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Instant Pot Chicken Lettuce Wraps tastes even better than P. F. Chang's Asian chicken lettuce Wraps. You'll have juicy finely chopped chicken cooked in an amazing addictive spicy, savory & slightly sweet sauce with mushrooms, onion, ginger & garlic. Serve it on lettuce leaves & munch right away!
Don't miss our Asian Take-out Recipes and Instant Pot Recipes!
Note: This post has been updated with leftovers & storage, reheating directions, serving ideas & frequently asked questions!
Healthy chicken lettuce wraps
These instant pot chicken lettuce wraps PF Chang's style are super healthy & so easy to make. They are a bit spicy, but you can totally control the spice level by reducing the amount of red pepper flakes and the sriracha sauce (read NOTES at the bottom of the page).
Ditch the expensive Asian take-out and make the spicy chicken lettuce wraps at home! You'll have extra juicy finely chopped chicken smothered in a delicious sauce and served in crispy cold lettuce cups. It's all about the fabulous sauce.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Find the Ingredients with actual measurements way below the post on the "Recipe Card". The list below is just a reference.
- Finely Chopped Chicken: Finely chop boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs into tiny pieces with a sharp knife (refer the ingredients photo & watch the recipe Video at the bottom of the post).
- Lettuce: You can use Boston Bibb, iceberg lettuce or butter lettuce or Romain lettuce. Buy crisp and fresh looking leaves, limp and soft leaves won't taste good at all. We used Romain lettuce.
- Mushroom: Use either baby bella, cremini or white mushrooms.
- Aromatics: Onion, ginger, garlic, scallions, jalapeno (optional, skip if intolerant to spicy food).
- For the Sauce: Hoisin sauce, Light Soy Sauce or tamari or coconut aminos, sriracha sauce (skip if you don't prefer heat), rice vinegar, brown sugar, red pepper flakes.
- Garnish: Sesame Oil & chopped scallions.
Tips & Tricks
- Finely Chopped Chicken: Do not use burger chicken meat. Finely chop skinless boneless chicken breasts or thighs for todays recipe. I did just that. This is the key step in the recipe.
- Controlling the Spice level: Today's easy chicken lettuce wraps are spicy! If you are intolerant to heat skip the jalapenos, the red pepper flakes & the sriracha sauce from this recipe or use less, do a taste test first and than add more.
- The Sauce: The sauce of todays recipe is spicy, savory, sweet & meaty at the same time. It's exceptionally flavorful. You will have a perfect balance of flavors that are closest to the P.F.Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps sauce.
- Extra Liquid: Do not add any extra liquid before pressure cooking. The ingredients will release enough moisture that'll help build pressure in the pot. If you accidentally over sautéed the ingredients and if the mushrooms did not release any juices at all and, the mixture feels dry, than add only ⅓ cup water. If you add excess water the final outcome will be soupy!
- The best time to add sauces: Always add the sauces after the pressure cooking cycle is over . Continue cooking on sauté mode stirring frequently until the sauce thickens. This lends an amazing flavor to the dish which is very close to wok flavor. Never ever pressure cook the chicken with the sauces. You'll end up with an awfully bland dish!
- The Chicken Texture: After cooking down & thickening the sauce you'll end up with a moist, oily chicken that's not dry or rubbery/chewy. There should not be any excess sauce left in the pot, but just enough to cling on to the chicken & make it juicy. This is the ideal texture that you should look for.
- Sesame Oil: Add it at the end to maximize the flavor. It will elevate the flavors almost instantly when added as a garnish.
- Water Chestnuts: You can add slightly firm, crunchy, mildly nutty water chestnuts to the recipe while adding the mushrooms. I skipped them totally. You can find them in the Asian aisle of supermarkets in the USA.
How to make Asian chicken lettuce wraps?
Find the detailed step by step recipe along with measurements way below the post on the "Recipe Card".
Step #1 Saute the Aromatics
Set the Instant Pot on SAUTE settings and keep it on NORMAL.
Saute the Onion, garlic, ginger, jalapeno and the scallions in the Instant Pot until the onions begin to become translucent.
Step #2 Saute the Chicken & Pressure Cook
Add the finely chopped chicken and saute until the chicken begins to change color. At this point add red pepper flakes & chopped mushrooms and saute until the veggies and chicken begin to release moisture.
CANCEL the SAUTE function and PRESSURE COOK on HIGH for just 1 min followed by QUICK RELEASE. No need of adding any extra liquid to the pot, the released moisture from the ingredients should be enough to help build pressure.
Expert Tip: Add extra liquid before pressure cooking only if the ingredients do not release any moisture or the mixture feels dry. Add ⅓ cups water.
