Copycat Pei Wei Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe
What could be better than making your favorite restaurant recipes at home? One of the most popular recipes to be copied at home is chicken lettuce wraps, but not just any wraps. The copycat Pei Wei chicken lettuce wraps recipe is the one.
You can make a copycat Pei Wei chicken lettuce wraps recipe that rivals that of P.F Chang’s lettuce wraps. There is no need to take a deep dive into the deliciousness of chicken lettuce wraps.
The recipe originated in Southeast Asia thousands of years ago. Thai chicken lettuce wraps are the ones we are most familiar with here in the States.
Of course, Asian restaurants have adjusted the recipe to fit the American diet more so than the Asian. But the recipe has blown up in popularity thanks to the carb content.
Lettuce wraps are low in carbs, with some more carb-heavy ingredients being served in much smaller sizes. For example, the water chestnuts have about 23 grams of carbs.
But these are diced up and will only provide a fraction of those carbs per wrap. The rest of the ingredients add plenty of health benefits, which are hard to find in a recipe as tasty as this.
The best part of this copycat Pei Wei chicken lettuce wraps recipe is it’s easy to make. There will be a good amount of dicing you will have to do; it comes with the territory.
But ultimately, you will just be frying up the ingredients over medium-high heat and mixing them to make a delicious combination that can be served in lettuce wraps.
The most challenging aspect of this recipe might just be gathering the ingredients. Some homes may already have everything needed to make this recipe in the pantry.
But a lot of us don’t carry things like shiitake mushrooms, rice wine vinegar, or water chestnuts all of the time. Luckily, this recipe is more than worth the grocery store run.
You will surely agree after the first bite. You will want to use this recipe repeatedly, so don’t be afraid to buy the ingredients you may not use all the time.
They may even provide you with more possibilities, like a stir fry or a different lettuce wrap.
Copycat Pei Wei Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe
Finding the ingredients might be the most challenging aspect of this recipe. This is not one of those recipes where you can make many substitutions.
The lettuce is one of the ingredients that can be substituted. The best lettuce for this recipe is romaine lettuce. But you can also use butter lettuce leaves for the cups or even iceberg lettuce if that’s all you have nearby.
Ultimately, what really matters is the filling. Healthy chicken lettuce wraps aren’t defined by the lettuce as much as they are defined by what’s inside the lettuce.
Most Asian restaurants will use chicken thighs instead of chicken breast for this recipe. Chicken thighs pack more flavor but might be difficult for some to ground up at home.
Luckily, this is another thing that can be substituted for a slightly different experience.
Chicken Lettuce Wraps Substitutions
A copycat Pei Wei chicken lettuce wraps recipe will stick to the original as closely as possible. The goal is to give a more signature chicken lettuce wraps taste.
However, you are free to do whatever you’d like! The only two substitutions in this recipe should be the chicken and the lettuce. We already know how to make lettuce substitutions.
But what about the chicken? People with more time may want to get chicken thighs and dice them up into small chunks and use that as the protein.
But you can also use ground chicken for a more effortless experience. But you can also get really adventurous and use entirely different proteins. For example, you can use ground beef or ground pork.
Want to make the recipe even healthier? Try using ground turkey instead of the ground chicken filling in this recipe. These Asian lettuce wraps give just enough wiggle room to make it a versatile recipe that can be used in many ways.
Easy Recipe for Meal Prep
This copycat Pei Wei chicken lettuce wraps recipe provides healthy lettuce wraps. It is an Asian lettuce wrap recipe that can be used for meal prep.
You can make a batch of these Pei Wei lettuce wraps and store them in the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to use them. Of course, you will want to leave the lettuce part out of the meal prep.
Luckily, you just need to rinse the individual leaves from the head of lettuce you choose when you’re ready to eat. This recipe will become one of your favorite things, as it is already one of our restaurant favorites.
In fact, this recipe might become a family favorite. The meal prep is just a bonus that healthy eaters will enjoy.
Chicken Lettuce Wrap Recipe Ingredients
This copycat Pei Wei chicken lettuce wraps recipe will require several ingredients. But don’t let this list scare you away from trying it. You will need 2 pounds of ground chicken; you can use one pound of ground chicken but will need to cut the rest of the ingredients in half.
You will also need scallions, shiitake mushrooms, water chestnuts, yellow onion, sesame oil, fresh ginger, red pepper flakes, garlic, honey, rice wine vinegar, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, romaine lettuce, and rice noodles.
Lastly, some olive oil for frying. This copycat recipe doesn’t include the dipping sauce. However, you can add garnishes like green onions or hot sauce or create a flavorful sauce that would go nicely with the wraps.
Finding the ingredients is simple, thanks to online retailers. But you can also try shopping at local Asian markets for some of the ingredients.
It’s an excellent way to expand your horizons and try something new. You may even find new ingredients you will be excited to try cooking with at home. Now, all you need is to get started cooking!
Copycat Pei Wei Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe Directions
In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, onions, mushroom, and ground chicken. Cook for 5-7 minutes until chicken is brown. Drain off excess liquid.
In your Crock Pot, 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.
5 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 on the lettuce leaf and top with crispy rice noodles.
Copycat Pei Wei Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Lbs Ground Chicken
- 1 Tbsp Garlic Minced
- 1 Tbsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 3/4 Cup Shiitake Mushrooms Diced
- 1 8oz Can Water Chestnuts Drained and Diced
- 2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 Tbsp Fresh Ginger Minced
- 1 Tbsp Honey
- 3 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
- 1/2 Cup Hoisin Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 Head Romaine Lettuce Rinsed
- 1 Oz Rice Noodles
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, onions, mushrooms, and ground chicken. Cook for 5-7 minutes until 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.
- 5 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 on the lettuce leaf and top with crispy rice noodles.
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