· · · · · · ·

Chicken Lettuce Wraps (Paleo & Whole30 Approved!)

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy

Paleo Chicken Lettuce Wraps – Fresh, flavorful, and FAST, these healthy chicken lettuce wraps will be on the table in no time. They’re a major crowd pleaser! (Gluten-Free, Whole30)

Whole30, Paleo Chicken Lettuce Wraps from One Lovely Life

Photos, post & video updated March 2020. Originally posted September 2014. 

One of our favorite things to go out for is egg drop soup, lettuce wraps, stir-fried chicken & vegetables. 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. They’re a pretty solid copycat recipe/dupe of the famous PF Changs lettuce wraps! 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 on these paleo PF Chang’s chicken lettuce wraps…

Whole30, Paleo Chicken Lettuce Wraps from One Lovely Life
Whole30, Paleo Chicken Lettuce Wraps from One Lovely Life

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!)
Whole30, Paleo Chicken Lettuce Wraps from One Lovely Life
Whole30, Paleo Chicken Lettuce Wraps from One Lovely Life

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.

Whole30, Paleo Chicken Lettuce Wraps from One Lovely Life
Paleo Chicken Lettuce Wraps from One Lovely Life

LOVE THESE PALEO CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS? YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE…

HELPFUL TOOLS & INGREDIENTS FOR MY CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS RECIPE:

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Whole30, Paleo Chicken Lettuce Wraps from One Lovely Life

Chicken Lettuce Wraps (Gluten-Free, Paleo, Whole30)


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.9 from 30 reviews

  • Author: One Lovely Life
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 45 servings 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free

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

Scale

For The Chicken Lettuce Wrap Filling:

  • 1 Tablespoon 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)
  • 68 oz. button or baby bella mushrooms, finely minced
  • 1 (8oz.) can water chestnuts, drained and minced
  • 2 green onions, sliced
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/41/3 cup coconut aminos, GF tamari, or soy sauce
  • optional: 1/4-1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

To Serve:

  • Lettuce leaves (butter lettuce, romaine hearts, or iceberg lettuce work well)
  • Cilantro (optional)
  • Your favorite dipping sauce

Optional Dipping Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup. dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup. coconut aminos, gluten-free tamari, or soy sauce
  • A few dashes of chili oil or sriracha if you want a little kick.

Instructions

  1. Prepare the filling by heating the oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until fully cooked all the way through, about 6-8 minutes.
  2. Add mushrooms, water chestnuts, and green onions. Cook 3-5 minutes, or until mushrooms are softened.
  3. Add ginger, garlic, and 4 Tbsp coconut aminos (or tamari or soy sauce) and sesame oil (if using) and cook 1 minute longer, stirring to coat chicken mixture.
  4. 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).
  5. Scoop mixture onto lettuce cups. Top with cilantro, if desired, and your favorite dipping sauce.

FOR OUR DIPPING SAUCE:

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together mustard, tamari/coconut aminos, and a few drops of chili oil or sriracha to taste. (If this feels too salty, feel free to dilute with a bit of water.) Spoon sauce over the lettuce wraps and enjoy!

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.

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Appetizer, Main Dish, Chicken
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Asian

Similar Posts

116 Comments

  1. 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!

  2. I made this for one of the extremely hot days California has been having. It was excellent and flavors were spot on!






  3. Made these the other day. Excellent! Used coconut aminos, perfect flavor. I ran out of mushrooms but used shredded carrots with minced shallots and water chestnuts. Served with red rice for more color. Yum!!

  4. This recipe is a no-fail hit. I have made it more times than I can count, and it pleases every time. Plus, it is super simple. Thanks for a easy, healthy and delicious recipe Emily.






  5. Very good, easy recipe. I have a vegetarian daughter and use soy beef crumbles for her portion and it still turns out really well!






  6. Thank you!!! I needed this recipe. My family needed this recipe. We are so tired of ground turkey (that’s what we used) tasting boring. This meal made our night!






  7. Still chewing the last bite of this absolutely delicious chicken lettuce wrap! Highly recommend this easy, yummy recipe!






  8. Delicious!!!
    I made this for my family tonight and we all LOVED it! Three of them really dislike mushrooms but they couldn’t tell that finely chopped Baby Bellas were in there. I didn’t have Dijon, so I used yellow mustard, coconut aminos and a little bit of Sriracha for the sauce My family requested that I make these again. So yummy!!!






    1. Laura – Aren’t they the best!? I’m so glad they passed at your house! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review–it’s so helpful!

  9. Wow! These are AWESOME & SO easy! Found this recipe on a reddit thread for whole30 when I was looking for new recipes. I’ve made it twice this round (I doubled it last night when I made it it was so good the 1st time!) The dipping sauce reminds me of the PF Changs dumpling dipping sauce (it’s sooo good & I’m not a huge mustard fan). I’ve seen other lettuce wraps recipes but they were much more involved. No need for extra work! Just make this one! I did double the ginger because we love ginger & did a slurry with potato starch to thicken up the sauce (I like mine saucy). Thank you for this delicious recipe!






  10. Can the chicken mixture be frozen or made in advance, then thawed, reheated, and spooned into the lettuce the day of a party?

    1. Kendall – I recommend making it fresh if possible, since the texture will be the best. I worry the chicken mixture would get a bit watery upon thawing.

  11. Made this on a whim-of-a-search for something ‘different’ for dinner.

    I’m still patting myself on the back because this was a smashing success with my wife and daughter. They know dad can cook – they just hadn’t had anything quite as tasty as this in a long time.

    Glad to have found your site, I’ve got it bookmarked.






Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star