These Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps (PF Chang-Style) are savory, slightly sweet, full of crunch, and easy to make at home with simple ingredients. This easy chicken lettuce wraps recipe gives you that restaurant-inspired flavor we all crave, but in a faster, more accessible way, so it's perfect for busy nights when dinner needs to happen before everyone starts dramatically opening the fridge.
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We've been making these chicken lettuce wraps on repeat lately, and somehow, we're still not bored! That says a lot because when life gets packed with work, filming, testing recipes, and camping, dinner needs to be easy, flexible, and not require 27 tiny bowls like we're running a restaurant kitchen.
What we love most is how this filling fits into different meals. We eat it with crisp lettuce when we want something lighter and low in carbs, or spoon it over quinoa or jasmine rice for something more filling. If you need help with the rice, here's how to cook jasmine rice.
It's high in protein, full of flavor, and one of those recipes that quietly saves the day without asking too much!
Why this recipe works
These chicken lettuce wraps work because the filling is flavorful, quick to cook, and flexible enough for busy days. The sauce gives it that PF Chang-style sweet-savory flavor, while the water chestnuts add the crunch that makes every bite more fun!
Easy but flavorful: The sauce does most of the heavy lifting, giving the filling that restaurant-inspired flavor without complicated ingredients or a long cooking time!
Great texture: Ground chicken keeps it light and protein-packed, while water chestnuts add that fresh crunch.
Flexible serving options: Serve the filling in lettuce cups, over rice or quinoa, with noodles, or even as a side with an omelet when life is on full speed.
Busy-day friendly: The filling cooks quickly and reheats well, so it's perfect for meal prep or those "what are we eating today?" moments. It's the kind of easy dinner that fits right into our Asian recipes rotation.
Ingredients you'll need
Here's what you'll need to make these lettuce wraps. The ingredients are simple, but each one has a job to do, so don't skip the little flavor builders.
Key ingredient notes:
Ground chicken: Standard ground chicken works best because it stays juicy. Extra-lean chicken can work, but the filling may taste a little drier.
Mushrooms: Finely chopped mushrooms add savory depth and help bulk up the filling without making it heavy. Cremini mushrooms give a deeper flavor, but white button mushrooms are totally fine.
Water chestnuts: These bring the clean, crisp crunch that makes the filling more interesting. Please don't skip them. The crunch is doing important work here.
Scallions: The white and light green parts build flavor in the pan, while the dark green parts add freshness at the end.
Hoisin sauce: This gives the sauce its dark color, slight sweetness, and restaurant-style flavor.
Low-sodium soy sauce: Adds savory depth without making the filling too salty.
Rice vinegar: Adds a little tang to balance the sweetness from the hoisin.
Cornstarch: Helps the sauce thicken and cling to the chicken instead of pooling at the bottom of the lettuce cups.
Lettuce: Romaine hearts give a crisp, restaurant-style look, while butter lettuce gives a softer, easier bite.
Toppings (optional but so delicious): Fried shallots, toasted sesame seeds, scallion greens, and optional chili oil add crunch, flavor, and a little kick!
You'll find all the exact measurements in the recipe card below.
Substitutions and variations
These chicken lettuce wraps are super flexible, which is why we keep making them. The filling is easy to adjust depending on what you have, what you're craving, or how much dinner energy you have left!
- Use ground turkey: Ground turkey works well instead of ground chicken. Choose regular ground turkey if you want a juicier filling.
- Make it vegetarian: Use finely chopped tofu, extra mushrooms, or plant-based ground "meat." Just cook out any excess moisture before adding the sauce.
- Use different mushrooms: Cremini mushrooms give a deeper flavor, but white button mushrooms work perfectly fine.
- Make it gluten-free: Use gluten-free tamari or soy sauce and make sure your hoisin sauce is gluten-free.
- Make it spicy: Add chili oil, sriracha, chili garlic sauce, or red pepper flakes. Start small because we want flavor, not regret.
- Keep it mild: Skip the chili oil and spicy toppings. The filling is still flavorful from the sauce, garlic, ginger, and scallions.
- Change the lettuce: Romaine hearts are crisp and sturdy, while butter lettuce gives you softer, more flexible cups.
- Serve it without lettuce: Spoon the filling over rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice, or noodles for a more filling meal. It would also be delicious with our Peanut Sauce Stir-Fry Noodles if you're going full cozy dinner mode.
Watch the video recipe
Watch the video below to see how the filling should look at each stage, especially when the mushrooms and chicken are cooked down enough before adding the sauce. That's the tiny make-or-break moment, because we want the filling glossy and clingy, not watery and sad.
How to make chicken lettuce wraps
Make the sauce
Whisk the sauce ingredients together until smooth, then set aside.
Cook mushrooms
Cook the finely chopped mushrooms in a large skillet until they shrink, release their moisture, and the pan looks much drier.
Brown chicken
Add the oil and ground chicken, then cook until the chicken is fully cooked and lightly browned.
Add aromatics and water chestnuts
Stir in the scallion whites, garlic, ginger, and water chestnuts. Cook briefly until fragrant.
Add sauce
Pour in the sauce and cook until it thickens and coats the filling. Stir in the sesame oil and some scallion greens.
Serve
Spoon the warm filling into dry lettuce leaves, then top with fried shallots, sesame seeds, extra scallions, and chili oil if you like.
Tips for the best chicken lettuce wraps
- Cook the mushrooms until dry. This is the biggest make-or-break step for the filling. Mushrooms release a lot of moisture, so let them cook down until the pan looks dry before adding the chicken.
- Use a large skillet on medium-high heat. A crowded pan steams everything instead of browning it, and we want flavor, not a chicken sauna situation.
