Name: PF Chang's Lettuce Wraps {Perfect Copycat}
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp sesame oil; 1 lb shittake mushrooms (or any mushrooms will work here, make sure they are finely chopped); 1 lb ground chicken; 1 pinch salt; 1 yellow onion, diced; 4 cloves garlic minced; 1 tbsp freshly minced ginger (or 1 tsp dried); 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (use coconut aminos for Whole 30 and tamari for gluten free); 2 tsp sriracha (optional); 1 (227mL) can water chestnuts, finely chopped; 1/2 cup matchstick carrots; 4 green onions, sliced; 1 head romaine or Boston leaf lettuce

These copycat PF Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps are made with ground chicken, mushrooms and water chestnuts – they're healthy & low carb!

PF Chang's lettuce wraps ingredients & substitutions

You should have most ingredients on hand at home or easily available at your local grocery store – no running out to any specialty markets or needing any fancy ingredients!

Though these lettuce wraps are restaurant-quality, you'll be surprised by how easily these come together at home. Here's what you'll need:

Sesame oil – you can technically use any type of oil (olive, sunflower, canola, etc) but if you don't use sesame oil you won't get that traditional sesame flavour
Shittake mushrooms – any mushrooms will work, but shittake mushrooms are the closest match to this recipe
Ground chicken – ground chicken is what's traditionally used in this recipe, but ground turkey is a close sub! Ground pork would also work well but increase the calorie count
Onions – yellow onion works best, but red, white or shallots would also work
Garlic – be sure to use fresh garlic for best results, but in a pinch you could use the jarred stuff
Fresh ginger – fresh gingerroot adds so much flavour, but in a pinch you could use 1 tsp ground ginger
Soy sauce – tamari or coconut aminos are great gluten-free options without changing the flavour too much
Sriracha (optional, for spice) – I like to add a little bit of spice, but you can totally leave this out
Water chestnuts – these are key! They are the main crunch factor and included in the PF Chang's recipe – I can't think of a good substitute, but you could leave them out if you can't find them at the store (you can order water chestnuts online if you can't find them in store)
Grated carrot – There's no good substitute here, and you do need them to add some crunch and sweetness
Green onions – again, there's no good substitute. They add a final bit of crunch and flavour, but you could leave them out in a pinch
Lettuce of choice – I used romaine lettuce leaves for this recipe because they hold the ingredients better. But PF Chang's does use Boston leaf lettuce, so use that if you want it as close as possible to the real deal!

PF Chang's lettuce wraps sauce

I know you probably saw the ingredients above and thought…but what is the sauce?!

Well, it's super simple, made with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. All you need is:

Soy sauce
Sesame oil
Sriracha
Garlic
Ginger

You could add some honey for sweetness, but I find it unnecessary in this recipe.

How to make PF Chang's lettuce wraps

This recipe is so straightforward and easy to make that it's perfect for a busy weeknight! Here are the exact steps to make these lettuce wraps:

Heat the sesame oil in a large frying pan. Saute the mushrooms, then add ground chicken and salt.
Add the rest of the ingredients including sauces (besides green onions and lettuce), cooking for 8-10 minutes.
Remove the skillet from heat and stir in green onions.
Add the chicken mixture to lettuce then serve and enjoy!

See, just four easy steps and dinner is on the table!

How to lower the carbs

To make this recipe more keto-friendly, I would suggest using coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. You'll also want to make some adjustments to the fillings, such as using lower carb vegetables and getting rid of the carrots and green onions.

This recipe doesn't use any sweetener when compared to other lettuce wrap recipes, so you are already looking at a low carb count. There are just a couple minor adjustments to make in order to make this recipe keto-friendly!

What to serve with lettuce wraps

I personally feel as though these lettuce wraps are filling enough, but if you're looking to add a bit of starch to the meal, I'd recommend:

rice noodles
udon noodles
rice

Making ahead of time

You can easily make this recipe ahead of time as meal prep or if you're bringing to a party. Go ahead and make the filling up to 2 days in advance, then bring the lettuce fresh wherever you're going.

Reheat in the microwave or in a large skillet, then spoon into the lettuce wraps to serve. If serving for a bunch of guests, I recommend going with smaller leaves of lettuce such as butter lettuce so that guests can spoon a smaller amount of filling in and make this more of an appetizer than a meal.

Storing the leftovers

The leftovers from this recipe will last up to 5 days in the fridge. I recommend storing the lettuce and the filling separately so that the lettuce doesn't get soggy.

You can also store the filling in the bottom of a mason jar. Then add chopped lettuce up top so that the two ingredients stay separated. This is especially handy if you plan on eating these lettuce wraps as more of a salad when you pack up the leftovers to take to work. This is the best way to store and eat for meal prep. And yes, you can eat the filling cold!

Can you freeze the filling?

Yes you can! Freeze the filling in glass containers for up to 3 months. Just make sure you use fresh lettuce when reheating as it's only the filling that will freeze well.

Reheating the filling

To reheat from fresh or frozen, follow these instructions below:

From fresh: Sprinkle a little bit of water overtop, then reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, stirring filling halfway through. You can also reheat on the stovetop in a skillet for 3-4 minutes.

From frozen: Let the filling defrost in the fridge overnight, then follow the same instructions above to reheat the filling. Add to fresh lettuce and enjoy!

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Other restaurant takeout recipes

Meal prep tools

You can order water chestnuts online if you can't find them in stores
Order some coconut aminos if you're looking for a gluten-free alternative to soy sauce
Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on packing these lettuce wraps up for lunch!
And of course I get all my free-range ground chicken from Butcher Box!
Freeze the filling in glass microwave-safe bowls up to 3 months

PF Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps {Perfect Copycat}