Spicy Chicken Lettuce Wraps
This recipe is a fun and flavorful dinner option, featuring spicy Asian flavors balanced by cool lettuce and crunchy peanuts and water chestnuts.
This recipe is a fun and flavorful dinner option, featuring spicy Asian flavors balanced by cool lettuce and crunchy peanuts and water chestnuts.
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 pound chicken tenderloins cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons canola oil divided
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 small green pepper finely chopped
- 1 small sweet red pepper finely chopped
- 1 can sliced water chestnuts drained and finely chopped
- 1 can mushroom stems and pieces drained and finely chopped
- 1/3 cup stir-fry sauce
- 1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 8 bibb or boston lettuce leaves
- 1/4 cup salted peanuts
- 2 teaspoons fresh cilantro minced
- Carbohydrate 50.1736728558042 g
- Cholesterol 46.853217925 mg
- Fat 32.5231253759443 g
- Fiber 7.38089277673866 g
- Protein 23.6148262172058 g
- Saturated Fat 5.30506757011533 g
- Serving Size 1 1 (352g)
- Sodium 893.932386020319 mg
- Sugar 42.7927800790655 g
- Trans Fat 3.61315496730571 g
- Calories 575 calories
Step-by-step
- Sprinkle chicken with pepper. In a large skillet or wok, stir-fry chicken in 1 tablespoon oil until no longer pink. Remove and set aside.
- Stir-fry onion and peppers in remaining oil for 5 minutes. Add the water chestnuts, mushrooms and garlic; stir-fry 2-3 minutes longer or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add stir-fry sauce and soy sauce. Stir in chicken; heat through.
- Place 1/2 cup chicken mixture on each lettuce leaf; sprinkle each with 1-1/2 teaspoons peanuts and 1/4 teaspoon cilantro. Fold lettuce over filling.
Raw ingredient lists omit how moisture behaves under high heat in a wok. Water chestnuts and canned mushrooms release significant liquid when exposed to salt and heat, which transforms a crisp stir-fry into a steamed stew if not managed aggressively. High heat is mandatory here; cooking over medium-low will boil the vegetables rather than sear them.
Controlling Moisture and Texture
Dice the chicken tenderloins into uniform half-inch pieces to ensure rapid, even browning without overcooking the exterior. When stir-frying the onions and peppers for 5 minutes, keep the pan dry until the remaining tablespoon of oil is hot enough to shimmer. Add the drained water chestnuts and mushrooms only after the peppers begin softening, allowing excess surface water to evaporate rapidly before the stir-fry sauce goes in. Mince the garlic last and introduce it with the mushrooms for the final 2 to 3 minutes; garlic scorches easily at high temperatures and turns bitter if exposed to direct heat for too long.
- Pat the canned mushrooms and water chestnuts completely dry with paper towels before chopping to prevent excess liquid from thinning the stir-fry sauce.
- Select Bibb or Boston lettuce leaves with pliable, sturdy ribs that can fold around a half-cup of hot filling without tearing.
- Substitute tamari for the reduced-sodium soy sauce at a 1:1 ratio if managing gluten sensitivities.
