Dinner tonight is our gluten-free Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps! This easy recipe combines seasoned chicken, fresh lettuce, crisp, colorful veggies, and the most amazing peanut sauce. This fast, fresh dinner is a great dinner for a busy night!
We’re breaking heat records where I live–we’re staring down weeks/months of 100+ degree temperatures for the foreseeable future,
When it’s too hot to cook, I rely on low-cook and no-cook dinners that won’t heat up the house.
One of my favorites is lettuce wraps, and lately, it’s been these Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce. They’ve got EVERYTHING–quick, easy protein that’s packed with flavor, a rainbow of fresh, crunchy veggies, a creamy peanut sauce you’ll dream about, and a few fun finishes that make them feel extra special.
So, basically, these Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps are a perfect summer dinner. Here’s what you need to make them…
Simple Ingredients To Start
These Thai lettuce wraps are different from our P.F. Chang’s copycat lettuce wraps. We use a unique flavor profile that highlights fresh ingredients and bold flavors. Both are delicious, but let’s take a look at the key ingredients that make this easy recipe special:
- SIMPLE, SEASONED CHICKEN. I use ground chicken breast in my Thai chicken lettuce wraps because it cooks so quickly, but you can see the FAQ for how to make Thai chicken lettuce wraps with shredded chicken or diced chicken instead! To give it plenty of flavor, I add a mixture of garlic & ginger, yellow curry powder, tamari, green onions, and cilantro. It’s bright and flavorful without a lot of fuss.
- A RAINBOW OF FRESH VEGGIES. Any time I’m having peanut sauce, I love to have a mix of fresh, crunchy veggies to go with it. So, I spoon the chicken mixture into butter lettuce leaves along with thinly sliced or diced red bell peppers, orange carrots, and green cucumbers. The combination is CRAZY good, especially when it’s paired with…
- MY CREAMY PEANUT SAUCE. I could eat this peanut sauce on almost anything. It’s the perfect blend of flavors–it’s got umami, salty, sweet, and savory going on and makes the chicken and veggies taste even more incredible. I like plenty of peanut sauce!
- TASTY EXTRAS, FOR SERVING. Once you’ve loaded your fresh lettuce leaves with chicken, veggies, and peanut sauce, you can top it off with some fresh cilantro or mint and crushed peanuts. The end result is a fresh flavor explosion you’ll CRAVE again and again.
How To Cut Veggies For Lettuce Wraps
You have two main choices for cutting veggies–thinly sliced (known as a julienne cut) or diced. I’ve found that thinly sliced veggies stay in my wrap better than diced, which can have a tendency to fall out. That said, diced can be easier for little ones to eat, it’s up to you!
In case you’re new to julienne cut, here’s a simple visual tutorial that will walk you through the process. It’s actually pretty easy even though it looks fancy!
How To Make Thai Chicken 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.
First, Mix Up The Peanut Sauce
- Combine. In a jar or small bowl combine peanut butter, 3 Tbsp. coconut milk, the tamari, the pure maple syrup, and the lime juice.
- Blend. Use an immersion blender to blend the sauce until completely smooth, adding more coconut milk as needed, to thin it out to your desired consistency. (You can absolutely do this with a whisk, it’ll just take much longer to blend!)
- Set Aside Or Chill. Cover the peanut sauce and set aside while you cook your chicken. If making the peanut sauce in advance, store in the refrigerator up to 1 week.
Next, Make The Lettuce Wraps
- Cook The Chicken. Heat 1 tsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook over medium heat until chicken is cooked through, 8-10 minutes. If there’s any liquid left in the pan, feel free to spoon it out and discard it.
- Season. Add garlic, ginger, tamari, curry powder and green onion and cook 1 minute longer. (Note: the chicken will not be super saucy since you don’t want it dripping out of your lettuce wraps.)
- Garnish with cilantro or mint (if desired), then assemble your lettuce wraps.
- Assemble Lettuce Wraps. Spoon the cooked chicken filling into lettuce cups with thinly sliced red pepper, carrots, and cucumber. Drizzle with peanut sauce, to taste. Top with extras, like more fresh herbs, crushed peanuts, etc.
Variations & Extras To Try
Now that you’ve got our base Thai Chicken Lettuce wraps recipe down, we can talk about variations! Here are a few things to try when you’re looking for a twist:
- Swap The Curry. Try Thai red curry paste in place of the curry powder. You can play with the amount until you season the chicken just the way you like.
- Swap The Lettuce. Try romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, or bibb lettuce instead of butter lettuce leaves. Any fresh, crisp lettuce leaves will work!
- Try It With Turkey. If you’re more of a ground turkey fan, you can use that instead of ground chicken breast! (I much prefer the flavor of chicken, but you do you!)
- Add Extra Veggies. Get a little more crunch by adding extra veggies, like chopped water chestnuts or bean sprouts.
- Play With The Seasoning. Add a little fish sauce, a pinch of red pepper flakes or sriracha, or a dash of chili sauce to the chicken for a little flavor twist!
- Try A Squeeze of Lime! I love to serve these with a lime wedge. That little bit of lime juice can add lovely brightness.
FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
MAKE AHEAD TIPS. You can do most of the assembly and prep for my Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps ahead of time to speed things along at dinner. Peanut sauce can be mixed up early (it’ll keep for a week in the fridge), veggies can be cut or diced ahead of time, and your lettuce leaves can be washed and prepped in advance, too. Then, all you need to do is cook the chicken & build your lettuce wraps!
