Thai Chicken Lettuce Wrap (20 min)
This Healthy Thai Chicken Lettuce Wrap is an easy appetiser, so flavourful, no dipping sauce is needed. One of my favorite Asian lettuce wraps thanks to the juicy chicken thighs (low carb) and fresh basil leaves. I show you how to make it spicy (or not)- better than pf Changs anyday!
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 181kcal
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil Start with ½ Tablespoon if your chicken is very fat.
- 5 garlic cloves peeled and minced (or pounded for more authentic Thai flavors
- 1 Red Chili Padi Bird's Eye Chili. If you can't take spice, you can omit it (or add 1-2 more if you like it fiery.) Remember not to touch your eyes after handling chilies as it will sting
- 10.5 oz Chicken Thigh Skinless, boneless, cut into 1 inch pieces.
- 1 shallot peel and slice. Substitute: ⅛ red onion.
- 1 bunch basil leaves Ideally Holy Basil or Thai Basil but Italian basil works too
- Lettuce leaves Butter lettuce, Boston lettuce, Romaine lettuce work.
For the sauce
- 1 Tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1½ teaspoons dark soy sauce If you can get black soy sauce (from the Thai supermarket), that would be even more authentic in taste but I use dark soy sauce at home.
- 1½ teaspoon sugar White or brown sugar are OK. Or Palm sugar if you can get it.
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
Instructions
- Mince the garlic and small red chili, if using. Tip: for a more authentic Thai dish, pound the garlic and chili, instead of mincing. This will give the dish the characteristic strong flavors you find in Thailand.
- Stir the ingredients for the sauce together- oyster sauce, fish sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and sugar- till the sugar has melted and place beside your stove.
- In a pan, over medium high heat, heat up neutral vegetable oil till almost smoking then stir-fry the garlic-chili mixture. Be careful not to let it burn!
- Add the cut chicken thighs to the pan, followed by the sauce. Use your spatula to break up any clumps of meat and stir fry.
- Stir-fry till the chicken is almost cooked and well coated (about 5-7 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the chicken thigh.)
- Add the onions/ shallots. Stir-fry for another 1-2 minutes till the onions are translucent.
- Stir to coat the chicken and peppers. Make sure the chicken is cooked and check the seasoning- add more light soy sauce or fish sauce if it's not salty enough for you (but it really should be.)
- Turn off the fire, then add the basil leaves and sliced chilies. Stir till the basil leaves are wilted.
- You can prepare the lettuce wraps for your guests by scooping 1-3 Tablespoons of meat into each lettuce (depending on the size of the leaf.) Alternatively, place the washed lettuce leaves and meat on the dinner table, and allow your guests to DIY their own wraps.
Notes
Serving size is for appetiser portions. If serving the wraps as a main, it will only feed 2 people.
Nutrition
Calories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 525mg | Potassium: 257mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1184IU | Vitamin C: 56mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg