Paleo Chicken Lettuce Wraps – Fresh, flavorful, and FAST, these easy chicken lettuce wraps will be on the table in no time. They’re a major crowd pleaser! (Gluten-Free, Whole30)
Photos, post & video updated March 2020. Originally posted September 2014.
A few years ago, I read the French Kids Eat Everything book
Perhaps the most dreamy concept in the book was the idea that French kids eat well (and politely) in restaurants. At the time, I just couldn’t imagine what that would be like.
Because that was…not…my experience.
Going out to eat with tiny kids felt less like a leisurely shared meal and a lot more like a constant dance of trying to keep everyone quiet and entertained while waiting for food, trying to encourage everyone to try what was on the menu, and making sure no one spilled their water for the third time.
You know what? We’re a few years down the road and–generally speaking–going out to eat with my kids has grown into a really enjoyable experience. We’re still absolutely dealing with picky eating at our house (though thankfully, just the run-of-the-mill stuff now), but eating in restaurants as a family, whether we’re traveling, or just out and about on the weekend, has become a really fun thing for us.
One of our favorites is going out for things like egg drop soup and lettuce wraps and stir-fried chicken & veggies. Both kids really enjoy the experience (like basically bottomless rice, let’s be honest), and that means a more pleasant meal for all of us! So, we’ve re-created some of our restaurant faves at home to get to enjoy them even more often.
These paleo chicken lettuce wraps are a great example. Fast (under 30 min!), flavorful (the veggies! The sauce!), and fresh (made from real-food ingredients!), these lettuce wraps are always a BIG hit at our house. Here’s all you need to get started…
HERE’S WHAT GOES INTO MY CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS RECIPE:
GROUND CHICKEN (OR TURKEY, OR PORK…). I like starting with ground chicken, though other ground meats work. People have made this recipe using turkey, beef, pork, and even veal over the years. Use what you like! (Don’t know where to find ground chicken? See the FAQ for a quick and easy tip!)
MINCED MUSHROOMS. Michael was a mega mushroom hater when we got married. Like, he didn’t even want to think about them. Aaand he loves these lettuce wraps. The mushrooms are finely diced and really don’t add a lot of texture here since the whole mixture is pretty finely ground/chopped. What they *do* add is a dose of umami (that amazing little something that gives some lovely depth of flavor). They also help fill out these paleo chicken lettuce wraps while keeping things light.
WATER CHESTNUTS. Fact: I couldn’t tell you what a fresh water chestnut looks like because I don’t think I’ve ever seen one. This recipe uses canned water chestnuts (just water chestnuts + water), which add a little bit of crunch and texture that’s crucial for this lettuce wraps recipe. I can get them in the Asian section of most major grocery stores where I live. (People have also tried using finely minced jicama or other veggies like carrots or celery, too!)
GREEN ONIONS, GINGER & GARLIC. Now, come the aromatics. This simple trio of flavor boosters gives these chicken lettuce wraps SO much flavor! Lately, I’ve been using frozen garlic and ginger, which I get in the freezer section. It’s easy to keep on hand and tastes as vibrant as fresh without any additives.
COCONUT AMINOS (OR GLUTEN-FREE TAMARI OR SOY SAUCE). Lastly, you’ll add a drizzle of coconut aminos, gluten-free tamari, or soy sauce, depending on your dietary needs. (Coconut aminos is gluten-free, soy-free, paleo-friendly, and Whole30, so keep that in mind if you follow one of those diets!) If you’re using tamari or soy sauce, I tend to recommend low-sodium or reduced-sodium sauces to help moderate the salt content.
AND LETTUCE! They wouldn’t be chicken lettuce wraps without lettuce! I’ve used all kinds of lettuce for these lettuce wraps. Butter lettuce, romaine lettuce, and iceberg are my top 3 faves. (See the FAQ below for more details!)
FAQ + TIPS & TRICKS FOR THE BEST PALEO CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS:
CAN’T FIND GROUND CHICKEN? HERE’S HOW YOU MAKE IT! I typically buy ground chicken breast at Sprouts, but making your own is REALLY easy and usually takes under 2 minutes. All you do is put 1 lb. uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast (or thighs) into a food processor fitted with the metal S blade, and run it till the chicken is ground finely.
