Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps

For the weekday nights when you want something to come together quickly with little work required, this lettuce wrap recipe is your answer. Teriyaki chicken lettuce wraps consist of ground chicken, veggies and of course teriyaki sauce. Feel free to experiment with whatever you have on hand. Butter lettuce is called for in this recipe, but any kind of lettuce works. These are great as a party appetizer, just serve the chicken filling in one bowl, and the lettuce and extra teriyaki sauce on a platter nearby.

Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 25 mins
Total time: 35 mins
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients:

For the teriyaki sauce:

• 1/4 cup (60 ml) low-sodium soy sauce (or tamari, for gluten-free)
• 3 tablespoons water, divided
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

For the chicken filling:

• 2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 1/2 cup diced red onions (1/4 of a large red onion, or 1/3 of a small one)
• 1 pound (450 g) ground chicken
• Kosher salt
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

For serving:

• 1 head butter lettuce, leaves separated and rinsed
• Roasted peanuts, chopped
• Chopped cilantro
• Thinly sliced scallions

Directions:

1. Prepare the teriyaki sauce: Combine the soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of the water, mirin, honey, minced garlic, and grated ginger in a saucepan. Bring everything to boil over medium heat.
   Dissolve the cornstarch with the remaining tablespoon of water and add to the teriyaki sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low, and let the sauce simmer until it starts to thicken, about 30 seconds to a minute.
   Turn off the heat and allow the sauce to cool. The sauce will thicken a little more as it cools. You should have about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of sauce.
2. Cook the chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a sauté pan over high heat. Add half of the diced red onions and cook until they start to soften, about 2 minutes. Add ground chicken and a pinch of kosher salt. Using your spatula, break up chicken into smaller pieces. Stir occasionally until the chicken is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a clean plate.
3. Cook the vegetables: Quickly wipe down the pan and heat another tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the remaining diced red onions and cook until they soften, about 2 minutes. Add the zucchini and red pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the peppers start to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir the sliced scallions and cooked chicken into the pan with the cooked vegetables.
4. Add the teriyaki sauce: Drizzle 6 tablespoons of the prepared teriyaki sauce and 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil into the pan and stir. Save the rest of the teriyaki sauce for drizzling over wraps. Turn off heat, taste, and adjust seasonings if needed.
5. To serve: Place several spoonfuls of filling onto a lettuce leaf. Top with chopped peanuts, cilantro, scallions, and an extra drizzle of teriyaki sauce, if desired. Leftover teriyaki sauce will keep for about a week in the refrigerator.

Source: Simply Recipes