- Keep the filling glossy, not wet. After adding the sauce, cook it until it thickens and clings to the chicken. If it looks watery, give it another minute.
- Dry the lettuce very well. Wet lettuce makes wraps slippery and messy. Wash the leaves ahead, dry them fully, and keep them chilled until serving.
- Choose the right lettuce. Romaine hearts give you crisp, sturdy cups with a restaurant-style look. Butter lettuce is softer and easier to fold. Iceberg works too, but the leaves can be trickier to separate.
- Assemble right before eating. Keep the warm filling and lettuce separate until serving so the leaves stay crisp and fresh.
How to serve and store
Serve
- Serve these right away while the filling is warm and the lettuce is cold and crisp. That contrast is the whole fun!
- They're great as a lighter dinner, appetizer, or high-protein lunch.
- For a fuller meal, spoon the filling over rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice, or noodles.
- For something fresh and crunchy on the side, serve them with Asian Cucumber and Pineapple Salad.
- You can also serve the filling as a side with an omelet, which sounds random until you try it and realize breakfast-for-dinner is the new trend!
- For a bigger high-protein meal, pair them with our easy Air Fryer Chicken Skewers with Creamy Peanut Sauce.
Store
- Store the filling and lettuce separately so the lettuce stays crisp.
- Keep the filling in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat only the filling, then spoon it into fresh, dry lettuce leaves right before serving.
Freezer
- Freeze the filling in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
- Thaw it overnight in the fridge, then reheat in a skillet or microwave.
Make ahead or meal prep
- You can prepare the filling and wash the lettuce in advance.
- Dry the lettuce very well, then store it separately in the fridge until serving.
- Assemble the wraps only when you're ready to eat so the lettuce stays fresh and crunchy!
Frequently asked questions
We've tried both romaine hearts and butter lettuce, and we love butter lettuce more. Romaine gives you crisp, sturdy cups with that restaurant-style look, but butter lettuce has a softer bite and a mild sweetness that complements the savory filling amazingly.
Yes, these are PF Chang-Style lettuce wraps, but not an exact copycat. They have that savory, slightly sweet, restaurant-inspired flavor, made easier with accessible ingredients for home cooking.
Keep the warm filling and lettuce separate until serving, and make sure the lettuce is fully dry. Also, cook the filling until the sauce is glossy and clingy, not watery.
Serve them with rice, quinoa, noodles, cauliflower rice, cucumber salad, or fried rice. You can also serve the filling with an omelet for a quick high-protein meal.
These lettuce wraps are one of those easy, flexible recipes that fit beautifully into real life. Serve them in soft butter lettuce, spoon the filling over rice or quinoa, or turn it into a quick high-protein meal when the day is packed, and dinner needs to happen fast.
We hope you give these wraps a try, and if you do, let us know how you served them!
Did you try these Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps?
We'd love to hear from you! Please leave us a ★★★★★ rating and share your thoughts in the comments. If you post on Instagram, tag us, we'd love to see it!
Thank you! - Bea and Marco
📖 Recipe
Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps (PF Chang-Style)
Video
Ingredients
Sauce
- ¼ cup (80 g) hoisin sauce
- 3 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
Filling
- 8 oz (230 g) mushrooms finely chopped
- 1 lb (450 g) ground chicken
- 3 garlic cloves finely minced, about 1 tbsp
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 can (125 g) water chestnuts, about 1 cup drained and finely diced
- 8-10 (100 g) scallions thinly sliced, whites and light greens separated from dark greens
- ½ tablespoon toasted sesame oil stirred in at the end
Serving
- 1 medium-sized head butter lettuce
- 2-4 tablespoon fried shallots optional
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds optional
- chili oil optional
Instructions
Sauce
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients until smooth. Set aside.¼ cup hoisin sauce, 3 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce, 3 tablespoon water, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 2 teaspoon cornstarch
Filling
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped mushrooms. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until the mushrooms release their moisture, the pan looks much drier, and the mushrooms shrink and start to brown. Add some oil, and mix.8 oz mushrooms
- Move mushrooms to one side, add more oil to the skillet. Add the ground chicken. Spread it out a little and let it sit for 1 to 2 minutes before breaking it up.1 lb ground chicken
- Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, breaking it into small crumbles, until the chicken is fully cooked and has some light golden-brown bits.
- Add the scallion whites and light greens, garlic, and ginger. Cook for 1 minute, stirring often, until fragrant. Stir in the diced water chestnuts and cook for another 30 seconds.3 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon minced ginger, 8-10 scallions, 1 can water chestnuts, about 1 cup
- Whisk the sauce again, then pour it into the skillet. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, until the sauce thickens and coats the filling evenly. Turn off the heat and stir in the toasted sesame oil. Fold in some of the dark green scallions, then save the rest for garnish.½ tablespoon toasted sesame oil
Serve
- Spoon the warm filling into the dry lettuce leaves. Top with fried shallots, toasted sesame seeds, and the remaining dark green scallions. Drizzle with chili oil only if you want heat. Serve right away.1 medium-sized head butter lettuce, 2-4 tablespoon fried shallots, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, chili oil
Notes
- Use a large skillet so the mushrooms and chicken can brown instead of steam.
- Make sure the lettuce is fully dry before serving, or the wraps can feel slippery and messy.
- The biggest make-or-break point is reducing the mushrooms and any excess chicken moisture before the sauce goes in.
- This recipe is suitable for light main for 4 people, and appetizers for 6-8 people.
Bea & Marco says
We’ve been making these chicken lettuce wraps on repeat lately, especially on busy days when dinner needs to be quick but still exciting. We love them with butter lettuce, but the filling is also amazing over rice, quinoa, or even with an omelette. Hope you try them, and let us know how you serve yours!