Name: Chicken and Bell Pepper Lettuce Wraps
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Cuisine: ChineseAsianAsia
Ingredients: 1 head iceberg lettuce; 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce; 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 2 tablespoons water; 5 cloves garlic , minced; 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger; 2 teaspoons peanut oil or vegetable oil, plus 2 additional tablespoons; 1 pound ground chicken; 1 red bell pepper , diced; 1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts , drained and chopped fine; 5 scallions , chopped

Why This Recipe Works

These wraps are inspired by the Cantonese dish sung choy bao, which has been popularized by chain restaurants such as P.F. Chang’s. We wanted our chicken lettuce wraps recipe to feature chicken that was tender and not dried out, so we cooked it in a smoking-hot skillet. We mixed the minced garlic and ginger together with a little oil and quickly cooked them in the center of the skillet, by themselves, before stirring them into the other ingredients. This ensured that they didn’t burn and give our chicken lettuce wraps any off-flavors.

Before You Begin

For the best results, use ground chicken made from a mix of light and dark meat.

Instructions

Remove 8 large, bowl-shaped leaves from head of lettuce; reserve remaining lettuce for another use. Whisk hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and water together in measuring cup. Combine garlic, ginger, and 2 teaspoons oil in small bowl.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook chicken, stirring to break up clumps, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to bowl.

Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet and heat until just smoking. Add bell pepper, water chestnuts, and scallions and cook until peppers soften, about 3 minutes. Clear center of skillet, add garlic mixture, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken and sauce and stir until thickened, about 30 seconds. Spoon mixture into lettuce leaves and serve.