CAN I USE GROUND TURKEY (OR GROUND PORK/BEEF) TO MAKE THESE LETTUCE WRAPS? LOTS of readers have made these with ground pork or turkey over the years without any trouble!
WHAT’S THE BEST KIND OF LETTUCE FOR LETTUCE WRAPS? It’s totally personal preference, but butter lettuce, romaine, and iceberg are all nice. Butter lettuce is the most flexible (and doesn’t tend to break as much when you’re pulling leaves off the head of lettuce), but romaine and iceberg have a little more crunch if that’s something you like. (P.F. Chang’s uses iceberg on their popular lettuce wraps.)
MAKE THESE LETTUCE WRAPS TO FIT YOUR DIET. If you don’t have any dietary restrictions, you can use soy sauce for this recipe. For a gluten-free option, we usually use tamari. If you need a paleo or soy-free option, coconut aminos works beautifully.
WHAT DO YOU USE FOR A DIPPING SAUCE? I based my dipping sauce on the one I cobble together at P.F. Chang’s. It’s a mix of equal parts dijon mustard + tamari (or coconut aminos or soy sauce). You can also add a few dashes of chili oil or sriracha if you want a little kick.
LOVE THESE PALEO CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS? YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE…
- Healthy Beef & Broccoli (Paleo, Whole30)
- Egg Drop Soup (Paleo, Whole30)
- Healthy Orange Chicken (Gluten-Free, Paleo)
- Egg Roll in a Bowl (Paleo, Whole30)
- Healthy Sesame Chicken (Gluten-Free, Paleo)
HELPFUL TOOLS & INGREDIENTS FOR MY CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS RECIPE:
Chicken Lettuce Wraps (Gluten-Free, Paleo, Whole30)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 servings 1x
Description
For a dipping sauce, we mixed together equal parts dijon mustard and coconut aminos/tamari. You can also add a little chili oil or Sriracha if you like it hot!
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil (olive or coconut oil would work well too)
- 1 lb ground chicken (we grind raw chicken breast or chicken thighs in our food processor)
- 6–8 oz. button or baby bella mushrooms, finely minced
- 1 (8oz.) can water chestnuts, drained and minced
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4–1/3 cup coconut aminos, GF tamari, or soy sauce
To serve:
- Lettuce leaves (butter lettuce, romaine hearts, or iceberg lettuce work well)
- Cilantro (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the filling by heating the oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until fully cooked all the way through, about 6-8 minutes.
- Add mushrooms, water chestnuts, and green onions. Cook 3-5 minutes, or until mushrooms are softened.
- Add ginger, garlic, and 4 Tbsp coconut aminos (or tamari or soy sauce) and cook 1 minute longer, stirring to coat chicken mixture.
- Add additional sauce as desired (remember you don’t want it too wet, or it will make eating your lettuce wraps a very messy, soggy experience).
- Scoop mixture onto lettuce leaves. Top with cilantro, if desired, and your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
Not a chicken fan? LOTS of readers have made these with ground pork or turkey over the last few years without any trouble! I just don’t care for ground turkey (it’s too strong-tasting to me). You can also grind your own chicken, like we did. We ground our own chicken using a 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs and our food processor. Worked like a charm!
Fit your own diet. If you don’t have any dietary restrictions, you can use soy sauce for this recipe. If you need something gluten free, we go with tamari, and if you need something paleo, coconut aminos works beautifully.
- Category: Appetizer, Main Dish, Chicken
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian
Keywords: Lettuce Wraps, Paleo Lettuce Wraps, Asian chicken lettuce wraps, whole30 chicken lettuce wraps, gluten free chicken lettuce wraps, chicken lettuce wraps
These look so good! I’ve only had lettuce wraps once before, but can’t wait to try these. It’s one of those moments when I wish I could reach through the screen and eat one.
We made these with ground pork last week and they were delicious! My little ones got a kick out of getting to fill up their lettuce cups themselves, and my husband requested that we make it a regular in the dinner rotation. Thanks so much for sharing!
I really enjoyed this recipe. My husband is on Paleo and trying to make recipes that please us both. This clearly fit the bill.
I added a few items; snow pea pods, hoisin sauce, yellow peppers and shredded carrots. Delicious. Thanks for sharing!
