Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps

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Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps are an easy and healthy low-carb meal that can be ready in about 30 minutes. These wraps are filled with seasoned chicken, crisp veggies and herbs, crunchy peanuts, and a sweet peanut sauce.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword peanut chicken lettuce wraps

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings lettuce wraps (3-4 servings) (Note 1)

Calories 138kcal

Cost $9.24

Ingredients

Lettuce Wraps

3/4 of 1 pound (~13 ounces) boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon EACH: ground cumin, ground turmeric
salt and pepper
12 large Boston or Butter lettuce leaves
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced into matchsticks (~1 cup)
1 and 1/4 cup matchstick (julienned) carrots
1 and 1/4 cup matchstick (julienned) Persian or English cucumber (~2-3 Persian cucumbers)
2-3 tablespoons chopped peanuts
Fresh lime juice and fresh cilantro, for topping

Peanut sauce/dressing

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons water
1 and 1/2 tablespoons each: rice vinegar, low sodium soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon each: pepper, cayenne pepper

Instructions

SAUCE: To a small powerful blender jar (I use a mini Blendtec/twister jar) add 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter, 3 tablespoons honey (See Note 1), 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons water, 1 and 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 and 1/2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, depending on your preference for heat), and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Blend until smooth and refrigerate while preparing everything else.
CHICKEN: Remove fat and halve breasts lengthwise if they are thick. Pound chicken to get the pieces uniformly thick throughout. (You can pound them with a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy frying pan.) Pat both sides of the chicken with paper towels. On one side of the chicken, drizzle 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and rub it in. Sprinkle on half of the salt, half of the pepper, half of the turmeric, and half of the cumin. Gently press in the spices and then flip the chicken to the other side. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and spices.
CHICKEN CONT.: Preheat an indoor or outdoor grill for medium-high heat (400-450 degrees F on an outdoor grill) and generously oil the grates (Note 2). Cook on the preheated grill until the chicken is golden and no longer pink in the center, about 4-5 minutes per side (or until the chicken registers 165 degrees F). Remove, cover with foil, and let stand for 5-10 minutes. When cooled slightly, dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces. To saute the chicken instead, see Note 3.
VEGGIES: Prep veggies while chicken is cooking: Slice a bell pepper into small matchstick-sized pieces, cut matchstick carrots (or use prepared matchstick carrots). Cut the cucumber(s) into matchstick pieces. If you aren't using salted nuts, add a pinch of salt to the veggies. Finely chop the peanuts.
ASSEMBLY: Wash and completely dry 12 lettuce leaves. Divide the cooked chicken evenly among the 12 lettuce leaves, followed by the veggies and peanuts. Add fresh cilantro and lime wedges to plates. Drizzle sauce generously over the wraps and enjoy immediately.

Notes

Note 1: Sauce: We love this sauce exactly how it's written, but it is quite sweet (which I think complements all the raw veggies nicely). If you prefer less sweetness, add honey slowly or add some red pepper flakes to make it a bit spicier.

Note 2: Grilling: I oil the grill grates by rolling up a few paper towels, drenching them in oil (canola or vegetable), and while using tongs, rub the drenched paper towels along the grill grates right before adding the chicken.

Note 3: Chicken: To saute the chicken instead: cut it into bite-sized pieces and toss with all the seasonings. Add 1 tablespoon oil to a large skillet and saute until chicken is cooked through and registers 165 degrees F. Timing will vary depending on the size of the chicken but should take around 5-7 minutes. Once cooked, allow to cool (tented with foil) and then dice the chicken into even smaller pieces.

Nutrition