This post may contain affiliate links, view our disclosure.
This copycat PF Changs chicken lettuce wraps recipe has a sweet and savory flavor profile, is ready in just 20 minutes, and is even better than at the restaurant! It makes a great appetizer or light meal, or you can serve it with a side dish like steamed rice or cauliflower rice for dinner.
Do you have a restaurant where you go for one dish in particular?
For me, one of those places is PF Chang’s for their chicken lettuce wraps!
This dish has a great balance of flavors and textures: spicy, salty, and sweet chicken wrapped up in crisp lettuce leaves. And the best part is that if you make it at home, this dish comes together in 20 minutes! That’s less time than it usually takes me to find a parking spot at the mall outside PF Chang’s.
Another great thing about making a restaurant copycat at home is that you can customize it. You can make it to suit your tastes, and you can bump up the nutrition. It’s easy to make this spicier or milder. And you can add a bunch of different vegetables if you like. Anything that’s good in stir fry would work well here, just chop it small.
This is sure to be your favorite version of chicken lettuce wraps because you can make it exactly how you like it.
Copycat PF Changs Chicken Lettuce Wraps Ingredients and Substitutions
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
Hoisin Dipping Sauce Ingredients (Optional)
I’m a condiment girl through and through! I like to serve PF Changs lettuce wraps (which are already saucy) with more sauce on the side for dipping. This is completely optional though, and the wraps are still delicious without it.
- Hoisin sauce – Similar to barbecue sauce, hoisin sauce contains a variety of ingredients that are cooked together to come up with the perfect flavor profile. Hoisin sauce is thick with a savory salty/sweet flavor, and is commonly used as a stir fry sauce, meat glaze, and dipping sauce.
- Water – A little bit of water thins out our dipping sauce to the perfect consistency.
- Low-sodium soy sauce – Soy sauce adds salty, umami flavor. You can substitute with tamari sauce (gluten free soy sauce) or coconut aminos.
- Rice wine vinegar – A little bit of vinegar adds tart flavor for balance.
- Light brown sugar – You can use coconut sugar instead of light brown sugar.
- Toasted sesame oil – This adds rich nutty flavor and aroma.
- Garlic and ginger – These aromatics add a ton of flavor, especially because we keep them raw.
- Sesame seeds – Mostly for the aesthetic, so you know there’s sesame flavor going on.
Chicken Lettuce Wraps Ingredients
- Avocado oil – Any neutral or mild-flavored oil with a high smoke point will work here, such as vegetable oil.
- Toasted sesame oil – Toasted sesame oil adds rich nutty flavor and aroma.
- Shiitake mushrooms – I like shiitake mushrooms here for their meaty texture and earthy, subtly smoky flavor. However, if you can’t find shiitake mushrooms, you can substitute with cremini mushrooms (aka crimini mushrooms), which you’ll also sometimes see labeled as baby bella mushrooms.
- Onion – Onion adds another layer of flavor here.
- Ground chicken – You can substitute with ground turkey if that’s what you have on hand.
- Garlic and ginger – Garlic and ginger add complexity and tons of flavor and aroma to the dish.
- Hoisin sauce – Similar to barbecue sauce but with a different flavor profile, hoisin sauce is a thick, dark sauce with a sweet, salty, and tangy flavor.
- Low-sodium soy sauce – You can substitute with tamari sauce (gluten free soy sauce) or coconut aminos.
- Rice wine vinegar – If you don’t have rice wine vinegar, you can use white wine vinegar instead.
- Cornstarch – Dissolve the cornstarch in water to form a slurry to slightly thicken the sauce. (This is completely optional.)
- Chili garlic sauce – You can use sambal oelek or sriracha here.
- Salt and black pepper – Pantry-staple seasonings that bump up the flavor.
- Canned water chestnuts – Water chestnuts add crunch.
- Scallions – Scallion adds mild onion flavor.
- Lettuce – Iceberg is popular for lettuce wraps, but you can use any type of lettuce you like.
Instructions
- Heat the vegetable oil and toasted sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushroom and onion, and cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the chicken, garlic, and ginger, and cook until the chicken is browned, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Turn down the heat to medium. Add the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, cornstarch slurry, chili garlic sauce, black pepper, salt, and water chestnuts.
- Cook until the sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Storage
Store the chicken mixture in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop.
To avoid the lettuce wilting, don’t pre-wrap the chicken in lettuce leaves. Instead, serve them together and wrap the chicken in lettuce as you eat.
Tips
- The hoisin dipping sauce is completely optional. And if you prefer, instead of using brown sugar here, you can use coconut sugar or keto brown sugar.