★★★★
Love the additions….since I don’t like mushrooms I must try!! Minus hoisin for Whole30
★★★★★
Yum. We have a tofu lettuce wrap recipe that we love, but I will definitely be trying this one!
So good, Emily! I’m going gluten free just because this month and have fallen in love with all things lettuce wrap. This meal was a cinch and I added onions and bell peppers to add a few veggies (and to make it a one pot meal). This is definitely going to be repeated this month and whenever I don’t really want to make anything that takes more than ten minutes…ok twenty minutes.
★★★★★
Oh, I’m SO glad you liked it! I can’t wait to hear what you think after a month! Good luck, friend!
What is the sauce that u are putting on them
It’s in italics in the description section of the recipe card. 🙂 I do equal parts dijon mustard and coconut aminos or tamari. You can also add chili oil or sriracha if you like it hot!
Huge mistake thinking that your kids will suddenly take to eating in restaurants when they’re older. Although you have to be prepared to get up and walk around or bring distractions (we were big on places with patios), children come to accept as normal what they’re brought up with. When my son was two I took him wherever I went to eat and ordered appetizer sized portions of duck, vegetables, whatever. Most restaurants were very accommodating about it. He is now 14 and is better about trying things than I am. I can take him with me for injeera at an Ethiopian restaurant or sweetbreads at a French restaurant and it’s all good. Honestly, it was a small price to pay so that we could (and can) enjoy meals together throughout his childhood.
Jennifer – I’m glad that worked for you! My daughter has autism and struggles with the sensory overload of restaurants–everything from the noise (lights, sounds of people chewing, din of the room), to the visual stimulation (fluorescent lights, unfamiliar textures of foods etc), and the social stimulation (lots of people, lots of noise). It’s something we’re working on in therapy, but we hope to be where you are someday. Thanks for the comment.
Emily, I commend you on your gracious response to the “huge mistake… ” comment. I’m amazed when I hear someone quickly and directly tell another that they are doing something wrong without even knowing the particulars of their situation. That seems a breach of basic courtesy to me.
Thank you, Rhonda! Such a happy comment to start my day.
I just made these for my 15 year old son’s after school snack, and he loved them! Yay, trying to lose weight and go Paleo over here. Thanks for this recipe.
Would this still be good without the water chestnuts? 🙂
Sarah – Yes! The water chestnuts just lend a little crunch. You could skip them entirely, or sub something else crunchy (carrots, toasted almonds, etc.)
You don’t have to use water chestnuts. I used Riced frozen carrots and cauliflower instead and it worked out beautifully.
Yum!! These were such a hit! I can’t believe how delicious coconut aminos and Dijon as a dipping sauce is. Holy cow. I used 1/2 turkey and 1/2 pork. I thought about coming home to these leftovers all day. These will definitely be a frequent guest at our table!! Thank you so much for sharing.
★★★★★
Meg – I’m so glad that you loved them! We made them when my mom was in town last week and I LOVE THEM!
Hey friend, I know it’s been a year, but I have to contribute a couple thoughts. We take our FOUR kids ages 5 months, 2.5 years, 3.75 years, and 4.9 years (as of Nov 2015) out to dinner ALL the time. They rock it. Sure, things knock over, but we’ve had $100+ dinners at nice restaurants here in Seattle, and we’ve taken them all. I was a test kitchen for Karen le Billon’s second book because she transformed MY life with her first. I didn’t eat well, let alone consider that my kids could. We have regular dinner parties (every Friday) where our kids join us at the table, albeit more briefly, and they only eat what we eat. Beets and all (but not liver because I’m not there yet myself). Do try it! Whatever we instill early, we don’t have to fight later…
I made this last night and it was so yummy. Brought the little leftovers for lunch today, thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad! They’re one of my very favorite recipes.
Made these for dinner tonight and I loved them! Definitely will be making these again especially since I am left with yummy leftovers.
★★★★★
Making these tonight! Although I’m subbing out the chicken for shrimp and adding a few more veggies! My husband is stoked to try it.
Shrimp sounds great! I think just mushrooms would work well for vegans!
Oh, wow. This looks delicious! Besides the dijon mustard coconut aminos, any other recommendations for sauces to go with this?
