Chef John's Chicken Lettuce Wraps

When I visit my mom we usually make it to P.F. Chang's® at least once and always start the meal with their very popular chicken lettuce wraps. They do a good job with most of the dishes I've had, but the wraps are clearly my favorite. I don't do a lot of copycat recipes; these chicken lettuce wraps, however, are a delicious exception.

• Preparation Time: 35 mins
• Cooking Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 50 mins
• Calories: 212 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and minced
• ⅓ cup chopped green onion
• ¼ cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 ½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup diced shiitake mushroom caps
• ½ cup minced yellow onion
• 1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, or to taste
• 1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh basil, or to taste
• 1 ½ tablespoons chopped green onion, or to taste
• 16 leaves iceberg lettuce, or as needed

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Stir chicken, water chestnuts, mushrooms, yellow onion, 1/3 cup green onion, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ginger, and 2 teaspoons brown sugar together in a bowl. Pat mixture down, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use.

Step 2

Whisk chicken stock, rice wine vinegar, garlic, ketchup, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sesame oil, 2 teaspoons brown sugar, red pepper flakes, and dry mustard together in a bowl until glaze is well-mixed.

Step 3

Heat vegetable oil in a heavy nonstick skillet over high heat. Cook and stir chicken mixture in hot oil until chicken no longer looks raw, about 2 minutes. Pour 1/2 of the glaze mixture into chicken mixture; cook and stir over high heat until chicken begins to caramelize and brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 4

Reduce heat to medium-low, pour remaining glaze into chicken mixture, and cook until heated through and slightly reduced, about 3 minutes more. Stir in cilantro, basil, and 1 1/2 tablespoons green onion. Transfer chicken mixture to a bowl and serve with lettuce leaves to wrap.