I have a soft spot in my heart for lettuce wraps. I know, they sound gross. Nothing can compete with a regular ‘ol sandwich, right? Wrong! Lettuce wraps are insanely delicious when they’re prepared correctly. My favorite are these Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps which I make for lunch a lot around here:
I made this new version yesterday and was pleasantly surprised. They may usurp the throne that the Thai chicken ones currently reside in! The chicken was perfectly sweet & savory, and the addition of cucumber matchsticks and carrot chips made these wraps refreshing and invigorating. You’re getting all the best nutrients when you eat these! Of course, I had to also top mine with some crushed pineapple—which made these wraps out of this world.
I recommend using butter lettuce as your wrap. Butter lettuce is hearty and withstands liquids and heavy material pretty well without breaking, plus it has no thick ribs in the middle of the leaves. Butter lettuce also tastes phenomenal (but not like butter, unfortunately). I was sad to see that my grocery store didn’t have any in stock, so I went for my second favorite lettuce: red leaf lettuce. This is also a thick lettuce that holds up pretty well, with very little breakage under pressure. It does have thick ribs you have to eat around, though, but all in all it is a pretty good lettuce to use as a wrap.
Not to mention that both of those lettuce types have far more nutrients in them than iceberg lettuce does. I can’t stress enough how you should not be eating iceberg lettuce—it’s basically like eating water. There’s nothing bad about iceberg, it’s just that there’s nothing good about it either.
Try this lettuce wrap if you’re as carbed-out from the holidays as I am. It is pleasantly refreshing coming off of a two-month long potato & stuffing binger!
Chicken Satay Lettuce Wraps
A refreshing & light lettuce wrap filled with shredded chicken satay, cucumber matchsticks, carrot slices & crushed pineapple.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tsp. steak seasoning
- 1 TBS. olive oil
- 3 TBS. crunchy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup apple juice (preferably unsweetened)
- 2 TBS. lime juice
- 2 TBS. soy sauce
- 2 tsp. hot pepper sauce (my favorite is Louisiana)
- Butter lettuce leaves or red leaf lettuce leaves
- 1-2 cups carrot slices
- 1-2 cups cucumber, cut into matchsticks
- 1/2 cup unsweetened crushed pineapple
Directions
- Sprinkle chicken with steak seasoning on both sides. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook 4-7 minutes on both sides or until browned and juices run clear.
- Transfer chicken to a cutting board to let cool. Once cooled, either shred with a KitchenAid mixer (paddle attachment on low for a few minutes—works wonders) or shred with two forks.
- In a large bowl, whisk together peanut butter, apple juice, lime juice, soy sauce, and hot pepper sauce. Add chicken and toss to coat.
- Spoon about 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture onto a lettuce leaf and top with cucumbers, carrots, and pineapple.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Sprinkle steak seasoning on both sides of chicken breasts. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook for 4-7 minutes on both sides until browned and juices run clear. Transfer to a cutting board to cool.
Shred cooled chicken with a KitchenAid mixer (paddle attachment) on low. If you don’t have a mixer, shred chicken with two forks.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together peanut butter, apple juice, lime juice, soy sauce and hot pepper sauce.
Add sauce to chicken mix (or chicken to sauce mix) and toss to coat.
Spoon about 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture onto a lettuce leaf. Top with cucumber matchsticks, carrot slices, and crushed pineapple.
Ohhhh la la another pretty, colorful dish. You are on a roll!