Thai-Style Minced Chicken Lettuce Cups
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Based on the popular Thai dish Larb Gai, this is a quick, easy, and flavorful weeknight dinner.
This recipe is based on Larb Gai, the popular Thai dish made from minced chicken, fish sauce, lime juice, chilies, and fresh herbs. You can have it on the table in 30 minutes, and it can be served in lettuce cups or over rice.
What you’ll need to make Thai Minced Chicken Lettuce Cups
As you can see from the photo, the recipe is inexpensive to make with ingredients found at your local supermarket. One of the key ingredients is fish sauce. Contrary to what you might expect, it doesn’t add a “fishy” taste, but rather a salty, savory, umami flavor. If you’ve never cooked with it, I’ll warn you that it smells pretty bad (my kids RUN out of the kitchen when I use it), but please don’t let that deter you — it absolutely makes the dish! If possible, buy a brand imported from Thailand or Vietnam, and don’t worry about buying a large bottle; it keeps forever.
Step-by-Step Instructions
For the chicken, begin by cooking the onions and ginger in oil until soft.
Add the minced garlic and cook one minute more.
Add the ground chicken and use a wooden spoon to break the meat apart.
Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, lime zest, lime juice, brown sugar and red pepper flakes, and cook until the chicken is done.
Off the heat, add the fresh cilantro, mint, scallions, and nuts.
Stir to combine.
Spoon into lettuce cups and serve with finely sliced carrots, herbs and Sriracha sauce.
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Thai-Style Minced Chicken Lettuce Cups
Based on the popular Thai dish Larb Gai, this is a quick, easy, and flavorful weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 large head iceberg or butter lettuce
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large red onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger (you'll need a thick 2-inch piece) (see note)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 pounds ground chicken (not all breast meat)
- 1½ tablespoons soy sauce (use gluten-free if needed)
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- ¼ cup light or dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons lime zest, from 2 limes
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, from 1½ limes
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 large scallions, white and green parts, finely sliced
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
- ¼ cup chopped cashews or peanuts
Optional For Serving
- Sriracha
- Finely sliced carrots
- Lime wedges
- Cilantro and/or mint sprigs
Instructions
- If using iceberg lettuce: fill a large bowl with cold water. Place the head of lettuce on a cutting board; cut off the stem, then cut around the inner core of the lettuce and remove (do not cut all the way through the lettuce; just deep enough to remove the core). Discard the flimsy, ragged outer leaves and then place the head of lettuce in the bowl of water. Gently pull apart the leaves, then place them on a paper towel to dry. Cut any large leaves in half. Chill the lettuce cups in refrigerator until ready to serve. (If using butter lettuce, you won't have any issues pulling apart the leaves so this step is not necessary.)
- Heat the oil in large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Add the ground chicken and turn the heat up to high. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until partially cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add the soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, lime zest, lime juice and red pepper flakes and continue cooking, stirring frequently to break up the meat, until the chicken is cooked through, 5-6 minutes more. Off the heat, stir in the scallions, cilantro, mint and nuts. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Spoon into lettuce cups and serve with optional garnishes.
- Note: Check out easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger here.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The meat mixture can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months and reheated in the microwave om on the stovetop until hot.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 580
- Fat: 33g
- Saturated fat: 7g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Sugar: 20g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 45g
- Sodium: 1565mg
- Cholesterol: 195g
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Lettuce wraps are something I always order out, but never made until now…because you made it look so easy!! They are delicious!! Will definitely become a regular meal rotation for us!!
I make this on a regular basis as my husband and kids gobble it up. We like to add coconut rice inside the wrap (I use the recipe from Our Best Bites). I make a few other recipes on a regular basis from this site too. I love them because I never feel like I need to make adjustments, the instructions are super clear, and the pictures are incredibly helpful when making for the first time. Thanks for all you do!
Love the chicken dish as a weekend lunch or fun first course. It’s so easy and I usually have all the ingredients on hand..
Yum, yum, yum! Outstanding! I had no trouble finding the fish sauce at an Oriental market. I also bought a Sweet Chili Sauce ( Mae Ploy brand)that I serve with this dish.
After making this several times I have made some minor changes.
1. Use a small red onion as large is to much onion.
2. I weigh a chunk of ginger about 1 ½ ounces, then mince. This increases the amount of ginger to 3 tablespoons.
3. Omit the peanuts
4. Toss the shredded carrots into the chicken just before serving.
My entire family lives this recipe including our 2 & 4 year old grandsons!
I made this recipe to the letter it was awesome! Came out perfect and my picky husband was even very impressed. Very good recipe that I will repeat.
Great recipe – I did have a little liquid after browning my chicken, but simply drained and moved on. The secret, of course, is to make sure you have everything prepped ahead of time and standing by in order to be added. Makes this a breeze. Did drizzle with a peanut sauce and served with cold rice salad.
Hi would you mind sharing which rice salad recipe you used? Love this recipe and a rice salad would be great with it. Thank you! Gwyneviere
Love this . Extra tasty wth a peanut /hoisin sauce, I used the PB FIT powder (1/4 cup) less fat calories.
4 TBSP HOISIN sauce , juice of 1 lime.
Mix together in a space pan , heat to encorporate flavors & pour over lettuce cups
This is a great weeknight recipe. The tip for pulling apart the leaves of lettuce in a bowl of water is super helpful. I made the filling exactly following the recipe, and then chopped up some lettuce to turn leftovers into a ‘salad’ to change it up a little.
Absolutely delicious!
My husband LOVED this dish and unfortunately, I just didn’t love it. I think I was expecting more of that famous Chinese chicken lettuce wrap taste – not realizing it was Thai rather than Chinese.