Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe – High Protein!

May 16, 2016

I was introduced to Asian chicken lettuce wraps at PF Changs, everybody’s favorite Asian restaurant, many years ago.  They’ve become popular when we started to reduce the amount of what I refer to as “useless carbs” in our diets, those calorie-filled, nutrient-empty foods that we use to fill our plates mostly because they’re cheap, easy to fix and available.  

I’m referring to white rice, processed pasta, tortillas and bread, enriched flour crackers, and chips. Restaurants are notorious for offering these foods at no extra cost as “value-added” items, suggesting that you get more for your money when you dine there.  

The truth is you get a lot more than a deal when you indulge in all the “freebies”; you get a heck of a lot more calories than your body really needs.  And besides, those types of calories don’t provide much in the way of nutrient bonus points.  And I’m all about stacking up bonus points every day!  If you want to add healthy complex carbs, I would add brown rice to these wraps for additional nutrients, fiber, texture, flavor, etc.

I enjoy these wraps because of all the delicious flavors in the sauce i.e. oyster, soy, hoisin sauces (super salty!) and red chili paste.  And if you’re not familiar with ground chicken, it’s a relatively new addition to the butcher block; cooks up like ground turkey, is low in fat like ground turkey, but . . . tastes like chicken!  It’s great in Southwestern and Mediterranean recipes, as a pizza crust, in salads, meatballs.

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe

Makes 4 servings
Total Time: 30 minutes

Sauce Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 2 -3 tsp chili paste, to taste
• 1 tsp sugar or Splenda
• 2 tsp cornstarch

Filling Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp peanut oil
• ½ cup green onion, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger or 1/2 tsp ground dried ginger
• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1 cup grated carrot
• 1/2 cup minced water chestnuts
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 8 large lettuce leaves
• 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds or cashews (Sesame seeds are included in the nutritional info below.)

Directions

1. Combine all sauce ingredients in medium bowl, whisking to blend; set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet placed over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger and ground chicken. Cook until chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear.
3. Add sauce to chicken. Cook and stir an additional 1-2 minutes.
4. Arrange small portions of chicken mixture, carrots, water chestnuts and cilantro on separate lettuce leaves. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds or cashews.

Nutritional Info Per Serving

Calories 274; Carbohydrates 13 grams; Fat 12 grams; Protein 26.5 grams

See more Recipes on ObesityHelp by Karen Magnum!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Karen Mangum, MS, RDN, LD a licensed, bariatric registered dietitian, is a seasoned recipe developer and healthy food blogger in addition to her work as a bariatric dietitian. Karen has been counseling bariatric patients for over 15 years and currently works for St. Luke’s Medical Center Bariatric Surgery Program in Boise, Idaho. She started her blog, Inside Karen’s Kitchen, as a way to preserve her family’s recipes and to share the bariatric recipes. Read more articles by Karen Magnum!

Recipe Disclaimer: If you have specific dietary restrictions, allergies or a nutrition plan that you are following, make sure to read the ingredient list prior to consumption. All information on ObesityHelp.com is intended for informational purposes only. The information is not intended to be a replacement or substitute for consultation with a qualified medical professional. Please contact a medical professional with any questions and concerns.

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