These Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps are a quick, healthy, and flavor-packed meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights. Made with juicy ground chicken, crisp lettuce leaves, fresh vegetables, and a savory Thai-inspired sauce, they’re light yet incredibly satisfying.
Ready in just 25 minutes, these Asian chicken lettuce wraps are naturally high in protein, low in carbs, and loaded with fresh flavors. Serve them as a light dinner, appetizer, or meal-prep lunch, and don’t forget the crunchy toppings—they take every bite to the next level!
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Why this recipe works
- Ready in just 25 minutes for an easy weeknight dinner.
- Fresh, light, and packed with bold Thai-inspired flavors.
- High in protein and naturally low in carbohydrates.
- Juicy ground chicken coated in a glossy, savory sauce.
- Easy to customise with your favorite vegetables and toppings.
- Great for meal prep and make-ahead lunches.
- Family-friendly and naturally gluten-free with the right soy sauce.
Ingredients
Ground chicken – For the juiciest results, use 97% lean ground chicken with 3% fat. Ground chicken made entirely from chicken breast tends to dry out quickly. You can also substitute ground turkey, ground pork, or lean ground beef.
Lettuce – Butter lettuce is the classic choice because it’s soft and easy to wrap. Romaine hearts provide extra crunch, while iceberg lettuce forms sturdy cups that hold plenty of filling.
Sauces – The flavorful sauce combines:
- Low-sodium soy sauce
- Fish sauce
- Thai sweet chili sauce
- Toasted sesame oil
- Fresh lime juice and zest
- Brown sugar
- Cornstarch
Together they create the perfect balance of salty, sweet, tangy, and savory flavors.
Aromatics – Fresh garlic, ginger, shallots, and green onions build the delicious flavor base of this dish.
Cornstarch – to thicken the sauce, it helps the sauce cling to the chicken.
Oil – for cooking aromats and chicken. Use any neutral oil such as canola oil, sunflower oil or vegetable oil.
Vegetables – Red bell peppers and carrot matchsticks add sweetness, color, crunch, and extra nutrition.
Toppings
Finish the wraps with your favourite garnishes:
- Toasted crushed peanuts
- Toasted cashews
- White sesame seeds
- Fresh cilantro
- Sliced green onions
- Peanut sauce
- Sriracha
- Sambal Oelek
- Garlic chili crisp oil
Ingredient Substitutions
- Replace ground chicken with ground turkey, pork, or lean beef.
- Make it spicy by stirring in sriracha or chili crisp before serving.
- Add mushrooms, water chestnuts, cabbage, or edamame for extra vegetables.
- Use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari to make the recipe gluten-free.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Prepare the Sauce & Cook the Aromatics
Step 1: In a small bowl, whisk together the low-sodium soy sauce, fish sauce, Thai sweet chili sauce, toasted sesame oil, lime juice, lime zest, brown sugar, and cornstarch until smooth.
Step 2: Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Set aside.
Step 3: Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and lightly golden, about 2–3 minutes.
Step 4: Stir in the garlic, ginger, and the white parts of the green onions. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
Cook the Ground Chicken
Step 5: Increase the heat to high and add the ground chicken.
Step 6: Use a wooden spoon or spatula to break the meat into small crumbles as it cooks.
Step 7: Optional: Season lightly with salt and black pepper. Skip the salt if you’re using regular soy sauce instead of low-sodium soy sauce.
Step 8: Cook for about 3 minutes, or until the chicken is mostly cooked through, about 3 mintues.
Add the Vegetables
Step 9: Add the diced red bell pepper and cook for 1 minute.
Step 10: Reduce the heat to medium, then pour in the prepared sauce along with the carrot matchsticks.
Step 11: Cook for another 30–45 seconds, stirring continuously, until the sauce thickens and beautifully coats the chicken.
Finish the Filling
Step 12:
Remove the skillet from the heat.
Stir in the green onion tops and fresh cilantro.
Assemble the Lettuce Wraps
Transfer the chicken filling to a serving bowl.
Serve alongside crisp lettuce leaves and your favorite toppings such as crushed peanuts, sesame seeds, peanut sauce, cilantro, and sliced green onions.
When ready to eat, spoon the warm chicken mixture into clean, dry lettuce leaves and top with your favorite garnishes.
For sturdier wraps, layer two lettuce leaves together before filling.
