Asian Chicken Lettuce Cups
This recipe is great because you can adjust it to any dietary need. You can replace the chicken with tofu or a good hearty mushroom. You can use liquid aminos instead of soy sauce to cut back on your sodium and it doesn't contain gluten. The lettuce cups make for a fun hands on eating experience and aesthetically look great on a plate. If lettuce cups aren't your thing, try chopping the lettuce up and make it into a salad. This recipe is a good balance of salt and savory with a touch of sweet and crunch.
Servings: 12 yield(s)
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 35 mins
Ingredients
  • 1 lb diced chicken (any meat will work, tofu or mushrooms are also great)
  • 2 bunches of lettuce (butter or romaine work best)
  • 1/3 cup crushed peanuts (optional)
  • 1/3 cup crunchy chow mein noodles (optional)
  • 1 tbsp corn starch
  • 1 tbsp water
    • Cabbage Slaw
  • 1 cup shredded cabbage and carrots (coleslaw mix is perfect)
  • 1/3 cup green onion (sliced thin)
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
    • Marinade
  • 6 tbsp hoisin
  • 6 tbsp liquid aminos (soy sauce will also work)
  • 4 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground garlic
  • 1 tbsp honey (sugar will also work)
Instructions
    Marinade for Chicken
  1. In a bowl or freezer bag place your diced chicken (protein) and cover it with the prepared marinade. Make sure to toss the chicken to get an even coating. Seal/cover and place in the fridge for at least 1 hr but preferably overnight.
    2. Cabbage Slaw
  2. In a nonmetal bowl place your shredded cabbage and carrots and toss in your rice vinegar.
    3. Lettuce Cups
  3. Trim your lettuce by cutting off the bottoms and peel away each leaf. Make sure to wash and let drain on paper towels. Be careful not to tear them.
    4. Cooking Time
  4. Heat up your frying pan over med high heat. Once to temp pour in your prepped chicken (protein) and the marinade.
  5. While your chicken (protein) is cooking make a slurry using the corn starch and water. *To make a slurry add your water to the corn starch and mix until dissolved.*
  6. Slowly pour your slurry into your pan while stirring. Let your mixture finish cooking, you will see that your marinade has thickened into a sauce. * If your sauce has not thickened and is still thin, add a bit more slurry *
    7. Assembly Time
  7. Create a cup using 2 lettuce leaves layering them together. Keep them about the size of your palm for easier handling when eating.
  8. Fill your lettuce cups with your cooked chicken.
  9. Next place a good pinch of the cabbage coleslaw on top of each filled cup.
  10. Sprinkle some of the crunchy chow mein noodles or crushed peanuts over the top for a nice crunch - this is completely optional