Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps
These flavorful and refreshing lettuce wraps are the perfect easy meal for busy weeknights.
These flavorful and refreshing lettuce wraps are the perfect easy meal for busy weeknights.
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup onions diced
- ====for stir fry sauce==== (which i double at times)
- 1 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (or 2 teaspoons fresh)
- ====for cashew chicken====
- 2 chicken breasts diced
- 3 tablespoons veggetable oil
- 1/4 cup cashews chopped
- 1/4-1/2 cup water chestnuts diced
- optional: shredded cabbage
- several leaves of greenleaf (my pick) or iceburg lettuce
- Carbohydrate 14.4643812637892 g
- Cholesterol 45.6266666666667 mg
- Fat 4.61746291704149 g
- Fiber 2.15467084816571 g
- Protein 21.9053400046367 g
- Saturated Fat 0.930147916725248 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (219g)
- Sodium 72.9995954984996 mg
- Sugar 12.3097104156235 g
- Trans Fat 0.51297833350134 g
- Calories 183 calories
Step-by-step
- Mix all ingredients making sure to dissolve brown sugar. Set aside.
- Heat oil in pan over med-high heat. Add diced chicken and brown (4-5 minutes). Remove chicken from oil. Add onions, garlic, 1 t soy sauce to pan (and shredded cabbage if using); brown. When mixture is brown and tender, add stir fry sauce, browned chicken, cashews, and water chestnuts. Saute a few minutes.
- Spoon chicken mixture onto individual lettuce leaves, may add some hot sauce (Sririacha), more cashews, and maybe even some cilantro is desired. Roll up and eat!
Crisp green leaf lettuce yields audibly to the bite, releasing moisture that cools the savory heat of diced chicken tossed in soy sauce, garlic, and cayenne pepper. Achieving proper browning on poultry requires a heavy-bottomed skillet that retains thermal energy reliably over medium-high heat, as thin aluminum pans often create hot spots that scorch the garlic before the meat develops color. When cast iron or carbon steel is unavailable, a tri-ply stainless steel pan prevents sticking if heated thoroughly before the vegetable oil goes in. Dice the chicken breasts into uniform half-inch cubes to ensure they cook through within the four to five minute window without drying out. Dissolving the brown sugar completely in the rice vinegar before introducing the liquid to the pan prevents granular pockets from burning on the surface of the metal. Adjusting this recipe for larger groups requires multiplying the sauce ingredients proportionally, though home cooks should sauté the chicken in two separate batches if the pan becomes overcrowded, since excess moisture causes the meat to steam rather than brown properly. Water chestnuts and chopped cashews introduce contrasting textures, providing sharp crunch against the tender protein and the pliable outer leaves. Retain leftover filling in a sealed glass container for up to three days, storing the lettuce leaves separately in a damp paper towel to maintain crispness until assembly time.