If you’re not doing Whole30, you can dip them in something like hoisin sauce, sweet chili sauce, or whisk together some ginger, garlic, and tamari/soy sauce/coconut aminos. Hope that helps!
These are delicious, is there a way to know how many calories they are per serving?
★★★★★
Debbie – I’m so glad you liked them! I don’t have nutrition facts available on my site, but you can plug them into a recipe calculator online. My favorite one is MyFitnessPal (the site or the app). You can import recipes straight from the web!
This recipe is AMAZING! Healthy, super flavorful, and filling. Next time I’ll try it with half the amount of soy sauce, just to cut some of the saltiness out (since I didn’t use coconut aminos). Thanks for posting this!
Casey – I’m SO GLAD to hear how much you enjoyed the recipe. It’s one of my favorites! I make it all year long!
We had them tonight for dinner! They were DELICIOUS! Will fix again.
★★★★★
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Great Recipe. I swapped out the coconut amino for Whole Foods brand Teriyaki sauce. It’s what I had! It worked well. I did not need to make any other sauce to go with it. Thanks!
★★★★★
Yum! Used leftover chicken ( just chopped it up) and lettuce I bought at farmer’s market yesterday. Whole family loved it! Wish there were leftovers, but every bit eaten:) Thank you for a delicious, fresh, healthy recipe.
★★★★★
Denise – I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
This recipe is delicious! Made many versions of lettuce wraps previously without a recipe, but I liked the addition of water chestnuts and mushrooms in this one. I did not have coconut aminos or cilantro but added seasame seed oil, Chinese five spice, and red peper flakes. Also I used ground beef. So surprised we didn’t even need the soy sauce or substitute! Very tasty and an easy yet strict paleo meal. Oh and always made so much better with fresh Boston Bib lettuce.
★★★★★
Yum! Those adaptations sound delicious!
Hi Emily,
Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe. It is exactly what I was looking for, simple, healthy, and without any rich, sugary jarred sauces. I will definitely make it again, probably very soon. I think I’ll try your brownie recipe next😁
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! And I hope you LOVE the brownies!
I made these tonight and they were a huge hit with my 2 teens and hubby. I did chicken and venison. YUM!!! I loved the simplicity and delicious flavor.
★★★★★
So glad to hear that Marianna! I just LOVE them!
This was delicious and so easy! I had to omit the mushrooms due to an allergy, but they were not missed!
So glad you enjoyed them Lisa!!!
We are making these again. I passed the recipe to my college kids too. Such a easy healthy meal.
I substitute jicama for the water chestnuts and it was so good. Thanks again!
Ooh! I still need to try that!
Your peanut sauce is delicious, it tastes just like my favorite dressing! I add tahini, sesame oil, and sesame seeds sometime when I top soba noodles in a power bowl. Thanks for sharing, I am so happy to home make it now!
★★★★★
Ooh yum!
Where is the recipe for the ginger dipping sauce?
Melissa – If you look in the recipe card (under the title) our dipping sauce recipe is written in italics. “For a dipping sauce, we mixed together equal parts dijon mustard and coconut aminos/tamari.” You can make as much or as little as you like.
If you don’t want to go that route, you can simply mince up a little ginger (about 1 tsp) and stir it into 1/4 cup or so of some tamari/soy sauce/coconut aminos. Hope that helps!
These are great. How many calories per serving.
Valerie – Thanks for your comment! I don’t have nutrition software yet, so nutrition facts aren’t yet available for my recipes on my site (hopefully soon!). You can plug the recipe ingredients into any free online calculator. My favorite is My Fitness Pal (the free site or free app) since you can import recipes directly from the web!
Thank you!
My pleasure!
Well I found this recipe yesterday and bought a few bits I was missing but what are the coconut amino for? I love the sound of this recipe and the changes and adaptions from others in the comments. This is going to be made tonight/ tomorrow and am looking forward to it.
★★★★★
If you follow a paleo diet or avoid soy, you use the coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce/tamari. It’s just lovely!
Do you grind the chicken in the food processor while raw or after it has been cooked?
Before! It’s ground raw chicken 🙂
Hi! THis looks delish! I want to try this out and I’m wondering what the sauce you’re using in the pics. Any whole 30 approved sauce recipes? Thank you.
