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Copycat P.F. Chang's Lettuce Wraps with Chicken

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Love the lettuce wraps from PF Chang's? Make them at home anytime you want with this simple recipe that uses ground chicken, water chestnuts, green onions, and Asian seasonings.


serves/makes:
  
ready in:
  under 30 minutes
Rating: 5/5

44 reviews
5 comments

ingredients

1 pound ground chicken breast or finely chopped chicken
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Asian chili sauce
1 can (8 ounce size) water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons sesame oil
16 Boston, Bibb or butter lettuce leaves

directions

Heat a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the ground chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is no longer pink.

Add the onion, garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar, and chili sauce to the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and the chicken is broken up.

Stir the water chestnuts and green onions into the chicken mixture. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the sesame oil then remove the skillet from the heat.

Place the chicken mixture on a platter or in a bowl. Serve with the lettuce leaves.

recipe tips


Choose lettuce leaves that are large and sturdy enough to hold the filling without tearing.

Adjust the seasoning to taste, such as adding more chili sauce for added heat.

Try different protein options like ground pork or shrimp for variety.

To add a crunchy texture, add crispy fried noodles or julienned carrots to the wraps.

For a lower-carb version, reduce the amount of hoisin sauce.

If the filling is too dry, add a splash of chicken or vegetable broth to moisten it before serving.

common recipe questions


What type of lettuce is best for making lettuce wraps?

Butter lettuce, Boston lettuce, or Bibb lettuce are the best options for making lettuce wraps due to their pliable and sturdy leaves. You can also use iceberg lettuce or romaine.

Can I use ground turkey instead of ground chicken?

Yes, ground turkey can be used as a substitute for ground chicken in this recipe.

What can I use instead of hoisin sauce?

You can make your own homemade hoisin sauce or just wing it with a combination of soy sauce, honey, and garlic to to taste.

How can I make this recipe vegetarian?

You can substitute the ground chicken with crumbled firm tofu or cooked lentils for a vegetarian version of this recipe.

Can I prepare the filling ahead of time?

You can prepare the filling ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 days before serving. Reheat gently in a skillet, adding a little broth or water if it seems dry.

How do I serve the lettuce wraps?

To serve, spoon the chicken mixture onto individual lettuce leaves, wrap or fold them up and enjoy!

What are some additional toppings or garnishes I can add?

You can top the lettuce wraps with chopped peanuts, cilantro, sriracha sauce, or a squeeze of lime juice.

How should I store leftovers?

Store any leftover filling in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat gently before serving.

Can I freeze the filling?

While the filling can be frozen, the texture of the vegetables may change slightly upon thawing.

tools needed


Large Skillet: For cooking the ground chicken and mixing in the other ingredients. It should be large enough to accommodate the chicken and vegetables without overcrowding.

Measuring Cups and Spoons: For measuring ingredients such as garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil.

Cutting Board: For chopping the onion, water chestnuts, and green onions (and chicken if not using ground chicken).

Sharp Knife: For finely chopping the onion, water chestnuts, and green onions.

Wooden Spoon or Spatula: For stirring the chicken mixture in the skillet or wok.

what goes with it?


Sriracha: Drizzling sriracha on the lettuce wraps adds a punch of heat that will definitely wake up your palate.

Sesame Seeds: Toasted sesame seeds sprinkled on the wraps provide not only visual appeal but also a nutty flavor.

Miso Soup: A light miso soup can be a nice start to the meal, providing umami flavor that pairs nicely with the flavors in the lettuce wraps.

Chili Garlic Noodles: These noodles would make a perfect side dish to the lettuce wraps, adding a spicy kick and a complementary texture.

Asian Slaw: A tangy dressing in a refreshing Asian slaw would complement the savory wraps, and it's a delicious way to add more veggies to your meal.

beverage pairings


Wine Pairings
Sauvignon Blanc: This wine is known for its acidity and refreshing qualities, making it a perfect partner for the savory chicken and fresh greens in your wraps. Look for a bottle with citrus and green apple notes.

Gewurztraminer: This aromatic wine can bring a hint of sweetness and spice, which perfectly complements the hoisin sauce's richness. Aim for one that has floral aromas and tropical fruit flavors.

Chardonnay: A lightly oaked Chardonnay can bring buttery notes that mingle nicely with the chicken's savory flavor. Look for a balanced one - not too over-the-top with the oak, so it keeps the dish feeling fresh instead of making the lettuce wraps turn into a heavy meal.