Step #3 Simmer with Sauces
Open the pot and add brown sugar along with all the other sauce ingredients. Set the Instant Pot back to SAUTE settings and give everything a very good mix.
Cook down the sauce and thicken stirring frequently until it coats the chopped chicken well. Finally add a good dose of sesame oil and mix well.
Step #4 Assemble the Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Rinse the lettuce leaves and scoop out the saucy chicken on each leaf. Serve right away. So yum!
How to serve
Chicken breast lettuce wraps are a wonderful healthy meal all by itself. You can serve it as an appetizer or as main course by pairing it with the following:
- Instant pot chicken fried rice.
- Instant pot hibachi fried rice.
- Instant pot green beans no steamer basket.
- Potstickers.
- Wontons.
- Dumplings.
- Wonton soup.
- Hot and sour soup.
- Asian salad.
- Chinese egg rolls.
Leftovers and storage
- Fridge: Instant Pot Chicken Lettuce Wraps chicken stuffing (without the lettuce) will last for 7 days in the fridge. You can store it in airtight containers for best results. Follow the reheating directions shared below.
- Freezer: You also freeze the chicken stuffing (without the lettuce leaves) in freezer safe bags or containers for upto 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and than follow the reheating directions shared below.
Re-heating tips
You can re-heat the chicken stuffing either in microwave oven or in a hot skillet. Sprinkle few drops of water and re-heat right away.
FAQs
The best lettuce varieties for lettuce wraps are - Boston Bibb, Romaine, Iceberg, Butter Lettuce.
You can make your lettuce crispy by dipping the leaves in cold water with 1 tablespoon lemon juice added to the water. Allow the lettuce to rest in the water for 10 minutes. The wilted limp lettuce will revive back in no time.
Pluck the leaves and rinse them under running tap water several times to remove any trapped soil. Drain off excess water.
Chicken lettuce wraps goes very good with wontons, potstickers, wonton soup, hot and sour soup, Chinese egg rolls, fried rice, hibachi rice and Asian veggie sides like sauteed green beans, Chinese eggplant, Asian salad etc.
More Asian take-out recipes you might like
- Instant pot pork lo mein.
- Instant pot drunken noodles.
- Authentic chicken lo mein recipe.
- Instant pot ramen stir fry.
- Instant pot pad Thai.
- Instant pot shrimp and broccoli.
- Thai peanut chicken instant pot.
- Instant pot sweet and sour pork.
- Instant pot egg roll in a bowl.
- Instant pot cashew chicken.
- Instant pot sweet and sour meatballs.
- Instant pot chicken teriyaki.
- Instant pot stir fry shrimp.
- Instant pot orange chicken.
- Instant pot Chinese chicken and broccoli.
- Instant pot Mongolian chicken.
Recommended
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Instant Pot Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Print Recipe Pin RateWatch Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breasts (**boneless & skinless. Chop or mince the meat finely. Thighs allowed too.)
- 6-8 lettuce leaves (**butter lettuce, romaine or iceberg. rinsed well.)
- ½ cup scallions (**only white part. chopped.)
- 1 cup mushrooms (**I used Baby Bella)
- ½ medium onion (**Use yellow onion. roughly chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (**roughly chopped)
- ½ inch ginger (**peeled & roughly chopped)
- 1 small Jalapeno (**stalk removed & roughly chopped. Skip if heat intolerant)
- ½ tbsp red chili flakes (**skip if heat intolerant)
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil (**or any neutral oil)
For the Sauce
- 2 tbsp Hoisin sauce
- 2 tbsp Sriracha Sauce (**skip if heat intolerant)
- 3 tbsp Soy Sauce (**use low sodium variety. You can use Tamari or Light Soy Sauce or even coconut aminos.)
- 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp Sesame oil
Garnish
- scallions (**only green part. chopped.)
Equipment Used
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot on SAUTE & set it on NORMAL heat.
- Add oil & when the oil becomes moderately hot add the onion, garlic, ginger, scallions, Jalapeno and saute for a few minutes or until they begin to become limp.
- Next, add the finely chopped chicken and give everything a good stir. Add the red pepper flakes and saute for 30 seconds.
- Now, add the chopped mushrooms and saute until the chicken completely changes color and the veggies look nice and soft. Approximately, 3-4 mins.
- At this point the veggies & the chicken will release lots of natural juices and that's what we want to help build pressure in the Instant Pot. If the mixture feels dry than add ⅓ cups water.
- CANCEL the SAUTE function. De-glaze the pot well by scrapping the sides & the bottom of the pot with the help of your spatula to loosen any bits & crumbs. Close the lid of the Instant Pot & SEAL the VALVE. No need of adding any extra liquid.
