These healthy Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce are a no cook, easy meal for days you just CAN’T with dinner and want a fast meal.
If your weekdays are like mine, there are a lot of times when we just can’t make dinner from scratch. Not to mention, it’s getting hotter out there and on those scorchers, so WHO wants to even cook?! Unfortunately, a girl and her family can’t live on cereal and toast (though admittedly, I have and do sometimes). That was the inspiration behind these no-cook healthy chicken lettuce wraps.
If I told you that dinner was as simple as a quickie sauce, store-bought chicken, microwave cauliflower rice, and some veg, would you believe me? You got this, friends.
Table of contents
Why This Recipe Works
This recipe is really just based on a lot of my personal grocery staples and things I always have in the fridge and pantry. In fact, this no-cook recipe was born out of exhaustion and a lack of desire to cook from scratch. Some other reasons to love these chicken lettuce wraps other than them just being a fast and easy recipe are:
- Gluten-free
- Easy to customize
- Kid-friendly
- Make ahead friendly
Key Ingredients
Rotisserie Chicken — If you had cooked up a whole chicken days before and had leftovers, even better, but if not, a store-bought rotisserie chicken is perfect.
Lettuce — I find Boston, bibb, or butter lettuce work best but you can also use romaine hearts if you can’t find those.
Cauliflower rice — Nowadays, there are a few brands that sell this frozen that you literally just pop in the microwave to heat through. So convenient!
Peanut sauce — To make the peanut sauce, all you need are peanut butter, tamari, rice vinegar, water, honey, ginger, garlic, and sriracha. It’s super easy to make and all you have to do is give it all a mix. Feel free to adjust the heat levels by adding more or less sriracha sauce.
Vegetables — I use red pepper and cabbage for my veggies but you can use any veggies of your choice for these lettuce chicken wraps.
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: Combine all of the peanut sauce ingredients.
Step 2: Cook the cauliflower rice according to the package directions in the microwave.
Step 3: Lay out the lettuce wrap leaves and add the cauliflower, chicken, red cabbage, bell pepper, peanuts, sesame seeds, and green onions. Drizzle generously with the peanut sauce and enjoy!
Expert Tips
This is basically an assembly-style recipe as you’re literally going to pile the cauliflower rice, chicken, and veg on top of some lettuce and call it a lettuce wrap. Whisking together the sauce is the most “work” you have to do, and if you want to make that even easier, you can totally buy a store-bought peanut sauce!
If you have a peanut allergy, you can swap peanut butter for any nut butter you have on hand. You can also try using sunflower butter or you can skip the peanut sauce altogether and dress your rotisserie chicken lettuce wraps with a little teriyaki or another favourite sauce.
If you want to change up the filling and you’re in the mood for cooking, you can cook up some ground chicken, turkey, or beef for the filling! Shredded rotisserie chicken is my go-to since it’s much faster.
Recipe FAQs
Personally, I’m not counting carbs so I would probably serve this with a noodle salad, or a fresh mango salad for a lighter meal. But these are surprisingly filling as a low carb meal all on their own or with a simple Asian slaw. For dessert, these watermelon “fries” are also totally no cook, and a favourite amongst everyone who tries them.
If you’re going to do a store-bought peanut sauce, look for one that has the least amount of salt and sugar, that has peanuts at the top of the ingredient list (not sugar or some other additive).
Absolutely, if you don’t care to make this recipe low carb or keto, or are serving this to your kids who love carbs, you can definitely use regular rice. To make it nutritious, choose a whole grain rice, and to make it super fast, you can use a microwave or freezer pack of cooked rice, or minute rice.
Feel free to make this ahead of time by making the peanut sauce and storing it in the fridge for up to 4 days. The filling for the lettuce wraps can be prepared and set aside in an airtight container in the fridge. Simply add the filling to the lettuce when you’re ready to enjoy or at work for lunch!
Honestly, I’m not here to judge what diets you decide to take on or the reasons. I do not professionally believe that doing a keto diet for weight loss purposes is sustainable, and the research also supports that (I’ve written about it all here). However, if keto feels good to you, or you have a medical condition that is helped by a keto diet, then go for it!
You can try using veggies like red onions, zucchini, carrots, snap peas, and more! I always take a quick look in my fridge to see if there are any leftover veggies that need to be used up and toss them in.
More Recipes You Might Like
Want more suggestions for no-cook recipes like these healthy chicken lettuce wraps? Try these ones:
- MOROCCAN VEGAN CHICKPEA SALAD WRAPS
- VEGAN EVERYTHING BAGEL AVOCADO WHITE BEAN SANDWICH
- VEGAN COLLARD GREEN WRAPS 3 WAYS
- SHRIMP AND MANGO SALAD WITH AVOCADO
what are some of your go-to dinners when you just don’t want to cook? Leave me a comment!
Healthy Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce (Easy No Cook Recipe)
Ingredients
Peanut dressing:
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup reduced sodium tamari or reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 2 cloves garlic pressed or very finely minced
- 1 tsp sriracha or more to taste
Lettuce Wraps:
- 1 Rotisserie chicken skin removed and meat shredded
- 1 10 oz bag Cauliflower rice
- 1 cup shredded Red cabbage
- ½ Red bell pepper finely diced
- 2 heads Bibb Boston or Butter lettuce, leaves removed
For serving:
- Crushed peanuts
- Sesame seeds
- Green onions cut on a bias
Instructions
- Combine all of the peanut sauce ingredients.
- Cook the cauliflower rice according to the package directions in the microwave.
- Lay out the lettuce wrap leaves and add the cauliflower, chicken, red cabbage, bell pepper, peanuts, sesame seeds and green onions. Drizzle generously with the peanut sauce and enjoy!
Notes
- This is basically an assembly-style recipe as you’re literally going to pile the cauliflower rice, chicken, and veg on top of some lettuce and call it a lettuce wrap. Whisking together the sauce is the most “work” you have to do, and if you want to make that even easier, you can totally buy a store-bought peanut sauce!
- If you have a peanut allergy, you can swap peanut butter for any nut butter you have on hand. You can also try using sunflower butter or you can skip the peanut sauce altogether and dress your rotisserie chicken lettuce wraps with a little teriyaki or another favourite sauce.
- If you want to change up the filling and you’re in the mood for cooking, you can cook up some ground chicken, turkey, or beef for the filling! Shredded rotisserie chicken is my go-to since it’s much faster.
Nutrition
Abbey Sharp is a Registered Dietitian (RD), regulated by the Ontario College of Dietitians. She is a mom, YouTuber, Blogger, award winning cookbook author, media coach specializing in food and nutrition influencers, and a frequent contributor to national publications like Healthline and on national broadcast TV shows.
Amber says
These are absolutely delish! Skipped the cauli rice because I didn’t have it. The peanut sauce is one of the best I’ve tried, and using rotisserie was such a great way to get some quick protein. I threw some cilantro from our garden on top for extra flavor & will try peanuts next time for extra crunch. Adding this to the rotation!
Liane @ Foodie Digital says
Quick and easy and super tasty! Thank you for the recipe.
Nicole says
This is the best ever!!! It’s delicious and great for picky and diabetic eaters alike!!!! The whole house is a fan!!
Albertina Geller says
Great recipe! This is the best chicken wrap I have ever had. Thanks a lot for sharing. I love your blog 🙂
Abbey Sharp says
Hi Albertina! Thank you for your comment. I’m so glad you liked the lettuce wraps 🙂