Glazed Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Water Chestnuts

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Minced chicken seared hard in a hot skillet with garlic, ginger and diced water chestnuts, then glazed with a hoisin-soy-sesame sauce until it's sticky and dry rather than soupy. Spooned into ice-cold lettuce cups, it's the crunchy, savory-sweet appetizer everyone fights over — on the table in about half an hour, with an easy gluten-free swap.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp hoisin sauce (gluten-free if needed)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tsp sriracha or chili-garlic sauce (optional)

• 1 1/4 lb ground chicken (dark meat preferred)
• 2 tbsp neutral oil, such as canola
• 1 8 oz can water chestnuts, drained and finely diced
• 4 oz cremini or white mushrooms, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced, whites and greens separated
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp white pepper

• 1 head butter lettuce or iceberg lettuce
• 1/4 cup roasted salted peanuts or cashews, chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot
• 2 tbsp cilantro leaves
• 1 cup crispy rice noodles or fried shallots (optional)

Instructions

1. Prep the lettuce first so it gets truly cold: separate the head into whole cups (for iceberg, cut out the core and peel leaves back gently under cool running water to keep them intact). Trim into 4-inch cups, submerge in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes, then drain, pat completely dry, and refrigerate on a paper-towel-lined plate until serving.
2. Whisk the sauce: in a small bowl combine hoisin, soy sauce or tamari, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, cornstarch, water, and sriracha if using. Stir until no cornstarch lumps remain and set aside.
3. Dice the water chestnuts to about 1/8 inch — small enough to disappear into the filling but big enough to still snap. Finely chop the mushrooms, and keep the garlic, ginger, and scallion whites together in one small bowl.
4. Heat a 12-inch skillet or wok over high heat for 2 minutes, until a drop of water skitters. Add 1 tablespoon oil, swirl, then add the ground chicken in one flat layer. Season with the salt and white pepper and let it sit undisturbed for 3 minutes to brown.
5. Break the chicken into fine crumbles with a wooden spoon or potato masher and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes more, until no pink remains and any released liquid has fully evaporated. This dry stage is what keeps the wraps from getting soggy.
6. Push the chicken to one side, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the bare spot, then add the mushrooms. Cook 2 minutes over high heat until they darken and stop steaming, then stir into the chicken.
7. Add the garlic, ginger, and scallion whites and stir constantly for 45 seconds, just until fragrant. Add the water chestnuts and toss 1 minute to heat through while keeping their crunch.
8. Pour the sauce around the edge of the pan and stir vigorously for 60 to 90 seconds. The sauce should thicken, coat every crumble, and leave the pan nearly dry with a glossy sheen — no pooling liquid. Take it off the heat and stir in most of the scallion greens.
9. Transfer the filling to a warm serving bowl and top with the chopped nuts, remaining scallion greens, and cilantro. Serve alongside the chilled lettuce cups, shredded carrot, and crispy rice noodles, letting everyone spoon about 1/4 cup of hot filling into each cold leaf and eat immediately.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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