Szechuan Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe

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This Szechuan chicken lettuce wraps recipe is packed full of a sweet and savory umami flavor, making the perfect appetizer or meal. Plus, they are on the table in less than 30 minutes!

I had chicken lettuce wraps for the first time many years ago at this Vietnamese fusion restaurant in Ocean Beach, CA. They were AH-MA-ZING. I loved them.

Now these are not exactly like that, I put my own spin on them and made them tongue tinglingly spicy and fun!

These are not PF Chang's copycat chicken lettuce wraps either. While they have the sweetness from the hoisin sauce, the other flavors are far more deep umami and spicy than you will find at PF Chang's.

I might be biased, but I think this version is far superior as I believe it uses amazing ingredients that really complement each other - and they definitely pack a good punch of heat!

Jump to:

Why This Recipe Works
The Ingredients
Step By Step Instructions
Expert Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Recipe
💬 Comments

mini lettuce cups holding spiced ground chicken on a board

Why This Recipe Works

Hoisin sauce is used to give the ground chicken a sweet and savory flavor.
Broad bean paste provides an amazing umami quality that just can't be replicated.
Water chestnuts are added for their slightly crunchy texture.
Szechuan peppercorns add the tongue tingling excitement and enhance the other flavors in the dish.
The chicken mixture is spooned into butter lettuce cups to make it easy to wrap up and add a freshness to the lettuce wraps.
It takes less than 30 minutes to put these together, making them super convenient for appetizers or as a main dish.

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The Ingredients

The full list of ingredients and amounts is included in the recipes card at the bottom of the post.

ingredients for szechuan chicken lettuce wraps in bowls

Broad bean paste is a fermented chili paste made with broad beans (hence the name) that is often used for it's umami flavor in Chinese cooking. It's very good and I highly recommend purchasing some - you can use leftovers in the below dishes:

If you've never tried hoisin sauce, you are in for a treat. Sweet and savory in flavor, this thick sauce is awesome as a flavoring ingredients, but also as a dipping sauce for some dishes.

Shaoxing wine is a Chinese rice wine that has a deep flavor and is often used in stir fries and marinades.

Water chestnuts add a nice crunch and nutty flavor to the recipe. Butter lettuce is used because it is easy and comes in the perfect shape for lettuce wraps. However, any lettuce can be substituted.

The Sichuan (Szechuan) peppercorns used offer this spicy, tongue numbing quality that is very common among many Szechuan (Sichuan) style dishes. It's not traditionally spicy like you would find in other peppers, but has a slight numbing effect that is very common in Sichuan cuisine.

Step By Step Instructions

Heat the cooking oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the chicken until it is no longer pink. Make sure the chicken crumbles in small pieces.

Add the garlic and water chestnuts when chicken is almost done.

ground chicken and water chestnuts cooked in a skillet

Add the remaining ingredients (except chili oil, lettuce and green onion). Mix well and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until thickened.

ground chicken and spices being cooked in a skillet

Remove from heat and serve mixture spooned into the lettuce pieces drizzled with chili oil (optional) and green onions.

spooning red ground chicken mixture into a lettuce cup

Expert Tips

Use butter lettuce for the perfect shape and size. Regular lettuce can be substituted, but it won't be as easy to wrap.
When cooking the chicken, make sure it crumbles in small pieces (use a fork). Stirring often will help keep the chicken separated.
For extra spice, consider adding 1-2 teaspoons of chili garlic sauce or sambal.
Top the wraps with a sweet chili sauce or a drizzle of Sriracha.
You can substitute ground turkey or ground pork as well for the chicken.
Use chopped chunks of dark meat chicken for an ultra moist version of this dish.
Use more or less Szechuan peppercorns as desired.
Substitute dry sherry for the Shaoxing wine if needed.

ground chicken in lettuce cups on a plate

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Szechuan chicken lettuce wraps healthy?

The ground chicken is low in fat and contains vitamins and minerals, but the dish overall tends to contain a higher than recommended amount of sugar and sodium.

Why are PF Chang's lettuce wraps so high in carbs?

The main reason is the amount of hoisin sauce used. Hoisin sauce contains a lot of sugar, which contributes to the high amount of carbs in the dish.

a plate of szechuan chili chicken lettuce wraps with green onion on the side

Storage and Reheating Instructions

Make the ground chicken filling according to the recipe instructions. Place in a airtight container and freeze for up to one month for the best results (or refrigerate up to 3 days).

Thaw in the fridge overnight and heat in the microwave or on the stove-top. If mixture is dry when reheated, add a ¼ cup of chicken broth for some moisture while it heats.

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