- PRESSURE COOK on HIGH for just 1 minute.
- When the pressure cooking cycle is over the Instant Pot will begin to beep. Do a QUICK PRESSURE RELEASE manually by moving the VALVE from the SEALING to the VENTING position.
- Open the lid carefully. You'll end up with perfectly cooked chicken with some amount of liquid.
- Now, add all the sauce ingredients mentioned above in the "For the Sauce" section. Mix well. You can skip the sesame oil and add it at the end or add it now. Totally your choice. We prefer adding the sesame oil at the end though.
- CANCEL the Pressure cook function and set the Instant Pot on SAUTE. Set it on HIGH heat.
- Simmer the sauce until it thickens. Took me about 5-6 mins approximately. The sauce should beautifully cling to the chicken but should not drip from the spoon. The chicken should be ultra moist but not soggy with runny sauce.
- Now, add the sesame oil and give everything a good mix. You'll have a super moist, saucy, oily chicken ready to be served on the lettuce leaves.
How to assemble the Chicken Lettuce Wraps?
- Rinse the lettuce leaves very well. Drain off the excess water.
- Arrange each lettuce leaf separately in a large plate. Scoop out enough chicken from the pot on top of the leaves. You should get 6-8 chicken lettuce cups in total. Enjoy!
Notes
- Measuring Units Used, 1 cup = 240 ml & 1 teaspoon = 5 ml.
- Extra Liquid before pressure cooking: If the chicken & the veggies release enough moisture do not add any extra liquid to the pot. However, if the mixture feels dry and there's not enough moisture left in the pot, than do add ⅓ cup water before pressure cooking the chicken.
- Non-spicy Chicken Lettuce Wraps: Skip adding the Jalapenos, the red pepper flakes & the sriracha from this recipe.
- Lettuce: You can use either iceberg, romain or butter lettuce.
- Chicken: Finely chop chicken thighs or breasts (skinless, boneless). Refer the recipe video and the photos.
- Sauce: Do not pressure cook the chicken along with the sauces. The taste will be very bland!
- Water chestnuts: For a slight crunch you can add water chestnuts. Add them along with the mushrooms and than follow the recipe. The cook time won't change.
Deepa Seonie says
Hi Meghna,
Thank you for sharing the recipe. I have made the lettuce wraps using your recipe several times and they always come out great. I am planning to cook for a large party and was wondering if I could cook couple of weeks in advance and freeze the chicken. Have you tried freezing it and the thawing when you want to eat?
Thank you!
Deepa
Foodies Terminal says
Hello Deepa my apologies for a super late reply. Yes, you can freeze the chicken, thaw and use it. It works fine. Thanks so much for the amazing feedback, appreciate it 🙂 - Meghna.
Krissy says
I see the nutritional information but can’t seem to find what a serving size is.
Foodies Terminal says
It's per serving 🙂 Let me know if you have any questions regarding this recipe. Thank you! - Meghna.
Sandy Hanover says
We used Gochugang instead of Siracha but otherwise stayed true to the recipe. In reality, the prep time is way longer than 5 minutes; but taking the time to hand-dice/mince the chicken was well worth it. We agree that adding the sesame oil at the end is the perfect finish to this awesome dish. Will definitely make again.
Foodies Terminal says
So glad you enjoyed this chicken lettuce wrap recipe Sandy 🙂 Thanks so much for the amazing feedback, appreciate it 🙂 - Meghna.
Emily says
I just made this and it is delicious!!! I don't like mushrooms so I added water chestnuts. I also skipped the instant pot and it was fine. I would make this again 😊
Foodies Terminal says
So glad you loved this recipe Emily 🙂 Thanks so much for the amazing feedback, totally appreciate it 🙂 - Meghna xoxo
Helene says
Loved it.
Made this tonight for the family. Only one wouldn’t eat it, but he usually doesn’t eat anything I cook. Hubby loved it. I just need to cut down on the spice for me. Didn’t bother anyone else. I used chicken mince and a cast iron pan. I didn’t feel like getting the instant pot out. It was still delicious. Thanks for this great recipe. 💛
Foodies Terminal says
Hello Helene so glad you and your hubby enjoyed the recipe 🙂 Thanks so much for the amazing feedback, appreciate it and a lot:) - Meghna xoxo
Benita says
Made it for dinner tonight. Absolutely delish! Had rice with it instead of the lettuce. I also cut back on the red pepper flakes and sriracha sauce and it was just the right amount of heat for our family. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Foodies Terminal says
Hey Benita so glad you loved this recipe 🙂 Yeah, the spice level is slightly on the higher side, it's wise to add less first than do taste test and add more pepper flakes or sriracha if need be 🙂 You did the right thing 🙂 - Meghna xoxo
Katie says
Hello, where is the video and photo on how to finely chop chicken? It says refer to the video and picture but I can't seem to find it. Thank you!