Leah – I mixed together a little coconut aminos, dijon mustard (Annie’s brand is compliant), and some garlic. That’s it! It reminds me of the chili oil, hot mustard, and soy sauce mixtures they serve at PF Changs.
Made this tonight. Very good flavor and the food processor makes it a breeze! Next time, I would salt the chicken and add tapioca starch at the end to thicken that yummy juice.
★★★★
Ooh, great tip! Thanks!
This was so tasty! I made it with all items listed plus some shredded carrot. Hubby (who is not following paleo or AIP, but wants to be supportive) REALLY loved it! We’ll definitely be repeating this! Thank you!
Oh, I’m SO happy to hear that! It’s always such a win when your family enjoys it too!
This was so good!!!
★★★★★
SO glad you loved them! I can’t get enough!
This was Amazing! I made a side sauce with almond butter, coconut aminos, lime juice, red pepper flakes and water. Similar to a peanut sauce. It was so crazy good. Thank you!
Wow! Thank you so much for sharing this with me! That sauce sounds DELICIOUS! I’ll try it!
Would this work in an instant pot or crockpot?? Looks delicious!
Elizabeth – That’s a great question! If I were doing it in the IP, I don’t think it’d be done any faster since it’s just a few quick minutes of cooking (and you’d be doing that in the IP on the saute setting). As for slow cooker, I think it’d probably be too much cook time.
My roommate and I did whole30 last month and this is hands down our favorite discovery from the experience! We subbed chopped cashews for the water chestnuts and added shredded carrots as well. So delicious! Love that it’s light, healthy, and easy to make. We will be making this again and again 🙂
★★★★★
Oh, I’m SO glad to hear this! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!!
Hi!
I am making this tonight! 🙂 I just started the keto diet so I’m wondering if the nutrition facts above are for one serving? So one lettuce wrap with filling has 12.5 g of carbs? Just want to be sure I know.
Can’t wait to try these!
Amanda
Yes! They’re for one serving 😊
I love this! I just started Paleo today and had this for a late lunch. I added extra ginger (because I love all things ginger!). The only thing I would change is the amount of soy sauce (I used liquid aminos), a little on the salty side, but who doesn’t like salt 😊 Thanks for sharing
★★★★★
I’m so glad you liked them! 🙂
We are new to paleo, but love PF Chang’s lettuce wraps. These were quick to put together with most everything going into the food processor (except the green onions.) My husband seriously kept going back for more — I think 4-5 times! He said, “This is like PF Chang’s except all you can eat!” A winner here for sure!
★★★★★
That’s exactly what my husband did the first time we made them! (That feeling has never gone away–we can’t get enough!) I’m so glad you love them!
Oh my gosh. SO. FREAKING. GOOD. I just started Paleo today and this is the first recipe I made and I’m so so glad I found it. They are so delicious and my two year old even enjoyed them. Only negative for me is that I Wish I would’ve made a bigger batch!!!!! Will be making this again weekly!!!! Thank you for the yummy recipe 😊
I’m SO HAPPY to hear that Kaylee!!!
Just made these for my wife and I. They wss ere amazing. Wish I knew the calories etc. But this is a definate keeper. Thank you for sharinh
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed them!!! The nutrition facts are at the bottom of the recipe card. 🙂
You stated you made a dipping sauce. Could you please share the recipe?
Jennifer – It’s right in the description of the recipe card under the title 🙂 I use equal parts Dijon mustard and tamari/coconut aminos. You can also add chili oil or Sriracha for some heat!
Do you think this would taste good with ground organic turkey?
I don’t care for ground turkey myself, but LOTS of folks have made and liked it with ground turkey! Other readers have also tried it with ground beef and even ground pork.
Just want to say thanks for this recipe. I make it all the time!
Thank you so much for leaving this comment Katy! You made my day!
These are really good! We made our own sauce using Dijon mustard, honey, sweet-and-sour sauce And a hot sauce
★★★★
That sounds AWESOME!
These look amazing! We totally need to put these on the menu for this week!
They’re one of my all-time favorites! We’ve been making them for six years and still aren’t sick of them! 🙂
A regular at our house. Love that’s a bit unusual yet still easy enough for a weeknight. We use a mix of Yoshida’s teriyaki and Maeploy. So delicious!
Yum! That sounds great!