PF Changs Lettuce Wraps
Published 7/15/2023 • Updated 3/17/2024
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This PF Changs Lettuce Wrap recipe is one of our first viral recipes. It went viral on Pinterest when it first came out back in the dark ages of the early 2000s. These lettuce wraps not only taste exactly like the ones you get at PF Changs but they’re made with pantry staples.
Featured Comment
Absolute best recipe! I go back to this one time and time again and it never fails. As a great back up when I can’t think of anything else to make. -Lydia
I am a PF Changs girlie (ask anyone that knows me) and every time I go, I order their famous appetizer –> chicken lettuce wraps. Sometimes I even get it as a main meal!
What I’m trying to say is that my expertise in eating PF Changs Lettuce Wraps helped me perfect this 5-star recipe (just look at the comments!).
What is in PF Changs Lettuce Wraps?
- ground chicken: lean ground chicken is what makes up the bulk of the “meat.”
- mushrooms: sneaky, but necessary. Umami adds so much flavor to this recipe and really gives it a unique flavor.
- water chestnuts: this is what gives them their famous crunch.
In addition to the meat of the lettuce wraps, is the sauce. The sauce is truly what makes these chicken lettuce wraps so special.
PF Chang Lettuce Wraps Sauce
The sauce in these chicken lettuce wraps is truly what makes the recipe. It’s sweet, fresh, and tastes exactly like the sauce from the restaurant. Here’s what you need:
hoisin sauce: hoisin is sweet and flavorful. It’s not gluten-free, but you can find a few different gluten-free hoisin sauces out there, so keep an eye open if you’re gluten-free!
freshly grated ginger: ginger is a must for this sauce. We highly recommend you use freshly grated ginger. If you don’t have fresh ginger, you can always sub our favorite ginger squeeze product!
soy sauce: It wouldn’t be a lettuce wrap recipe without a little bit of soy sauce.
minced garlic: don’t skimp on the garlic! That is all.
rice vinegar: A little rice vinegar goes a long way. I’m a firm believer that vinegar of any kind should be added to most sauces because it brings out the other flavors of the sauce.
rice vinegar: A little rice vinegar goes a long way. I’m a firm believer that vinegar of any kind should be added to most sauces because it brings out the other flavors of the sauce.
corn starch: corn starch is used to thicken the sauce up a bit so it’s not so runny.
FAQ
PF Chang’s famous lettuce wraps are made from a combination of ground chicken, diced mushrooms, and minced water chestnuts with a super simple sauce made from hoisin, ginger, soy, and garlic.
PF Changs lettuce wraps have a sweet and gingery sauce made from a base of hoisin sauce, soy sauce, freshly grated ginger, garlic, and rice vinegar.
Other Asian-inspired dishes pair nicely with chicken lettuce wraps such as chicken fried rice, egg rolls, cream cheese wontons, beef and broccoli, and cashew chicken stir fry.
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Variations
Make it vegetarian: skip the chicken and double the mushrooms to make these PF Chang Lettuce Wraps vegetarian.
Make it a bowl: looking for more of a hearty way to serve these lettuce wraps? Serve them as a bowl with either white rice or noodles.
Add some spice: add some heat with sriracha or red chili garlic paste if you like it spicy.
Serving Suggestions
Eating these chicken lettuce wraps as an appetizer? Serve them with one of our other take-out-inspired recipes from Fit Foodie Finds!
- Cashew Chicken
- Beef and Broccoli
- Chicken Fried Rice
- Shrimp Stir Fry
- Pad Krapow
- Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
PF Changs Lettuce Wraps Recipe
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce,
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce, or tamari
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
For the meat
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 8 oz. white mushrooms, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 5 oz. water chestnuts, drained and minced
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Thai basil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
For serving
- 1 head lettuce
- diced green onions, for garnish
Instructions
- First, make the sauce. Place all the ingredients for the sauce into a small bowl. Whisk until the corn starch has dissolved and then set aside.
- Next, cook the ground chicken. Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat and add the sesame oil. When the oil is fragrant, add the mushrooms to the pan and season them with salt. Sauté the mushrooms for 5-7 minutes so that the moisture is released from the mushrooms and then cooks off a bit.
- Add the water chestnuts to the pan and toss them with the mushrooms and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and water chestnuts from the skillet and set aside.
- Place the skillet back over the heat and add the ground chicken. Break it up into small pieces with a spatula and cook the chicken over medium/high heat. Add the soy sauce to the skillet and mix with the chicken. Cook the ground chicken for 5-6 minutes or until fully cooked.
- Add the mushrooms and water chestnuts back to the skillet and toss with the chicken.
- Next, pour the sauce over all of the ingredients and toss the sauce with all of the ingredients. Heat the mixture over medium/high heat. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil and allow the sauce to simmer for 2-3 minutes until thickened.
- Once the sauce has thicken remove the skillet from the heat and fold in Thai basil and cilantro. Serve the chicken mixture inside of the lettuce wraps with sliced green onion for garnish.
Tips & Notes
- This recipe was slightly updated on 5/23/22. Here is a link to the old recipe.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Don’t forget to tag your posts on social media with the hashtag #fitfoodiefinds, we’d love to see what you’re up to!
More Lettuce Wraps Recipes
If you love this PF Changs Lettuce Wrap recipe, you will love our other lettuce + wrap recipes from Fit Foodie Finds! Check it out below.
- Buffalo Chicken Wraps
- 30-Minute Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- BLT Quinoa Lettuce Wraps with Homemade Ranch
Photography: photos taken in this post are by Ashley McGlaughlin from The Edible Perspective.
LOVE these!
Absolute best recipe! I go back to this one time and time again and it never fails. As a great back up when I can’t think of anything else to make.
So enjoyed this! And easy to make!
Going to try this recipe today, but with chicken breasts instead of ground chicken! Can’t wait!!
Loved it! The sauce is the bomb and makes the dish. My wife and I make these with a coconut rice and have them for dinner.
I LOVE these! These have been my “go-to” for the past couple years when I can’t decide what to prep and bring for lunches in the office. Super easy and yummy!
Glad you love them!! I haven’t made them in so long <3
So how can you tell when the chicken is “coked”? LOL! I am trying this recipe tonight! Looks delicious!
LOL. You’ve never had coked chicken?
Hi do you have the link for your previous recipe? My family liked the old recipe better
I used to use this recipe all the time. I haven’t used it in a few months, and I noticed that you’ve modified it. Wasn’t there a second round of sauce making in the first recipe? The meal comes out so flavorful with that second sauce round. Also, I could have sworn there was teriyaki sauce in it before. Any way you could send me the old version, I loved it!
Sorry, Didn’t mean to write this twice. Second sauce round??