Chicken Lettuce Wraps (Paleo & Whole30 Approved!)
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Dinner tonight is 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)
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, flavorful, and fresh, these healthy chicken lettuce wraps are always a BIG hit at our house.
In over a decade since we first developed this paleo chicken lettuce wrap recipe, we’ve made it COUNTLESS times. It’s one of my favorite dinners for busy nights. It’s made from simple, fresh ingredients in 30 minutes (or less!). Plus, it packs in a healthy dose of protein and even works for low carb eaters!
Here’s all you need to get started on this quick dinner…
Simple Ingredients To Get Started
- Ground Chicken (Or Turkey Or Pork). I like starting with ground chicken, though other kinds of ground meat work. People have made this recipe using ground turkey, ground beef, ground pork, and even ground 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. And he loves these healthy 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 at the grocery store. (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!)
Can’t Find Ground Chicken? Here’s How You Make It!
I typically buy ground chicken breast at Sprouts, Whole Foods, or Kroger, but making your own is REALLY easy and usually takes under 2 minutes. All you do is put 1 pound 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.
How to Make These Lettuce Wraps, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions and tips in the recipe card below!
- Cook The Chicken. 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.
- Then, Add Veggies. Add mushrooms, chopped water chestnuts, and green onions. Cook 3-5 minutes, or until mushrooms are softened.
- Add Aromatics. Then, 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. 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).
- Serve. Scoop chicken filling onto lettuce cups. Top with cilantro, if desired, and your favorite dipping sauce.
Try Our Dipping Sauce!
We made a simple dipping sauce that mimics the flavors in P.F. Chang’s lettuce wraps. Their recipe combines chili, hot mustard, and soy sauce. Our version uses ingredients common in most American kitchens. We like a 1:1 ratio of dijon mustard and gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos, plus a few drops of chili oil or sriracha, to taste. (If it’s too salty, you can dilute it with a bit of water!)
FAQ + Tricks For The Best Paleo Chicken Lettuce Wraps
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 leaves, 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 lettuce leaves and iceberg have a little more crunchy texture if that’s something you like. (P.F. Chang’s uses iceberg lettuce cups for 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.
EXTRAS TO ADD. Feel free to customize this recipe based on what you have on hand! Over the years, people have added sliced red bell pepper, jicama, or grated carrots for some extra crunch. Or, you can fill them out even more with a bit of cauliflower rice, sprinkle with a pinch of red pepper flakes or sesame seeds, or add a splash of fish sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, or sriracha to the sauce ingredients.
⭐ Don’t forget to leave a star rating below when you make our healthy Paleo Chicken Lettuce Wraps recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
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Chicken Lettuce Wraps (Gluten-Free, Paleo, Whole30)
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4–5 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These healthy chicken lettuce wraps make a quick and easy weeknight dinner, or great appetizer for a party. They’re a healthier version of PF Changs lettuce wraps!
Ingredients
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)
- 6–8 oz. white, 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
- 1/4–1/3 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
- 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.
- 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 sesame oil (if using) 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 meat mixture onto lettuce cups. Top with cilantro, if desired, and your favorite dipping sauce.
FOR OUR DIPPING SAUCE:
- 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
Originally posted September 2014. New photos, updated post and video updated March 2020. Additional notes added April 2024.
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!