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Thai Chicken Lettuce Cups with Peanut Lime Sauce

Thai Chicken Lettuce Cups with Peanut Lime Sauce

Crisp butter lettuce leaves are filled with savory ground chicken, colorful vegetables, herbs, and a creamy peanut lime sauce. This fresh, hands-on dinner has the crunch of a salad with the satisfying flavor of a thai-inspired stir-fry.

Prep: 25 min · Cook: 12 min · Total: 37 min · Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp sriracha
  • 0.5 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 cup yellow onion (finely diced)
  • 2 heads butter lettuce (leaves separated, washed, and dried)
  • 3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger (minced)
  • 1 cup red bell pepper (finely diced)
  • 1 tbsp avocado oil
  • 0.25 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper (freshly ground)
  • 3 tbsp warm water
  • 0.25 cup roasted unsalted peanuts (chopped)
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 0.25 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 cup carrot (shredded)
  • 0.5 cup green onions (thinly sliced)
  • 3 tbsp fresh lime juice (divided)
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce

Instructions

  1. Separate the 2 heads butter lettuce into whole leaves, rinse them under cool running water, and spin them dry in a salad spinner for 1 minute or pat them dry with clean kitchen towels until no water pools on the leaves.
  2. Place the 1 lb ground chicken on a separate plate from the vegetables, wash your hands and any surfaces that touched the raw chicken with hot soapy water, and keep the lettuce and herbs away from the raw poultry area.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk the 0.25 cup creamy peanut butter, 3 tbsp warm water, 1 tbsp of the fresh lime juice, 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tbsp honey, and 2 tsp sriracha for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce is smooth, pourable, and glossy.
  4. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tbsp fish sauce, and remaining 2 tbsp fresh lime juice until evenly combined for the stir-fry seasoning.
  5. Heat 1 tbsp avocado oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet or well-seasoned wok over medium-high heat for about 1 minute, until the oil shimmers but does not smoke.
  6. Add the 1 cup finely diced yellow onion to the hot skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 2 to 3 minutes until the onion turns translucent at the edges.
  7. Add the 3 cloves minced garlic and 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat for 30 to 45 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not browned.
  8. Add the 1 lb ground chicken, 0.25 tsp kosher salt, and 0.25 tsp black pepper to the skillet, then break the meat into small crumbles with the wooden spoon and cook over medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes until no pink remains.
  9. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest cluster of chicken in the skillet and confirm it reads 165°F (74°C); if it is below temperature, continue cooking over medium-high heat in 1-minute intervals until it reaches 165°F (74°C).
  10. Add the 1 cup finely diced red bell pepper and the soy-fish-lime seasoning to the skillet, then cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes until the pepper is crisp-tender and the liquid lightly coats the chicken.
  11. Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the 1 cup shredded carrot, 0.5 cup sliced green onions, and 0.5 cup chopped fresh cilantro for about 30 seconds, and let the filling stand for 3 minutes so the vegetables stay bright and the chicken juices settle.
  12. Arrange the dry butter lettuce leaves on a large platter, spoon about 0.33 cup warm chicken filling into each sturdy leaf, drizzle each portion with peanut lime sauce, and finish with the 0.25 cup chopped roasted unsalted peanuts before serving immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

  • Calories: 431
  • Protein: 29 g
  • Fat: 27 g
  • Carbohydrates: 23 g
  • Fiber: 6 g
  • Sugar: 12 g
  • Sodium: 1090 mg

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