I’M ALLERGIC TO PEANUTS. CAN I USE ANOTHER NUT BUTTER? If you need or want to avoid peanuts, I recommend using cashew butter in your peanut sauce instead. (Some folks use almond butter, but I’ve found the almond flavor is a bit more pronounced in the sauce than I prefer.)
CAN I MAKE THESE WITH DICED CHICKEN INSTEAD? Absolutely. If you want to go the diced chicken route, I actually recommend you use my Chicken Satay recipe to flavor the chicken. Then, you can pan-cook or grill the chicken before adding it to the lettuce wraps.
CAN I USE SHREDDED CHICKEN INSTEAD? You bet. Sometimes, for a shortcut, I make these using leftover shredded, cooked chicken. Instead of adding the curry powder + other seasonings, I usually mix the chicken up with a little Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, then I use the same veggies + add the peanut sauce on top.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Thai Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN:
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground chicken breast*
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- 2 Tablespoons gluten-free tamari coconut aminos, or soy sauce.
- 1 green onion sliced
- 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro or fresh mint
FOR THE PEANUT SAUCE:
- 1/2 cup natural peanut butter I prefer creamy for peanut sauce
- 3-5 Tablespoons lite coconut milk can sub full-fat coconut milk or water
- 2 Tablespoons reduced-sodium gluten-free tamari coconut aminos or soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice or rice vinegar
FOR THE LETTUCE WRAPS:
- 8-12 leaves butter lettuce can also use iceberg lettuce or romaine lettuce, if desired
- 1 bell pepper thinly sliced (julienned) or diced
- 1 large carrot thinly sliced (julienned) or diced
- 1/2 English cucumber thinly sliced (julienned) or diced
- 1/4-1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/4 cup crushed peanuts
Instructions
FIRST, MIX UP YOUR PEANUT SAUCE:
- Combine. In a small bowl or jar, combine peanut butter, 3 Tbsp. coconut milk, the tamari, the pure maple syrup, and the lime juice.
- Blend. Use an immersion blender to blend the sauce until completely smooth, adding more coconut milk as needed, to thin it out to your desired consistency. (You can absolutely do this with a whisk, it’ll just take longer to blend!)
- Set Aside Or Chill. Cover the peanut sauce and set aside while you cook your chicken. If making the peanut sauce in advance, store in the refrigerator up to 1 week.
NEXT, MAKE THE LETTUCE WRAPS
- Cook The Chicken. Heat 1 tsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook over medium heat until chicken is cooked through, 8-10 minutes. If there’s any liquid left in the pan, feel free to spoon it out and discard it.
- Season. Add garlic, ginger, tamari, curry powder and green onion and cook 1 minute longer. (Note: the chicken will not be super saucy since you don’t want it dripping out of your lettuce wraps.)
- Garnish with cilantro or mint (if desired), then assemble your lettuce wraps.
- Assemble Lettuce Wraps. Spoon the cooked chicken into lettuce cups with thinly sliced red pepper, carrots, and cucumber. Drizzle with peanut sauce, to taste. Top with extras, like more fresh herbs, crushed peanuts, etc.
- Serve & Store. Enjoy right away. Store leftovers in separate airtight containers in the fridge. (Store lettuce leaves, chicken mixture, and peanut sauce separately for best results.) Chicken mixture will stay fresh 3-4 days.
Notes
- Ground Chicken Breast. If you can’t find ground chicken, it’s easy to make your own! Just add boneless, skinless chicken breast or chicken thighs to a food processor fitted with the metal S blade and pulse until the chicken is finely ground. I prefer ground chicken breast to regular ground chicken since it’s got a more neutral flavor. Use whichever you can find/you prefer!
- Tamari. We recommend reduced sodium gluten-free tamari to help moderate the salt content. Coconut aminos is another great choice! If you’re not gluten-free, feel free to use low sodium soy sauce.
- Peanut Sauce. An immersion blender is the easiest way to blend this peanut sauce, but you can whisk if needed.
- Try A Squeeze of Lime! I love to serve these with a lime wedge. That little bit of lime juice can add lovely brightness.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.
Find it Online:
https://www.onelovelylife.com/thai-chicken-lettuce-wraps/Recipe originally shared June 2020. Fully updated June 2024.
This is such a good recipe! I do add chopped or cubed veggies to the chicken. It feels even healthier! The sauce comes together easily and my family likes a bit of heat so a dollop of sambal or chili garlic sauce is stirred at the end. The sauce is already delicious before the heat!
Delicious! So glad you loved it!
The peanut sauce is amazing and pairs with the crispness of the lettuce beautifully. And it is so fast and easy to make.
Love this recipe! Found it on my Two Cups of Health Pinterest page. We used to live in Hawaii and Thai food was absolutely my go-to food there. Need to check the rest of your Thai recipes!!
Can I cook the meat then grind it?
Kathy – I wouldn’t recommend grinding after you cook the meat, as it will most likely turn into more of a paste. If you prefer to cook the chicken breast or thighs whole, you can simply dice them into bite-sized pieces after. It’ll be a slightly different effect, but will taste delicious! (Kind of like our Chicken Satay in lettuce wrap form!)
So delicious! The peanut sauce is divine. I couldn’t find butter lettuce so used green a d red leaf lettuce that made it harder to eat. This recipe is a new favorite.
I’m so glad you liked them Sharlyn! Seriously, I could eat that peanut sauce by the spoonful!