Asian Lettuce Wraps

Asian Lettuce Wraps is a delicious Asian (specifically Chinese) inspired appetizer featuring a highly flavorful mixture of ground meat, mushrooms, and water chestnuts wrapped in lettuce cups, topped with green onions and red pepper flakes.

This Asian lettuce wrap recipe is inspired by the popular P.F. Chang’s lettuce wraps, with just as much flavor, if not more! They make great lunch or dinner options, and are always a hit at gatherings and parties!

Love Asian food? Check out some of my other favorites: Beef Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Beef), Tom Yum Fried Noodles, General Tso Shrimp and Miso Noodle Soup.

Asian (Chinese) Lettuce Wraps

Asian Lettuce Wraps are kinda like lettuce cups, where butter lettuce leaves or romaine lettuce leaves are filled with a delicious mixture of ground pork, mushrooms, and water chestnuts, seasoned distinctively with Asian sauces. 

I love that it is simple and quick to prepare, taking only about 30 minutes from start to finish, using basic cooking techniques and minimal kitchen equipment.

My first exposure to Asian Lettuce Wraps is at PF Chang’s. It is a popular menu item at the famous Chinese American chain that can be found all over the United States.

This is not an exact copycat of the PF Chang’s version, because it has been a long time since I have had their lettuce wraps. I do think this tastes slightly different.

But dare I say this? I think this is better. I like the sweet, savory umami flavor in this Asian lettuce wrap recipe of mine. The sauce has a much more depth of flavor, and there’s just something about a homemade meal that is fresher and much healthier than the restaurants’.

This Asian lettuce wrap recipe is very Chinese-influenced and calls for ground pork (a lot of authentic Chinese cooking uses pork), but feel free to use ground chicken, ground beef, or ground turkey if you prefer.

This recipe also includes a lot of sauces and seasonings use in Chinese cooking, such as ShaoXing rice wine and oyster sauce.

Equipment

You’ll need a skillet for frying. For ease of cleaning, use a non-stick one!

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients to make Asian lettuce wraps:

• Lettuce – Choose lettuce that can hold the fillings well and doesn’t wilt easily. Butter lettuce, iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, or green leaf lettuce are great options.
• Ground meat – While ground pork is traditionally used, ground chicken or turkey is a great substitute for a more low-fat take on Asian lettuce wraps. I do think ground pork produces a richer, deeper flavor than chicken and turkey, and is a more classic choice especially when making Chinese lettuce wraps. but the sauce is so flavorful you cannot go wrong with whichever protein you use.
• Garlic – use fresh (they have the best flavor), avoid substituting with garlic powder.
• White onions – mince finely to enhance the sauce. Shallots can be used in place of onions.
• Mushrooms – shiitake is traditionally used; however, white mushrooms can be used as well. If you bought dried shiitake mushrooms, you will have to soak them in warm water for 10-15 minutes until they become soft.
• Water chestnuts – you can find these canned in most major grocery stores. They may already be diced in small pieces, if not, dice them. Make sure to drain the excess moisture from the can and pat dry with paper towels if needed.

Sauce for the Filling

The sauce for the filling in our Asian lettuce wrap has the most incredible complex umami flavor. Try not to omit any of the key ingredients!

• Soy sauce – if you have gluten allergies, be sure to find non-gluten soy sauce.
• Oyster sauce – use of this sauce is a tell-tale sign that this dish has its roots in Cantonese Chinese cuisine. Despite the name, it really doesn’t taste like oysters! It is actually a dark colored, savory and slightly sweet sauce with lots of umami flavors.
• Rice wine – the classic Chinese rice wine called Shao Xing wine will produce the most authentic flavors but feel free to substitute with other rice wine if you cannot find it.
• Sesame oil – a must-have item to have in your pantry if you cook Asian food regularly! It has a very unique flavor and is a very typical Asian sauce.
• Ground ginger – you can use fresh ginger as well.
• Corn starch – this is used in a lot of Chinese food to help thicken up sauces and make them more gravy-like.
• Dark soy sauce – this is different than your regular soy sauce. Dark soy sauce is typically used in Chinese cooking, and it is richer, darker in color, and helps give the sauce more depth in flavor and color. Do not sub with regular soy sauce. This is an optional ingredient – if you cannot find it, you can just omit it.

How to make Asian Lettuce Wraps

One thing many people don’t know about this recipe is that the magic for the Asian Lettuce Wraps lies in the sauce and its ingredients.

And lucky for you, I’m spilling all the beans today.

Step 1: Make the Sauce

First things first. Let’s make that incredible sauce!

Bring together all the ingredients for the sauce – soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, ground ginger, sugar, corn starch, and water. Whisk to combine well.

Whisking properly will ensure the cornstarch is fully dissolved and all the sauce ingredients are combined well before adding it to the skillet.

Step 2: Cook Filling

Then let the sautéing begin! It goes very quickly as well.

Start by heating the skillet with vegetable oil until the oil is hot. Then add garlic and onions. Sauté briefly until fragrant but avoid browning or burning the garlic and onions.

Add ground chicken/turkey/pork to skillet and break pork into small pieces. Season with salt and pepper.

Once meat is no longer pink-ish in color, add water chestnuts, mushrooms and the sauce you prepared earlier.

Stir to combine and let it come to a boil. Sauce should thicken while it boils.

Remove from heat once sauce thickens.

Step 3: Assemble Lettuce Wraps

Before assembling these Asian lettuce wraps, be sure to wash and pat dry lettuce, removing any excess moisture.

Then open the lettuce up and top with filling.

Last and certainly not least, garnish with green onions.

Feel free to add some red pepper flakes if you like a little kick to your Asian Lettuce Wraps.

And to the most fun part – EATING. Grab one of these, or multiple.

I don’t know about you but I’ve NEVER stopped at one when it comes to these Asian lettuce cups.

Modification and Variation

These Asian Lettuce Wraps are super versatile – feel free to make them with some of the variations suggested below – or let us know in the comments how you modified it!

• Ground meat: Feel free to use ground turkey, chicken, pork, or beef as the meat for the filling.
• Sauces: Other Asian sauces you can use in place or in addition to what we suggested are hoisin sauce, fish sauce, or a gluten free soy sauce. Note that if you were to add these sauces in addition to what we suggested it will increase the salt content, therefore always taste and adjust accordingly.
• Toppings: Feel free to top Asian lettuce cups with other sauces such as sriracha for some extra kick. Add peanuts, fried garlic, or fried onions for some crunch and texture,

How to store leftovers

If there are leftovers, store the meat filling separately from the lettuce in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Storing them separately will prevent lettuce from becoming soggy. These keep very well as leftovers!

ENJOYED THIS RECIPE? Tell us what you think by leaving a rating and review below! 🤍

More Asian/ Asian-inspired Recipes

• Garlic Edamame
• Malaysian Curry Puff
• Slow Cooker Asian Shredded Pork
• Asian Salmond Salad with Ginger Soy Dressing
• Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry
• Kung Pao Shrimp
• Asian Peanut Chicken Salad
• Simple Thai Noodle Bowl
• Baked Cream Cheese Wontons
• Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
• Chinese BBQ Pork and Bok Choy Rice Bowl
• Sticky and Crispy Asian Chicken Wings (by Kitchen Sanctuary!)