Other Alcohol Pairings
Asian Lager: A crisp Asian lager, like Sapporo or Tsingtao, is a fantastic match. Its lightness and carbonation will cut through the layers of flavors without overshadowing them.

Sake: When in doubt, go for the classic! A chilled Junmai sake has a smooth profile that pairs well with Asian flavors. Look for a bottle with a slightly sweet finish to perfectly balance the savory and spicy elements of your dish.

Gin and Tonic: Choose a gin that has herbal notes, and add some cucumber slices to your tonic for a refreshing drink that contrasts nicely with the savory chicken wraps.

Non-Alcoholic Pairings
Iced Green Tea: A slightly grassy, iced green tea can be just the thing to keep things light and refreshing, perfectly complementing the chicken and veggies without drowning out their flavors.

Coconut Water: If you're feeling tropical, coconut water provides a slightly sweet and nutty drink that pairs well with Asian-inspired flavors.

Sparkling Water with Lime: For a bubbly twist, go for sparkling water with a squeeze of lime. It adds a hint of flavor and zest, without overpowering those delicious wraps.


nutrition data

358 calories, 13 grams fat, 22 grams carbohydrates, 37 grams protein per serving.
Show full nutritional data (including Weight Watcher's Points ®, cholesterol, sodium, vitamins, and diabetic exchanges)


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reviews & comments

  1. nannaboo REVIEW:

    We no longer live near a PFChangs so I make this at home. It's pretty close to theirs. If I don't have lettuce leaves I sometimes serve it on tortillas.

  2. denise999 REVIEW:

    I have been making this for years ever since a friend told me that my son walked into her kitchen while she was cooking it and said, "did you go to pf changs and get lettuce wraps?" He was 10 years old at the time and lettuce wraps were and still are a favorite. Now I make them at home when I can. We still like going to PF Changs when we can... these days for take-out.

  3. Guest REVIEW:

    Excellent dish. I omitted the sesame oil to reduce calories and fat and it still tasted great!

  4. Guest Foodie REVIEW:

    I've made a lot of the PF Chang lettuce wrap recipes and this is our favorite! This one's a keeper. Love it!

  5. Guest Foodie REVIEW:

    Great recipe, made it several times, and everybody loves it.

  6. sometimestraveler

    My P F Chang serves this with a light sauce. Does anyone have a recipe for this?

  7. Anonymous REVIEW:

    I love this recipe and have made it several times now.

  8. Guest Foodie

    How can I reduce the carbs in this recipe?

    • The water chestnuts and hoisin sauce both contain carbs. However, the hoisin sauce really adds good flavor so you wouldn't want to just omit it without some kind of substitute. The water chestnuts add texture but you could omit them.

  9. Jenny g

    can I skip white or rice wine vinegar? I have balsamic and white distilled vinegar only

    • Neither are perfect substitutes but you could substitute diluted balsamic (try half balsamic and half water).

  10. schmidt REVIEW:

    Made these into miniature bites for a party. Used small lettuce cups and they were a huge hit.

  11. Anonymous REVIEW:

    Love this recipe! I just made it with ground beef instead of chicken. Super good!

  12. foodietyler1964 REVIEW:

    Haven't been to PFC for quite a while but these were always a favorite food item. I think this recipe is pretty spot on to the real thing. Have made it 2-3 times now.

  13. Deborah

    Is the Asian sesame oil the toasted or untoasted? Will make a huge difference in taste.

    • Great question! Unfortunately I'm going to have to say it most likely will come down to personal preference. Toasted sesame oil is going to be a stronger sesame flavor - so if you like that flavor, use it. If not (or if you don't know), then use untoasted which will be a much milder flavor. Since the recipe isn't using the oil to cook, it could go either way (side note: you don't want to use toasted sesame oil for cooking, only as a flavoring).

  14. shortstack REVIEW:

    Made this for the first time yesterday and was wowwed by how good it is and similar to the restaurant version. Only thing I omitted was the water chesnuts because I didn't have any on hand. Next time I will make this with them.

  15. glewis REVIEW:

    I've been making this weekly since I discovered it on this site. This is the best version of the copycat recipe that I've found (and it looks like there are a few versions floating around out there that mimic this one). I've varied the recipe a few times to add in other ingredients but you can't go wrong with the original version.

  16. Jessica REVIEW:

    The cayenne chili powder was a good edition. I also added some zucchini chunks because I had a few left in the fridge. I made these for "Asian Night" with some friends and we paired them with some Pf Changs spring rolls

  17. Carebear

    Mine seems to look too soupy. Did anyone else have this problem?

