Chinese
Sesame Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ground chicken, garlic, and sesame cook into a savory filling for lettuce cups. It is a lower-carb dinner that still tastes like takeout, without the rice unless you want it.
- Prep
- 12 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 22 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Lettuce instead of a bun keeps the carbs low.
- The filling is done in about 10 minutes.
- Sesame oil is a finish, not the cooking fat.
- It is high protein from the chicken.
Ingredients
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Instructions
- 1
Cook the chicken and salt in the olive oil over medium-high, breaking it up, until no pink remains and it is 165°F, about 6 minutes.
- 2
Add the garlic and ginger. Stir 30 seconds.
- 3
Stir in the soy sauce and cabbage. Cook 2 minutes, until the cabbage softens slightly.
- 4
Turn off the heat. Stir in the sesame oil and scallions.
- 5
Spoon into lettuce leaves.
- 6
Serve right away so the lettuce stays crisp.
Pro tips
- Ground chicken can look done before it is. Break it small and check for pink.
- If the pan is watery, cook it uncovered another minute before the lettuce.
- Keep extra leaves dry. Wet lettuce collapses.
Easy substitutions
- Soy sauce
- Tamari, same amount, to make it gluten-free.
- Ground chicken
- Ground turkey, cooked to 165°F.
- Butter lettuce
- Romaine leaves.
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate the filling up to 3 days. Store lettuce separately.
Reheating
Warm the filling in a skillet. Spoon into fresh lettuce. Do not reheat the leaves.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 250
- Protein
- 28 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
Moderate · Stovetop · Lower-Carb, Dairy-Free
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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