Ever need dinner in a pinch? I know I do, pretty much 5 times a week. That’s why these chicken lettuce wraps are a staple in our house! They take a few minutes to make, the sauce takes under a minute to combine, and within minutes it’s ready to be fried up and served!
This recipe is such a life-saver when it comes to rushed nights. You know the one I’m talking about – when the only thing I have done is a defrosted chicken breast. The sauce takes no time to whip up, it uses minimal dishes – all done in one pan (can’t get much easier than that!) Best of all it tastes amazing. Though, if you’re really in a horrible pinch, just use remade sauce. My favourite is VH Teriyaki sauce as backup!
I feel completely guilt-free because there’s no overload on carbs, no overloads of sugar, and I still feel full after eating. My husband and I are foodies/gluttons, so having a meal this convenient is a rarity.
I like to pair the chicken lettuce wraps with a tahini drizzle, but you can totally skip this! Try squeezing a lime to add a little bit of tang to the chicken if you like citrus! I swear you’ll be coming back to this recipe over and over again!
You can also use any leafy and large lettuce variety. I like romaine, batavia or leafy, but my favourite is Boston (sometimes I believe it goes by butter lettuce! The kind with the root attached stays fresh twice as long as any others that I’ve bought.
If you like a bit of spice in your chicken lettuce wraps, you can also add some gochugaru flakes or sliced fresh chilies on top for some extra zing!
on the flip side, if you prefer more mild saltiness, I prefer low sodium soy sauce to the regular when making this recipe!
5 Minute Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts (sliced into 1 inch strips)
- 1 bunch boston lettuce
- ½ tsp sesame seeds (for garnish)
Teriyaki Sauce
- 1 cup water
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 ½ tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp crushed garlic
- ¼ tsp ground ginger (or fresh grated)
- ½ cup soy sauce (I prefer low sodium, but you can use any)
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- ⅓ tbsp sesame oil
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
Tahini Drizzle Sauce
- ⅓ cup Tahini
- 2 tsp honey
- ¼ tsp salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp crushed garlic
- 3 tbsp water (feel free to add more or less for preferred thickness)
Instructions
- Dissolve cornstarch in water; add to a frying pan on medium heat. Then add all other sauce ingredients to the same pan. Allow to reach a slight simmer.
- Add in chopped chicken to the sauce and cook until chicken is thoroughly cooked through (about 5 minutes). Using a spatula – squish down the chicken until it rips a little and mix into the sauce again.
- Transfer to a shareable bowl (or individual portions), and garnish with sesame seeds.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- I find that the best coverage with the sauce happens when, rather than shredding the chicken post-cooking, I press it until the fibers tear a little and let the sauce penetrate, without removing that crispy edge.
- You can EASILY use a premade teriyaki sauce when cooking this. My personal favourite is the VH Teriyaki Sauce (sadly Amazon seems to only sell them in packs of 12).
- If you do use a premade sauce, make sure to go with the thicker variety. The thin one won’t coat your chicken enough. In a pinch, just mix a 1/4 cup of water and 1/2 tsp of cornstarch before adding the watery variant to thicken it.
- If you have the extra time, I’d say make the sauce ahead of time and store in the fridge until ready to use. It stays fresh a long time and saves time by just requiring chicken to be fried and sauce added near the end!
