Try this Chicken Lettuce Wraps recipe.
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- kosher salt
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- sauce:
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds toasted
- 1/3 up diced red onion
- 1 tablespoon minced peeled ginger
- 1 tablespoon sambal oelek (asian chili sauce)
- 1 tablespoon plum sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin (sweet rice wine)
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- wrap cups:
- 6 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 pound skinless boneless chicken thighs diced
- 1/3 up diced carrot
- 1/3 up diced celery
- 1/3 up diced red bell pepper
- 1/3 up diced sugar snap peas
- 1 teaspoon minced peeled ginger
- 1/3 up mung bean sprouts halved
- 1/2 cup sliced shiitake mushroom caps
- 2 tablespoons diced scallions
- 1 tablespoon crushed peanuts
- 6 wonton wrappers
- iceberg lettuce leaves for serving
- 1/2 teaspoon black sesame seeds
- Carbohydrate 25.2852427333998 g
- Cholesterol 63.5469445166667 mg
- Fat 18.878525529733 g
- Fiber 5.47828495785046 g
- Protein 24.5150514123884 g
- Saturated Fat 2.0574093147296 g
- Serving Size 1 1 -8 (451g)
- Sodium 217.216770610979 mg
- Sugar 19.8069577755494 g
- Trans Fat 1.12276687298853 g
- Calories 354 calories
Step-by-step
- Start by making the sauce. Combine all sauce ingredients into a bowl and set aside. Be sure to stir again just before using.
- Prepare the wraps now. Heat the 2 tablespoons of canola oil over high heat on a skillet. Add chicken and stir fry until it is cooked, about 3 minutes.
- Add celery, carrot, peas, bell peppers, and red onions. Stir fry for about 3 more minutes.
- Now add the garlic, ginger, sprouts, and shiitakes. Take the prepared sauce, and add ½ a cup of it and until thickened, about 30 seconds. Scrape any brown bits.
- Transfer this stir fry to a bowl and top with scallions and peanuts.
- Wipe off the skilled before heating the remaining 4 tablespoons of canola oil over high heat. Fry your wontons until crisp and golden, which is about 15 minutes per side. Place on paper towels and season with salt to your liking.
- Take lettuce and fill the leaves with the stir fry. Take the sesame seeds and sprinkle on top.
- Crumble your wontons on top or serve on the side. Serve now with remaining sauce.
Unlike a traditional long-simmered ragu that relies on collagen breakdown over hours, this high-heat skillet preparation depends entirely on rapid moisture evaporation and Maillard browning to develop flavor in minutes. Boneless chicken thighs transform quickly under intense heat, requiring sharp attention to sensory cues rather than thermal probes to signal safety and optimal texture.
Reading Doneness Without a Thermometer
Dice the chicken thighs into uniform half-inch pieces to ensure even thermal transfer across every surface. Heat the canola oil until it shimmers visibly before adding the meat, signaling that the fat has reached the smoke point necessary for immediate searing. Cook the poultry for approximately three minutes, listening closely for the aggressive sizzle to shift from a wet hiss to a sharp crackle as surface moisture escapes. Visually, the meat transitions from translucent pink to an opaque white-gold exterior with caramelized edges. Introduce the vegetables in stages, keeping the crunch of celery, carrots, and bell peppers intact by stir-frying them for only three additional minutes. Deglaze the pan immediately upon adding the sauce, scraping the bottom fond to incorporate those concentrated umami compounds directly into the coating.
- If the chicken releases excessive liquid instead of browning, the pan is overcrowded; cook in two smaller batches to maintain high heat.
- Should the sauce thicken too rapidly before the vegetables soften slightly, lower the burner output by twenty percent and add one tablespoon of water to slow reduction.
- Store leftover filling and crisp elements in separate airtight containers for up to two days to preserve textural contrast upon reheating.
