Copycat Pei Wei Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe

Did you know that Pei Wei is a fast-casual offshoot of P.F. Changs? That’s why both restaurants have delicious chicken lettuce cups. The original dish is a basic one, but the flavors in this one take it to the next level. That’s why we all need a copycat Pei Wei chicken lettuce wraps recipe.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Copycat Recipe – There is nothing better than recreating a restaurant’s taste at home without leaving the house.
• Easy to Make – This recipe comes with a fairly long ingredients list, but we won’t need to touch a knife once.
• Enough for a Crowd – Increase the amounts of ingredients with ease since we won’t be dicing and slicing anything.

Pei Wei Lettuce Wraps

This copycat Pei Wei chicken lettuce wraps recipe brings delicious flavors to the table that the whole family can enjoy. Pei Wei is a fast-casual offshoot of P.F. Chang’s, and both have chicken lettuce wraps on their menus.

These recipes are attributed to Cecilia Chiang, a Chinese American chef and restaurateur. Her restaurant, The Mandarin, was renowned in San Francisco and opened its doors in 1961.

Her son, Phillip Chiang, opened P.F. Changs, following in the footsteps of his mother. In fact, she would design recipes for his menu, like the chicken lettuce cups. However, this dish is a classic that has versions dating back centuries.

The original recipe was called “sung choy bao” or lettuce wraps. The dish remains one of the most popular items to order at Pei Wei or P.F. Chang’s, and for good reason.

The dish packs flavor and was introduced right around the time low carb diets became a thing. Timing helped boost the popularity, and now, we have a copycat Pei Wei chicken lettuce wraps recipe to make the dish at home.

Chicken Lettuce Cups Ingredients

• Ground Chicken – The ingredients list is long, but this chicken will be the hardest thing you will need to prepare. 
• Shiitake Mushrooms – You can buy these mushrooms pre-sliced if you’d like or buy them whole if you’d prefer to slice them to your preferred size. 
• Water Chestnuts – Not everyone is a fan of water chestnuts. However, they do add texture to the dish. Try not to worry too much about the flavor since we have plenty that will alter the taste.
• Red Pepper Flakes – Optional! It is important to note that this dish benefits greatly from a bit of heat. 

• Sesame Oil – The best aspect of cooking Asian dishes is that every aspect, even the oil adds flavor. We aren’t just worried about smoking points.
• Ginger – Okay, this one could be a bit of a pain as well. However, grinding your own ginger will add a level of freshness that is amazing.
• Honey – Instead of adding sugar, we go with honey. This adds a more subtle sweetness to the dish.
• Rice Wine Vinegar – This is another example of an ingredient that is meant for cooking but also adds flavor.

• Hoisin Sauce – Hoisin sauce is not in everyone’s pantry, but it should be. This sauce is amazing, just try not to go overboard.
• Soy Sauce – No salt is added here; instead, we use soy sauce for a more balanced saltiness.
• Romaine Lettuce – We can’t put the wraps together without the outer layer. Just be careful washing these lettuce leaves, we want them as whole as possible.
• Rice Noodles – Garnish with rice noodles. They will not add flavor, and only a bit of texture, once they start to get soggy from the sauce. They look good on top, though. 

Copycat Pei Wei Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe

In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, onions, mushrooms, and ground chicken. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the chicken is brown. Drain off excess liquid.

In your crockpot, dump cooked chicken, mushrooms, sesame oil, ginger, red pepper flakes, honey, rice wine vinegar, hoisin sauce, and soy sauce. Stir until combined.

Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours.

Five minutes before cooking time is up, add water chestnuts and scallions.

In a skillet, heat 1 inch of oil to 375°F. Break up rice noodles and drop into hot oil. Fry for 1 minute until crisp.

Serve by scooping a spoonful of the dressing on the lettuce leaf and topping with crispy rice noodles.

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