Apr 1, 2016

4.89 from 9 votes

Love Asian inspired dishes but want a healthier version than take-out? These Honey Chicken Recipe served in lettuce cups is one you'll love!

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Craving Asian chicken lettuce cups from your favorite restaurant? Look no further than this recipe!

You’ll love the combination of sweet and tangy, Asian-inspired flavors in these healthy chicken lettuce cups. The perfectly cooked chicken and crunchy veggies encased in crisp lettuce… mouth-watering!

two lettuce cups with Asian honey chicken

Healthy Chicken Lettuce Cups

These honey chicken lettuce cups are a one-meal wonder packed with a sweet-savory chicken filling in a crisp lettuce cup. It’s the perfect thing to make when you want to keep it light but don’t feel up for a salad.

If you want to kick the flavors up a notch, serve them with the spicy peanut sauce from my Thai Chicken Lettuce Cups. The combination is gold.

Best Lettuce to Use for Lettuce Cups

Both Iceberg and Butter lettuce are great options for lettuce cups; their outer leaves are fan-shaped and sturdy enough to hold a lot of ingredients.

They make the perfect vessel for delicious fillings and create the experience of a hand-held meal you can enjoy for a light dinner or a low-carb lunch.

Making the Lettuce Bowl

To create the lettuce bowl or cup, you’ll want to double up on the lettuce leaves for a sturdier base.

But first, carefully remove each large outer leaf, so they don’t tear. Once the leaves are separated, gently rinse them with water and pat dry.

When ready to serve, I recommend stacking one leaf on top of another to create a sturdier cup.

One of my easy tips to help lettuce last longer is to refrigerate the leaves in a paper towel-lined container. The paper towels absorb excess moisture and help the lettuce stay crisp.

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Honey Chicken Lettuce Wrap Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make these honey chicken lettuce wraps happen:

Honey: sweetens the stir-fry sauce.
Soy sauce: adds delicious savory flavor.
Rice vinegar: balances out the honey and soy sauce.
Sesame oil: a fragrant oil that adds toasted sesame flavor.
Olive oil: to cook the veggies.
Onion: gets tender and golden brown.
Garlic: cooked with the onions.
Ground chicken: the perfect texture for lettuce cups. Easily swapped out for ground turkey.
Carrots: shredded and cooked with chicken and sauce.
Purple cabbage: adds crunchy texture and volume.
Bean sprouts: a common veggie in Asian recipes. It adds volume and can be found in the fresh produce section.
Honey roasted peanuts: a sweet and salty topping that makes every bite even better. *Omit these if you’re allergic.
Lettuce: use Iceberg or Butter lettuce leaves to create the perfect lettuce cup you can fill with delicious honey chicken.

side by side images making honey chicken lettuce cups

How to Make Healthy Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Grab those ingredients, a large skillet, and let’s make these healthy chicken lettuce cups :

Make the sauce
Whisk the honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil in a small bowl.
Sauté some onions
Heat the oil in a large skillet and sauté the onions until they turn golden. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional minute.
Stir in the chicken
Add the ground chicken and shredded carrots to the onions and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, breaking up the meat as you go.
Add the sauce
Pour the sauce over the chicken mixture and stir to combine. Cover with the skillet lid and simmer for 3 minutes before topping with the bean sprouts, chopped cabbage, and roasted peanuts. Cover for an additional 3 minutes.
Assemble
Place one lettuce leaf on top of another to create a “cup”. Fill each with the chicken and veggie mixture, and enjoy!

See how to make this recipe from start to finish in this short video:

What do You Serve with Honey Chicken Lettuce Cups

These honey chicken lettuce cups are on the light side, so here are a couple of side-dish ideas to balance out this meal and make it a keeper:

More Lettuce Cup Variations

I’ve found lettuce cups to be a delicious way to enjoy our favorite taco and sandwich fillings while keeping the meal low-carb. Once you make these chicken lettuce cups, give these recipes a try:

Honey Chicken Lettuce Cups

Laura Fuentes

4.89 from 9 votes

Love Asian inspired dishes but want a healthier version than take-out? These Honey Chicken Recipe served in lettuce cups is one you’ll love!

Servings: 6 servings

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Ingredients

3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
½ tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion diced
2 cloves garlic grated
1 ½ pounds ground chicken or turkey
½ cup carrots shredded
½ cup shredded purple cabbage shredded
½ cup bean sprouts
⅓ cup honey-roasted peanuts
Iceberg or Butter lettuce leaves for serving

Instructions

Whisk the honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil in a small bowl. Set aside.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until they turn golden and translucent about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional minute.
To the soft onions, add the ground chicken and shredded carrots. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, breaking up the meat with a spatula as you go.
Pour the sauce over the cooked chicken mixture and stir to combine. Cover the skillet with the lid, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 3 minutes.
Remove the lid and top with the mixture with the bean sprouts, chopped cabbage, and roasted peanuts. Cover for an additional 3 minutes.
Scoop mixture into lettuce cups and serve.

Equipment

Weekly Meal Plan

The Taco Tuesday Cookbook

Nutrition

Serving: 1 servingCalories: 314kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 23gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 307mgPotassium: 775mgFiber: 2gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 1867IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 31mgIron: 1mg

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Healthy Honey Chicken Lettuce Wraps