These Asian chicken lettuce wraps are a healthy yet filling dinner option that’s low in both carbs and sodium for a heart healthy meal! They have the same great flavors as your favorite restaurant chain chicken lettuce wraps, but made with lighter, hearty-healthy ingredients.
We love Asian food in our house, but after learning more about heart health, specifically heart health for women, I realized that most of my favorite Asian food dishes were very high in sodium. These Asian chicken lettuce wraps focus on spices to enhance the flavor, and incorporates soy sauce alternatives to lower the overall sodium count.
Ingredients needed
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 Tbsp. toasted or dark sesame oil
- 1 cup frozen peas and julienne carrots medley
- 1 cup chopped white mushrooms
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp. Chinese Five Spice
- 3 Tbsp. liquid aminos or coconut aminos
- 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. sriracha sauce
- Chopped green onion
- Iceberg lettuce leaves or Romaine hearts
How to make heart-healthy Asian chicken lettuce wraps
- In a large skillet, heat the sesame oil over medium heat. Add the ground chicken, peas, carrots, mushrooms, minced garlic, and Chinese Five Spice and mix to combine. Sauté until the chicken is fully cooked.
- Add the liquid or coconut aminos, rice vinegar, and sriracha sauce. Stir to combine. Let simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let cool for 2-3 minutes before serving with the lettuce wraps.
- Serve with iceberg lettuce leaves or Romaine hearts. Top with diced green onion. Serve with additional liquid or coconut aminos, if preferred.
Recipe FAQs and Variations
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Soy Sauce vs. Liquid Aminos vs. Coconut Aminos – which is better??
First, I want to disclaim that I am not a certified nutritionist or medical professional, and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist, registered dietician, or other medical professional. With that being said, my recommendation for sodium within this recipe comes from my personal experience working with Joy Bauer and Woman’s Day Magazine, and cardiologists at Northwell Health. Below is a breakdown of what I discovered when researching soy sauce alternatives.
- Coconut Aminos
- Sodium content in coconut aminos varies by brand, so be sure to check the label. My favorite brand is Coconut Secret Organic Coconut Aminos. This alternative contains 90mg of sodium per 1 tsp. Coconut
aminos also have a sweeter profile, so it’s a bit different than traditional soy sauce.
- Sodium content in coconut aminos varies by brand, so be sure to check the label. My favorite brand is Coconut Secret Organic Coconut Aminos. This alternative contains 90mg of sodium per 1 tsp. Coconut
- Liquid Aminos
- Liquid
aminos are an unfermented, gluten-free alternative to soy sauce. My favorite brand is Braggs Liquid Aminos. This alternative contains 350mg of sodium per 1 tsp. and tastes very similar to traditional soy sauce.
- Liquid
- Soy Sauce
- Traditional soy sauce can contain upwards of around 960mg of sodium per 1 tsp. The low-sodium versions still contain around 375mg of sodium per 1 tsp.
Which one is right for you? That’s up to you. If you’re already working with a medical professional for heart health, check with them on which option they recommend. If you’re looking to incorporate more heart-healthy options preventatively, try both coconut aminos and liquid aminos and see which one you prefer!
Can I make Asian chicken lettuce wraps ahead of time?
Yes! This is a great meal prep
What kind of lettuce is used for lettuce wraps?
It depends on what you prefer, but you can use iceberg, Romaine hearts, or even butter lettuce. I like the crunch of iceberg lettuce with these lettuce wraps.
Recipe variations
- If you cannot find frozen peas and julienne carrots medley, you can use frozen peas and then use fresh carrots and cut into thin, julienne strips.
- Use ground turkey, if preferred.
Recommended kitchen tools for this recipe
The book listed below was written by the two wonderful cardiologists, Dr. Jennifer Mieres, and Dr. Stacey Rosen, that I had the opportunity to work closely with in 2019. I highly recommend this for all women looking to learn more about their heart health.
Enjoy these other “lighter” Asian-inspired recipes!
- Air Fryer Orange Beef – another delicious Asian recipe with wholesome ingredients
- Air Fryer Sweet & Sour Chicken – a sweet Asian sauce with less sugar!
- Air Fryer Sticky Asian Beef – a gluten-free “fried” Asian beef recipe
- Sheet Pan Sweet and Spicy Chicken – a light and easy sheet pan dinner
Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe
Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
These Asian chicken lettuce wraps are a healthy yet filling dinner option that's low in both carbs and sodium for a heart-healthy meal! They have the same great flavors as your favorite restaurant chain chicken lettuce wraps but made with lighter, heart-healthy ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 Tbsp. toasted or dark sesame oil
- 1 cup frozen peas and julienne carrots medley
- 1 cup chopped white mushrooms
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp. Chinese Five Spice
- 3 Tbsp. coconut aminos
- 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. sriracha sauce
- Chopped green onion
- Iceberg lettuce leaves or Romaine hearts
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat the sesame oil over medium heat. Add the ground chicken, peas, carrots, mushrooms, minced garlic, and Chinese Five Spice and mix to combine. Sauté until the chicken is fully cooked.
- Add the coconut aminos, rice vinegar, and sriracha sauce. Stir to combine. Let simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let cool for 2-3 minutes before serving with the lettuce wraps.
- Serve with iceberg lettuce leaves or Romaine hearts. Top with diced green onion. Serve with additional liquid or coconut aminos, if preferred.
Notes
- If you cannot find frozen peas and julienne carrots medley, you can use frozen peas and then use fresh carrots and cut into thin, julienne strips.
- Use ground turkey, if preferred.
- Coconut Aminos - contains 90mg of sodium per 1 tsp. Coconut aminos also have a sweeter profile, so it's a bit different than traditional soy sauce. Liquid Aminos- contains 350mg of sodium per 1 tsp. and tastes very similar to traditional soy sauce. Soy Sauce - can contain upwards of around 960mg of sodium per 1 tsp. The low-sodium versions still contain around 375mg of sodium per 1 tsp.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 323Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 121mgSodium: 434mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 5gSugar: 7gProtein: 31g
The recipes included on this website are written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist or medical professional, and the nutritional data on this site have not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist, registered dietician ,or other medical professionals.
Jennifer is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Wanderlust and Wellness since 2016. She creates easy, approachable gluten-free recipes for the everyday home cook; because cooking gluten-free doesn’t mean food has to be complicated or tasteless.
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