THAI CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS

It’s still blazing hot where I live, so a cool light(er) dinner sounds good to me!  These little gems are great for a weekday dinner but also would be super fun for a party either as a dinner or as appetizers.

THAI CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS
(Adapted from Pinch of Yum)

I think my favorite flavor combination in the world is soy sauce, garlic and ginger.  These lettuce wraps combine all those flavors with a bit of sweetness from honey.  The use of cold crisp lettuce versus a floury wrap saves calories and adds a dimension of taste. And using ground turkey (or chicken), it makes it easier to pile on the mix onto a piece of lettuce.  Add the rice noodles and it moves up to another level of deliciousness!  But you can leave them off if you want to save more carbs.

Sauce:
4 TBSP soy sauce (I use low sodium)
3 TBSP oyster sauce
3 TBSP water
1 TBSP chili paste 
1 TBSP honey
1 TBSP fresh ginger, minced
juice of 2 limes (~4 TBSP)
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 green onions, minced
1 TBSP rice vinegar
1 tsp cornstarch (optional – to the sauce thicken)

Lettuce wraps:
2 TBSP sesame oil
1 lb ground chicken or turkey
1/2 cup lightly salted peanuts, chopped
6 oz rice noodles
12 leaves of leafy lettuce (I used Butter lettuce)
chopped cilantro, green onions, and peanuts for topping

Whisk all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. 

Pour about 3/4 of the sauce into a bowl with the ground chicken (or turkey) and peanuts. Stir to combine – marinate for 15 minutes.

Soak the rice noodles in a large bowl of hot tap water while the meat is marinating. 

When the noodles are softened, drain and rinse with cold water. 

Cut into small pieces.

In a large skillet, heat the sesame oil over medium heat. 

Add the meat and peanut mixture, and sauté for 10 minutes or until completely cooked through. 

Add the noodles, and stir-fry for another 5 minutes or until soft. A a bit of water, soy sauce or lime juice to moisten the pan if needed.

Remove from heat, scoop mixture into lettuce leaves, top with cilantro, green onions, peanuts, and the reserved sauce.

ENJOY!!!