Description
A flavorful and easy-to-make PF Chang’s style Chicken Lettuce Wraps recipe featuring ground chicken cooked with aromatics, a savory hoisin-based sauce, crunchy water chestnuts, and served with crispy vermicelli rice noodles in fresh Bibb lettuce leaves. Perfect for a light yet satisfying appetizer or main dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Filling
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- ½ white onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or Tamari
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce (optional, plus more for serving)
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- 1 (8-ounce) can whole water chestnuts, drained and diced
Crispy Noodles
- ½ cup peanut oil (or another high smoke point oil)
- 2 ounces vermicelli rice noodles
To Serve
- 16 Bibb or butter lettuce leaves
- 3 green onions (green parts only), thinly sliced
Instructions
- Cook the aromatics: Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the finely diced white onion and cook until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and ginger, cooking for an additional 1 minute to release their flavors.
- Add the ground chicken: Push the onion to one side of the skillet and add the ground chicken. Break it apart with a spatula and cook until no longer pink, about 7-8 minutes, ensuring it’s fully cooked through.
- Finish meat filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together hoisin sauce, soy sauce or Tamari, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce if using, toasted sesame oil, salt, and black pepper. Pour this sauce mixture over the cooked chicken. Stir in shredded carrots and diced water chestnuts. Continue cooking over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and coats the filling well.
- Make crispy noodles: Line a plate with paper towels for draining. Pour at least 1 inch of peanut oil into a small pot and heat over high heat for about 3-4 minutes. Test the oil’s readiness by dropping a single vermicelli noodle in; if it puffs up immediately, the oil is hot enough. Working in small batches (1-2 tablespoons of noodles), fry the vermicelli for no more than 10 seconds until puffed and crispy, flipping once. Remove and drain on the paper towels. Repeat until all noodles are fried.
- Assemble and serve: Spoon the chicken mixture into each Bibb or butter lettuce leaf. Top with crispy rice noodles and a sprinkle of thinly sliced green onion. Serve immediately with additional chili garlic sauce if desired for an added kick.
Notes
- Use ground chicken for lean protein and authentic taste.
- Adjust chili garlic sauce amount to control spiciness.
- Substitute soy sauce with Tamari for gluten-free option.
- Peanut oil is recommended for frying due to its high smoke point.
- Serve immediately after assembly to keep lettuce leaves crisp.