  18. Guest Foodie REVIEW:

    Hello Serene, The mumg bean noodles are as stiff and hard to cut. Use a sharp scissors. Punt s9me veg. oil in a pan ( use a wok) about approx. 2 inches deep. Get hot than drop the noodles into the oil. They will puff up very quickly. Remove and drain on paper towel. Good luck. Larry A.

  19. Mel REVIEW:

    I used soy crumbles instead of the chicken. Had to adjust the cooking method a little but it turned out decent!

  20. SAMMIE REVIEW:

    I've started making the filling and bringing it to work and just assembling it on lettuce leaves there. Super easy and so good! My coworker thought I went to PFChangs on my break!!

  21. KP REVIEW:

    Made this with ground turkey because my store almost never has ground chicken. Turned out just as good!

  22. Becca REVIEW:

    This dish is the reason I love PFChangs but I can't get there very often. I love that I can make it at home (I'll still go to the restaurant every chance I get though because we all deserve a good meal out once in a while!). I don't change anything with this recipe and it turns out vry good. I've made it three times now!

  23. XYATTA REVIEW:

    I omit the water chestnuts which makes it a great low carb meal

  24. Leslie REVIEW:

    I made this with ground turkey and added some minced mushrooms plus extra chili sauce. Delicious can't wait to make it again!

  25. Lulu REVIEW:

    I made these, but just cut the chicken in small chunks, also added about 2 TBSP of fresh cilantro, and a few TBSP of brown sugar and about 1 TSP of Garlic Salt and 1/4 cup of crushed almonds for some more crunch, these were absolutely delicious and would recommend to anyone!

  26. PeaceNikki REVIEW:

    Very good and simple! I added diced carrots and cashews and was heavy-handed with the Sriracha!! This is a keeper!

  27. shine00024 REVIEW:

    these are sooo yummy!! I'd say this is my pregnancy craving!

  28. Sarene REVIEW:

    I love PF Chang's, especially for their gluten free lettuce wraps- and I don't even like lettuce. Anyone who's had these has gotten them with tasty crispy noodle-type things. I've asked them and they only call them cellophane noodles. Everyone online says the same thing, I was hoping it would be easy to find, already done like a package of crackers. A little research showed me no, they have to be cooked somehow and that they are also known as mung bean noodles. I have been trying for ages to get these noodles right. I tried taking the raw noodles and frying them, they didn't puff up and tasted like raw noodles, pretty gross. I tried cooking them first as per the instructions on the packet, in boiling water, and then throwing the slimy noodles on the frying pan after that, and they stayed slimy, and got oily, and not at all puffy and crispy. Is there some method I am missing, or is it some other type of noodle? Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks.

  29. NanaKate REVIEW:

    These are soooooo good! Easy to make and the flavors are wonderful together. Tastes just like PF Changs. Thank you for posting it!

  30. Z REVIEW:

    I didn't have hoisen sauce, so I substituted it with black bean garlic and a little brown sugar. I also added shitake mushrooms. It was a hit with the little one who started by saying that "he doesn't eat THAT" and almost ate 3 wraps later!!!

  31. jlpurvis REVIEW:

    Awesome. Closest receipe I've found yet for these. If you put it in the recipe builder for weight watchers point value is 9 instead of 8 based of 4 servings. But worth every bite. Thanks.

  32. Dr. Deb REVIEW:

    The lettuce wraps at PF Chang's are my daughter's favorite! I invited her and her husband for dinner and made these and she loved them. Highly recommend! It was pretty easy to make and I followed the recipe exactly.

  33. SteinunnPullenPullen REVIEW:

    Very good, however for those counting the things we. Lint there is no mention of the sugar in the horizon sauce task task.

  34. Jeanine REVIEW:

    Love this recipe! I make it all the time and have given it to at least 5 other People who also now make it all the time! It is great to make in large batches and freeze for later.

  35. poirewilliam REVIEW:

    It's not exactly the "real deal." This recipe omits the wood ear mushrooms and pine nuts. Kinda makes a difference.

  36. QueenBea13 REVIEW:

    (NOTE: I made this recipe for a serving size of 10) WOW!! These came out GREAT! I was a little intimidated by the recipe at first, but all the seasonings and sauces were easily found in the Asian section at my grocery store. I did make a few minor alterations though. I decided to use ground turkey instead of ground chicken, because turkey is cheaper- and they came out just as good, if not better! I also increased the Hoisen sauce by 2t, then when the meat was finished and was in the bowl for serving, I drizzled a diluted bit of the Hoisen sauce over the meat. (The aroma will knock your socks off!) I also cut the chili sauce down to 2 1/2 tablespoons, instead of 6 teaspoons, it added JUST the right amount of kick, without being overbearing for the kids that were eating them. Between the onions & chili sauce- I would recommend cutting back a tad on one or the other if kids are eating them. Also, it never says here that a drain of the meat is necessary, however after adding the soy sauce & red wine vinegar while cooking, I found it necessary before the adding of the green onions and water chestnuts were added. Just a tip. They came out FANTASTIC, and now that we already have all the ingredients, we'll be making them again for sure!! 5 stars, thanks!!

