The one meal I love to order when I travel to New York City? Honey Chicken Lettuce Cups from a small Asian restaurant a few blocks away from my hotel. They are so delicious that I’ve been known to frequent twice in a couple of days.
I’ve partnered with the National Honey Board on its “Golden Family Time” campaign to make family life in the kitchen deliciously easy and worry-free when done with one of Mother Nature’s simple “bare necessities”: pure, golden honey.
This Honey Chicken Lettuce Cups recipe is delicious, as honey is a key ingredient in the delightful sauce that takes the lettuce cup filling to a new level. A little touch of sweetness goes a long way, especially in Asian-style dressings, marinades, and sauces.
I created this recipe video to show you how easy it is to make these Honey Chicken Lettuce Cups
This recipe is the perfect quick skillet meal with restaurant-like flavors that come together quickly. Plus, the lettuce cups are filled with veggies and are really fun to eat, making this recipe that much more appealing to kids.
At the Asian restaurant, this recipe is served over rice, but since I frequent the restaurant often and they have a different lettuce cups recipe as an appetizer, they were able to accommodate my request for a rice-less dish. Of course, this just means that another option for you is to serve the delicious honey chicken over a bed of rice.
Another reason I choose the lettuce cups as an option is that it’s a grain-free way to enjoy your favorite wraps. Since I try to eat grain-free most of the time, lettuce cups are a go-to meal for me. Plus, they’re great for lunch! If you are worried about the lettuce wilting before you have a chance to make these lettuce wraps, you can see how I keep lettuce fresh for longer here.
Where does one begin to recreate a restaurant style dish at home? I’m never sure how others do it but I begin by breaking down the ingredients I can see and then recreating the sauce. In this recipe, the distinct soy flavor becomes mild and delicious when mixed with honey, giving this sauce that Asian-inspired flavor profile we all love.
I enjoy this sauce so much that I’ve also used it to marinade chicken thighs, sauté vegetables, and toss it around with shrimp and vegetables for a quick stir-fry night.
I love using honey in my recipes because it’s a very versatile ingredient. In this recipe it gives this tangy sauce a delicious natural sweetness and balances out all the flavors. Plus, when I say that it comes together quickly and effortlessly, I mean that all you need is a small bowl and a skillet. I’m all for delicious meals with an easy cleanup!
I also pair these Honey Chicken Lettuce Cups with extra veggies like steamed or roasted carrots or butternut squash. It’s a dinner my whole family loves, and I know your family will, too.
Honey Chicken Lettuce Cups
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!
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
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 shredded carrots
- ½ cup shredded purple cabbage
- ½ cup bean sprouts
- ⅓ cup honey-roasted peanuts
- Iceberg or Butter lettuce leaves, for serving
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk to combine honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, place olive oil and onions. Begin to sauté onions until they become golden and translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for an additional minute.
- To the soft onions, add in ground chicken and shredded carrots. Cook, stirring frequently and while breaking up the chicken pieces until it’s cooked throughout, for about 5-7 minutes.
- Pour sauce over cooked chicken mixture and combine. Place the lid, reduce heat, and simmer for 3 minutes. Top with bean sprouts, chopped cabbage, and roasted peanuts and cover for an additional 3 minutes.
- Scoop mixture into lettuce cups and serve.
From time to time, I work with awesome companies to develop recipes for this website. Today’s post was brought to you by the National Honey Board. All opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that encourage my creativity.
Samantha
This looks delicious but it seems that some of the directions for the Honey chicken letteus cups might be for another recipe? I would love to make them but can’t seem to figure out what steps to take.
Thanks
Laura Fuentes
Hey Samantha, everything should be good now!
Mal
Made these tonight and the whole family loved them! Added some bean thread noodles for fun. Thanks Laura!
★★★★★
Laura Fuentes
I”m so glad they were a success!
Marie
We thought these needed a lot more sauce – double, or maybe triple, the sauce. And some green onions would be a nice finishing touch 🙂 The carrots & cabbage went over well and we might increase those next time.
Hubby said this would also be good in a wonton taco (I guess Applebees has those on their menu). Not sure how to make wontons into a taco shape, but you could put the wantons in a muffin tin and make wonton bowls.
Laura Fuentes
So glad you liked them! They aren’t “saucy” since that would drip out of the lettuce cup. If you serve the over rice, definitely double the sauce ingredients. Thank you for trying them!
Kelly
Hi Laura! I would LOVE to make these, but my little guy can’t have sesame or peanuts. Any suggestions? Will they work omitting these ingredients? Thanks so much! I love your recipes 🙂
Laura Fuentes
Hi Kelly! I would suggest omitting the peanuts from the recipe for sure. The sesame oil adds a lot of flavor and without it it’s different. It’s not going to come out wrong but just different. Enjoy!
jody
Hi Laura. These sound great! Any idea what the calorie count on these would be per serving?Cheers! Jodyj
Laura Fuentes
Hi Jody, I don’t calculate calories in my recipes since I focus on teaching people to cook with fresh and real ingredients. That said, a serving of these has: 310cal/23g protein/13g carbs. Enjoy!
LL
Would any other nut make a good substitute?
Laura Fuentes
the peanuts are optional and you can most definitely leave out. Enjoy!
LL
I made it WITH peanuts and I love it but I had a difficult time with the butter lettuce leaves. Romaine would be better we it’s thicker. After a couple of them we took the rest of the filling and made fried rice!
★★★★
Laura Fuentes
I’m glad you enjoyed it and thank you for the feedback on the butter lettuce. I will add a note. I typically double the leaves but I completely understand where you’re coming from!