- For the paleo version, use Paleo Chinese Inspired Plum Sauce instead of hoisin sauce, coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, and arrowroot starch instead of cornstarch.
- For the keto version, keto teriyaki sauce instead of hoisin sauce and coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. Omit the cornstarch slurry.
What Lettuce Can I Use For Lettuce Wraps?
Lettuce with sturdy leaves works well for lettuce wraps. A few types of lettuce that are good for wraps are:
- Iceberg lettuce – Also known as Crisphead lettuce, this lettuce grows in tight, round heads that have crisp leaves and a pale green color. It’s frequently used in wedge salads and to make lettuce wraps.
- Butter lettuce – This includes Bibb lettuce and Boston lettuce. These types of lettuce are loose heads that have tender leaves and a mild flavor.
- Romaine lettuce – Also called Cos lettuce, this type of lettuce grows in a long head with sturdy leaves, each with a thick rib running down the center.
- Little gem lettuce – This is a cross between Romaine and Butter lettuce with tender and mild green leaves. It looks similar to a Romaine heart.
What to Serve with Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Steamed rice
- Cauliflower rice
- Thai Noodles Recipe with Vegetables and Chicken
- Crunchy Air Fryer Egg Rolls
- Egg Roll in a Bowl
Let’s Connect
Did you make this recipe? Please rate it and leave a comment below. You can also tag @anediblemosaic on social media.
To stay up-to-date, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter!
Copycat PF Changs Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe
Email This Recipe
Get this recipe link emailed straight to your inbox!
Ingredients
Hoisin Dipping Sauce (optional):
- 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar lightly packed (see Notes)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 small clove garlic crushed
- 1 teaspoon freshly-grated ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon sesame seeds
Chicken Lettuce Wraps:
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 5 ounces shiitake mushrooms chopped small
- 1 large onion diced
- 1 pound lean ground chicken
- 3 large cloves garlic crushed
- 1 tablespoon freshly-grated ginger
- 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water to form a slurry
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce more or less to taste (you can use sambal oelek or sriracha)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounce can sliced water chestnuts rinsed, drained, and chopped
- 3 scallions thinly sliced
- 1 head lettuce leaves left intact (see Notes)
Instructions
For the Hoisin Dipping Sauce:
- Stir together all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until using.
For the Chicken Lettuce Wraps:
- Heat the vegetable oil and toasted sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and mushroom and cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the chicken, garlic, and ginger, and cook until the chicken is browned, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Turn down the heat to medium. Add the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, cornstarch slurry, chili garlic sauce, black pepper, salt, and water chestnuts. Cook until the sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
To Serve:
- Sprinkle the scallion on top of the chicken mixture. Serve warm, along with the lettuce leaves to wrap the chicken mixture in and the hoisin sauce for dipping.
Notes
- Storage: Store the chicken mixture in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop. To avoid the lettuce wilting, don’t pre-wrap the chicken in lettuce leaves; instead, serve them together and wrap the chicken in lettuce as you eat.
- Hoisin Dipping Sauce: This sauce is completely optional.
- Brown Sugar: Instead of brown sugar in the hoisin dipping sauce, you can use coconut sugar or keto brown sugar.
- Paleo Version: Use Paleo Chinese Inspired Plum Sauce instead of hoisin sauce, coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, and arrowroot starch instead of cornstarch.
- Keto Version: Use keto teriyaki sauce instead of hoisin sauce and coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. Omit the cornstarch slurry.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
Share it with me on Instagram and leave a comment to let me know your thoughts!
This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on January 12, 2015 and updated on February 7, 2024.
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
Free Bonus
I love lettuce wraps and can’t think of a better thing to wrap with them than this sweet and spicy goodness!
I love lettuce wraps, these look so good!
Love this Faith and the photos are beautiful! I also am not a big fan of chain restaurants (except for Chipotle!!) but love these lettuce wraps. Printing this off :)
I learned to love these back in the 80’s, in Paris, when my daughter was living there. We have a restaurant locally that does them well (and I’ve introduced everyone I know to them), but I’ve never tried them at home. Never have tried them at Chang’s either, but I don’t go there often. Your recipe looks delicious and so beautifully photographed, which I’ve come to expect from you!
I haven’t been to a PF Chang’s in years, but I do remember these! So good! I can’t wait to give them a try. I have no doubt that yours will be even better than the real thing!
LOVE hoisin! And I love it extra saucy too :) This sounds great! I don’t think I’ve ever eaten at PF changs…and we have one super close to our house too!
Oooof these lettuce wraps look awesome! I’ve never had PF Chnag’s version, so I’m happy to skip right to your recipe. Looks like such a great meal to whip up any night of the week!
So tasty! A wonderfully light dish.
Cheers,
Rosa