
So sorry to hear of your experience with the fish sauce. After doing some research I purchase most of my my dried spices (smoked paprika, cumin, etc…), and fish sauce on Amazon. The brand options are numerous and I feel the quality is better than my local grocery stores. I use Red Boat fish sauce and for us the smell is not that strong and I feel it adds a lot of flavor to my Asian dishes as well as my homemade pasta sauce. Everyone is different on what they like I know, I just wanted to share what works for me.
God bless💐
This is the best, so delicious. Better than in restaurants and easy to make. Great authentic flavor.