Here’s a super easy recipe for Sweet and Spicy Chicken Lettuce Wraps. It’s healthy and quick enough to make for a weeknight dinner.
This is the perfect recipe to make if you’ve been indulging in too much comfort food lately. It’s perfectly light, and it’s Weight Watchers friendly too. If you happen to be following the Weight Watchers WW plan, you’ll find a link to the WW Points on the recipe card at the end of this post. It’s a totally satisfying and delicious meal. We serve them as appetizers sometimes too, which people really love!
How do you make Sweet and Spicy Chicken Lettuce Wraps?
It’s easy! You’ll need some fresh ingredients… cooked chicken breast, thinly sliced cabbage, shredded carrot, (the sweet and spicy sauce), peanuts, Bibb lettuce and water chestnuts.
In a medium bowl, you’ll combine cabbage, carrots, water chestnuts, chicken and peanuts.
The sauce is made from hoisin sauce, cider vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil, crushed red pepper and garlic. Just whisk it together in a small bowl, and pour it over the chicken-cabbage mixture.
Mix it all up!
Scoop it into clean Bibb lettuce leaves. You “can” use other types of lettuce (Romaine, Boston, Green Leaf or Iceberg), but Bibb (Butter) lettuce is best for lettuce wraps. It’s small in nature, but wide and sturdy enough to hold the filling.
Do you feel healthier already? This recipe yields enough to make 12 lettuce wraps. You can have three of them for a total of 189 calories. They make a nice lunch, and they’re terrific for a light summer dinner too. Kids seem to like the sweet flavor in these, and for some reason using lettuce in place of a tortilla in these “tacos” is kind of cool (according to my kiddo).
Here are a few more healthy recipes using chicken that you might enjoy:
- Pickle Brined Chicken Tenders
- Chicken with Lemon Caper Sauce
- Skinny Chicken Marsala
- Easy Kung Pao Chicken
- Healthy Chicken Salad Sliders
Sweet and Spicy Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted dry roasted peanuts, chopped
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 cups thinly sliced cabbage
- ½ cup grated carrot
- 1 cup canned sliced water chestnuts, drained
- 1 cup finely diced cooked chicken breast
- 12 Bibb or Butter Lettuce leaves
Instructions
- Place peanuts in a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; cook 3 minutes or until lightly browned, shaking pan frequently. Remove pan from heat; set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine hoisin, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, oil, pepper and garlic in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk.
- In a medium bowl, mix 2 tablespoons peanuts, slaw, water chestnuts, and chicken; add sauce and toss well.
- Spoon about ⅓ cup of chicken salad in the center of each lettuce leaf; Sprinkle each lettuce wrap with remaining 1 tablespoon peanuts. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If you are preparing this recipe as GLUTEN FREE, just make sure you are using brands of hoisin sauce, soy sauce and water chestnuts that are known to be GF.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Excuse my complete lack of culinary skills but I’m a bit confused — do I cook the chicken plain then toss with the other stuff? Does anything else get cooked (e.g. the slaw)?
Nothing is cooked in the recipe except the peanuts. You’re using already roasted chicken.
Thanks Lori! This recipe is really healthy… I usually design simple healthy dinners…..this recipe will be good option.
Do you think these would tastes good with cashews instead? My daughter cannot have peanuts.
These were delicious!
A great addition to by gluten-free diet. Thanks so much for giving me what I know will be a favorite!
This looks like my type of recipe. It looks beautiful too. Following you on Pinterest for more great recipes!
This is absolutely fabulous. We ate them so often I finally quadrupled the sauce and keep it in the fridge. The wraps are so easy to make
These r so good and easy to make! We made them at our last ladies nite. Didn’t add the red pepper for those who didn’t like hot, but had it handy for those of us that did!
Already printed it out and am going to make them this week. Thank you!