Foodies Terminal says
Hello Katie, I don't have a video or exact step by step method of finely chopping the chicken but you can certainly find the finely chopped chicken (end result) in the recipe Video (located just above the detailed recipe at the bottom of the post). I would recommend that you use a sharp kitchen knife and start chopping/dicing the skinless boneless chicken breasts or thighs into small pieces (1/4 inch). Hope you enjoy the recipe! Thank you! - Meghna.
Dava says
Sounds very good. Just confused by step #11: CANCEL the SAUTE function and set the Instant Pot on SAUTE. Set it on HIGH heat........? Perhaps you mean cancel the pressure cook function?
Foodies Terminal says
Hello Dava! Thanks so much for pointing that out. I corrected and updated the post. Yes, it's "cancel the pressure cook function" and hit the "saute function". Hope you enjoy the recipe. - Meghna.
Heather says
If I am omitting the mushrooms should I go ahead and add the 1/3 cup of water to the pressure cooker?
Foodies Terminal says
Yes, Heather if you are planning to omit the mushrooms than do add 1/3 cup water. Hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂 - Meghna. XOXO
Suzanne says
Thank you so much for this authentic and tasty recipe! I made it exactly as written except I added about 3/4 cup of finely chopped water chestnuts along with the mushrooms for a little extra texture and crunch. This was delicious and I will definitely make it again!
Foodies Terminal says
Thanks so much Suzanne for the awesome feedback 🙂 so glad that you loved the recipe so much 🙂 Hope you try our other recipes as well! - Meghna. xoxo
Kylie Ricker says
Love this recipe! My husband said it was the best stir fry that I ever made! I used rice instead of lettuce wraps.
Ruby says
Best lettuce wraps ever!!!! My husband who is crazy picky LOVED them!!!! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!! 😋
Foodies Terminal says
So glad that you and your husband enjoyed the recipe so much Ruby 🙂 Thanks a bunch for sharing your amazing feedback with us and for giving the recipe a try 🙂 It's so sweet of you to think to try our other recipes, we are so grateful and hope that you enjoy each one of them just as much as you enjoyed these wraps 🙂 Take care Ruby, much love - Meghna, xoxo.
Autumn says
Anxious to try this, but wanted to clarify....hoisin AND soy sauce are needed, correct?
Foodies Terminal says
Yes Autumn they are needed for the recipe 🙂 The full detailed ingredients along with the measurements are rigt at the bottom of the post. Hope you enjoy the recipe. - Meghna.
John says
This is the BEST ever Chicken Lettuce Wrap I ever had! Thank you Meghna for the amazing recipe, I would say it's better than what we get at P.F.Chang's. I followed the recipe as such, did not change a thing and it came out perfect. I'll try your other recipes as well 🙂
Sarah says
I tried making this recipe today. My chicken and veggies seemed a tad dry so I only added 1/4 cup of water. The overall dish came out too watery. Flavor of the sauce was good. I will try less water next time.
Foodies Terminal says
Hey Sarah, I would recommend that you do not add any water at all as mentioned in the recipe. If your chicken and veggies seemed tad dry it's normal, I've already mentioned about the extra water in the "NOTES" section of the recipe. I've made the dish as seen in the recipe video without any water at all. The veggies (especially the mushroom) release enough moisture and so does the chicken and that's enough to build pressure. As you mentioned that your dish became watery because you added 1/4 cup extra water that means that the veggies and the chicken already released a lot of juices. You could have just cooked down on SAUTE mode to evaporate the extra liquid that you had added.You can totally control how much moisture you want in your dish. Hope it helps. - Meghna.
Rob says
I made this tonight and it was fantastic! Great flavor.
Foodies Terminal says
That's awesome Rob, so glad to know that you loved the recipe 🙂 Thanks a lot for giving it a try and sharing your wonderful feedback with all of us here. Hope you try our other recipes as well 🙂 Take care Rob. - Meghna.
Keli says
It’s says the sesame oil is part of the sauce but the last step says to mix it in at the end after sauce is already added. Do I add it by itself at the end or is it fine to just add with sauce?
Foodies Terminal says
Hey Keli you can add the sesame oil along with the other ingredients or at the end. However, we tested the recipe and found out that sesame oil when added at the end gives off a subtle nutty flavor and aroma to the dish. Thank you, hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂 - Meghna.
Dorian says
Will ground chicken work?
Foodies Terminal says
It would work Dorian but you will not have the same consistency and texture. It would still taste fantastic 🙂 Hope you enjoy the recipe!