Lower carb eating just got a whole lot more interesting with my Firecracker Chicken Lettuce Wraps. Everybody’s going to come back for seconds and thirds, and that’s ok because this meal is low calorie and super healthy!
firecracker chicken lettuce wraps are delicious with zero guilt!
My family teases me that I’m sometimes my own biggest fan when it comes to the food I make, and I don’t deny it ~ I love to eat, and when I make something extra delicious like these firecracker chicken lettuce wraps, I’m not shy about letting everybody know about it. This is one of those times when I couldn’t contain my enthusiasm. I mean, come on, how can you resist it ~ a sweet and spicy stir fried chicken with lots of colorful peppers loaded up on crisp lettuce leaves, it’s irresistible and healthy. You can eat as much as you want ~ and believe me, we did!
I adapted the filling for these lettuce wraps from one of my favorite recipes on the blog, Firecracker Chicken.
I love colorful bell peppers and this dish really shows them off. The heat comes from dried chili peppers (you can use chili flakes if you like) and a shot of sriracha in the sauce.
how to translate most Chinese stir fry recipes into lettuce wraps
I had trouble deciding which classic Chinese recipe from the blog to try, and I think my spicy tangerine chicken or my spicy cashew chicken would have been equally great in these lettuce wraps.
- Make sure to chop everything into a small dice. This not only looks pretty, it ensures that the filling will fit nicely on or in your lettuce.
- Thicken the sauce enough so that it isn’t too sloppy to eat with your hands, you may need to add a little extra cornstarch.
- Spoon it onto flat leaves of lettuce to wrap, or into little lettuce cups like I did.
The best way to dice these ingredients small and even
I cut the peppers and onions into perfect 1/2 inch dice with one of my favorite kitchen tools, my Stainless Steel Alligator Chopper. This heavy duty chopper, which is made in Sweden, is a replacement for the lightweight plastic model that I used last year. The plastic choppers are good up to a point, but they don’t hold up to to heavy use. This chopper is a serious kitchen tool and I love the even cut I can get on so many types of food. For lettuce wraps this is especially important because you want everything to fit easily into your leaves of lettuce.
make firecracker chicken lettuce wraps ahead
These Firecracker Chicken Lettuce Wraps are a perfect choice for busy day meals, or even entertaining. You can make the filling up to a day before, and then just heat it up when you’re ready to wrap.
lettuce wrap tips
- I like to use butter lettuce, but really any lettuce can work, just be aware that if it’s too stiff or brittle it will be harder to eat. You can even make tiny appetizer sized bites using endive or other small sturdy lettuce leaves.
- Don’t assemble your wraps until you are ready to eat or the lettuce will wilt. Even better, let diners assemble their own.
- Serve plenty of napkins, this tends to be messy (in the best way.)
more Asian inspired recipes to try
more Asian inspired recipes to try- Asian Slaw
- Chinese Chicken Salad
- Thai Spaghetti Salad
- Thai Beef Salad
- Dan Dan Noodles
- Japanese Cucumber Salad
- Mapo Tofu
Firecracker Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken tenders, cut in very small dice
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh minced ginger
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 4 multi-colored bell peppers, finely diced
- hot pepper, dried or fresh, thinly sliced, (or chili pepper flakes to taste)
- 1 large head butter lettuce, individual leaves separated
garnish
sauce
- 3/4 cup pineapple juice, canned is fine.
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp plum sauce
- 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sriracha sauce
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Whisk the sauce ingredients together and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok until hot and stir fry the chicken, in two batches, until it is no longer pink. Remove to a plate.
- Add more oil if necessary and saute the onion, ginger, and garlic for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the peppers, both sweet and hot, and stir fry for another few minutes. The peppers should be bright and crunchy, don't let them get soft. Remove to a plate.
- Add the sauce to the pan and bring to a simmer, stirring or whisking until it thickens. Add the chicken (and any juices) and the peppers etc back into the pan and give everything a good mix. Continue heating until everything is nice and hot.
- Serve spooned onto the lettuce leaves and top with the sliced green onions. Or, spoon the sauce into a bowl and let people serve themselves.
Nutrition
Thanks for pinning these firecracker chicken lettuce wraps!
This may be a silly question but do you get the dried hot peppers at your grocery store? Not sure if I really know what they are and if I have seen them at my store. Could I use jalapeño peppers instead?
That’s a great question Monica, and I don’t address it enough. For years I had trouble finding them as well. I do see them at regular grocery stores, but they’re usually stuffed away in very strange places, like down low to the ground in the produce section, or sometimes in an International section. Sometimes I’ll see them with the dried mushrooms. The good news is, once you find a bag, it will last you a very long time…I think the best substitute for them is just the red pepper chili flakes you can buy in a jar in the spice aisle, because that’s exactly the same product, just chopped very finely. But it’s worth asking at your grocery store because, like I said, they tend to hide them. And jalapenos are always good to substitute for the fresh hot red peppers I use in some of my dishes. Hope this helps!
Great low carb dinner! I love using lettuce wraps, it’s amazing how you don’t miss the bread!
This looks so good and so flavorful! The addition of the sriracha sauce seems like the perfect amount of spice for this recipe.
The nice thing is you can always modulate the amount of heat, I actually like it fiery hot, so I would add extra!
These are the prettiest wraps I have ever seen! So colorful.
These are on my must try lists. Love the combination of flavors and the bib lettuce “holders”. I get something similar t this at the Cheesecake Factory.
I get them at the Cheesecake Factory too!
Wow, these look so delicious! And I think it’s wonderful to be your own biggest fan in the kitchen-I have a bad habit of being overly self-critical, and truly, it’s no good! Enthusiasm for food is contagious!
:))
These look amazing!!
I love this spicy version of chicken wraps. Everything look so fresh and inviting. You nailed this recipe and the photos. Absolutely perfect for any meal. Thanks! Pinning and sharing.
Thanks Tricia, this was a big hit here, and got gobbled up way to fast, I need to remember to double the recipe next time 😉
This is one delicious looking and flavorful meal. And the sauce looks perfectly balanced with the savory, sweet, hot and spicy flavors. Amazing dish Sue!
I would need the whole batch, Sue. Low carbs, low calories…a perfect dinner for me.