Expert Tips
- Use 97% lean ground chicken + 3% fat for a juicy, tender filling.
- Don’t overcook the chicken before adding the sauce.
- Let the sauce simmer for about 30–45 seconds so it thickens and coats every bite.
- Dry the lettuce leaves thoroughly after washing to prevent watery wraps.
- Double up butter lettuce leaves to prevent tearing.
- Don’t skip the toppings—they add crunch, freshness, and extra flavor.
Make Ahead, Storage & Meal Prep
These Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps are perfect for meal prep.
Prepare the chicken filling up to 4 days in advance and refrigerate it in an airtight container.
Wash and thoroughly dry the lettuce leaves, then store them separately in a sealed container lined with paper towels to keep them crisp for 2–3 days.
Reheat the filling in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through, then assemble the wraps just before serving.
Recipe FAQs
The best lettuce should be crisp, sturdy, and flexible enough to hold the filling.
Butter lettuce: Soft, tender, and easy to fold. Double the leaves for extra support.
Romaine hearts: Crisp with plenty of room for filling.
Iceberg lettuce: Firm, crunchy, and naturally forms cup-shaped leaves.
No. This recipe is savory with a mild sweetness from the Thai sweet chili sauce.
If you enjoy spicy food, drizzle with sriracha, chili crisp, or sambal Oelek before serving.
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📋Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
The Sauce
- ¼ cup low-sodium light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 lime juice + zest
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Thai sweet chilli sauce
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Chicken Filling
- 1 tablespoon canola oil or vegetable oil, sunflower oil, or peanut oil
- ¼ cup shallots diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced
- 5 green onions both the white and green parts
- 1 lb ground chicken 97/3 – 97% lean meat + 3% fat
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 cup carrot matchsticks
- ⅓ cup cilantro leaves
Topping/Garnish
- Toasted salted peanuts crushed (or use toasted salted cashews, chopped)
- White sesame seeds
- Green onion
- Cilantro leaves
- Peanut sauce sriracha sauce or sambal Oelek
Instructions
- Begin by making the sauce first. Combine low sodium light soy sauce, fish sauce, Thai sweet chili sauce, toasted sesame oil, brown sugar and cornstarch. Make sure the sauce is well-balanced. Taste and adjust as needed. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a large skillet. Saute shallots by stirring constantly until it begins to brown a bit. Takes 2-3 minutes.
- Saute garlic, ginger, and the white part of green onions for 30 seconds. Do not let garlic burn; it’ll taste bitter.
- Add the chicken and turn up the heat to high. Cook the chicken, breaking up the mince with the back of a wooden spatula. Optional step – You can season chicken at this stage with a pinch of pepper and salt. Avoid seasoning if not using low-sodium soy sauce; it’ll make the dish salty.
- Once the chicken turns white and is almost cooked through (about 3 minutes), add the red bell peppers.
- Mix well and let it cook for a minute.
- Reduce heat to medium, add the sauce and carrot matchsticks.
- Cook for 30 to 45 seconds to coat the chicken in sauce and sauce to thicken a bit.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in green onion and cilantro leaves.
- Transfer the filling into a serving bowl and serve with lettuce and toppings – toasted salted crushed peanuts, white sesame seeds, peanut sauce and any other garnish you like.
- When ready to eat, spoon the filling into clean and dry lettuce leaf cups, add the garnishes on top and serve immediately. Double up lettuce leaves to make it sturdier.
Video
Notes
- Use 97% lean ground chicken + 3% fat for a juicy, tender filling.
- Don’t overcook the chicken before adding the sauce.
- Let the sauce simmer for about 30–45 seconds so it thickens and coats every bite.
- Dry the lettuce leaves thoroughly after washing to prevent watery wraps.
- Double up butter lettuce leaves to prevent tearing.
- Don’t skip the toppings—they add crunch, freshness, and extra flavor.
Nutrition
Created by Jyothi Rajesh
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I’m Jyothi Rajesh (Jo for short) and i’m the founder of the food blog, Curry Trail where I share my culinary Adventures. I live in Bangalore, India. I’m a mom of two beautiful kids. My passion is creating and sharing delicious and easy recipes for the home cook. I have been blogging since 2007 and many of my recipes have appeared in both online and print publications over the years. Learn more about Jyothi Rajesh.
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