  37. irishize14 REVIEW:

    Excellent but added 4 shiitakes which were chopped with the chestnuts and increased the hoisin to 1/2c and soy to 3T.

  38. smallmall REVIEW:

    wow these were so good, my son couldn't stop eating them. We cooked come brown rice to eat with them and actually put the rice inside the lettuce with the meat and it was delicious. I used chicken breast chopped up finely and it worked great.

  39. MochaGirl REVIEW:

    This recipe is the REAL deal. I was impressed with the taste. I used a combination of ground chicken and finely chopped chicken breast. It really taste like PF Chang's version.

  40. Foodie REVIEW:

    This recipe was delicious even though I forgot to add the sesame oil and soy sauce. I did add shiitake mushrooms and rice vermicelli which made it very moist and a good texture. I ended up taking 2 chicken breasts and dicing it up in small pieces before cooking. Then, I mixed the onions, ginger, garlic and the sauces in one bowl to blend the flavor and allow it to sit before I added them to the chicken. It came out soo good. Thanks for the recipe!

  41. Tracy REVIEW:

    These lettuce wraps are so delicious!!! Definitely taste just like P.F. Chang's! I decided to make these for my twin, who is a vegetarian. So I substituted firm tofu for the chicken. I cooked it just like I would have cooked the chicken. It was fantastic!!! Just as tasty as the chicken! I am a fan of tofu myself, so I love that I have two ways I can make this recipe. We also decided to chop some peanuts to sprinkle on top. YUM!

  42. Foodie 8 REVIEW:

    I made this for my family who ALL order the lettuce wraps when they go to P F Changs. Very close in taste to the original. At home this is a whole meal, not appetizer. DELICIOUS, nutritious and satisfing!

  43. Lizdesmond REVIEW:

    My family loves P. F. Chang's lettuce wraps. We live 90 miles away from the closest restaurant so we don't get them as often as we like. This recipe is as close as you can get to the real thing. It was fabulous! P.S. I doubled the recipe except for the onion!

  44. SuzMush REVIEW:

    These are fabulous! My husband and I both agree they tasted just like the ones at P.F. Chang's, and since the closest Chang's is an hour from our home, we will be making these quite often. I added about 1/2 c. of Hosian sauce and 3 T. of soy sauce and that was about all I changed. My husband liked his with hot mustard (found on the Asian food aisle at the supermarket) mixed with soy sauce like he does at the restaurant. GREAT recipe!

  45. Mommyof2 REVIEW:

    I made this recipe for my family tonight and my 5 and 1 year old boys loved them! My husband and I also enjoyed them quite a bit. I added more soy sauce and more hoisin and decreased the onion a bit as suggested by someone else. I used the butter lettuce and it was so much better than iceberg. They really did taste like PF Chang's. We have leftovers for tomorrow night and can't wait to have them again! YUM!

  46. Guest Foodie REVIEW:

    This recipe turned out great. Both my husband and I loved it and it is something that I will make whenever I am craving Pf Chang's lettuce wraps. It is very close in flavor to the Pf Chang version. Yummy!

  47. travelinjim REVIEW:

    WOW!!! What an easy and great-tasting recipe. I did add some salt to the chicken mixture and I also reduced the amount of onion. They were so good and I will definitely make these again and again for me and my husband.

  48. travelinjim REVIEW:

    This was an excellent recipe! I think it maybe called for a little too much onion, so I cut down on that. Otherwise, awesome and easy to make.

  49. Don and Heidi REVIEW:

    We had the chicken lettuce wraps and the spring rolls and then other chicken wi/rice for main meals. Lettuce wraps were to die for and all the rest was delicious and had wonderful exotic tastes. Will certainly be back and recommend.

Please note:
This is a copy cat recipe submitted to CDKitchen by a third-party. This recipe is not an original recipe unless specifically stated and is considered only to be an acceptable "clone" to the original for the home cook to attempt to duplicate. Please also note that many nationwide restaurant chains vary their menus and ingredients by region so the version provided may not be similar to what you may have tried before. All trademarks referenced are property of their respective owners.

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