Easy PF Chang's Lettuce Wrap Recipe - Fearless Fresh (2024)

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A PF Chang’s lettuce wraps recipe as good as at the restaurant! I’m not kidding. And it’s WAY healthier.

Easy PF Chang's Lettuce Wrap Recipe - Fearless Fresh (1)

Photo by Nisa, via Creative Commons license.

My PF Chang’s lettuce wrap recipe is just as tender and juicy as at the restaurant, but guess what? It’s WAY healthier.

Restaurants add all sorts of salt, sugar, and fat to their recipes, and since you’re making this at home, you’re welcome to adjust to fit your own dietary needs. BUT. (Because there’s always a but, right?)

If you adjust the ingredients in the recipe, it won’t taste the same. If you decrease the of soy sauce, it will be less salty (duh) but also less savory. If you reduce the amount of sugar, the balance against the salt will change. And so on and so forth.

If you change this recipe for PF Chang’s lettuce wraps, which I encourage you do, just keep in mind it will change the taste.

This is a perfect copycat recipe for your quick weeknight dinner, and an excellent cure for Boring Dinner Syndrome (BDS). A lot of people are out there searching for copycat recipes, and this recipe for PF Chang’s lettuce wraps is one of the best out there.

I know because I’ve eaten it many, many times, both in the restaurant and here at home, so I’ve had a lot of time to refine it and make it the best it can be, sometimes using bothfresh and perfectly roasted chicken.

This easy copycat recipe quickly became a favorite at our house, and I think it will be on constant rotation at your dinner table as well.

(Note: If you haveextra chicken, use it to make this epic chicken soup recipe, which is better than my grandma’s!)

PF Chang’s Lettuce Wraps Recipe

Americans love to eat out, and it’s pretty clear that this habit is tough to let go of — this is why everyone wants to make the PF Chang’s lettuce wraps at home.

So why not try to make MORE of your favorite restaurants dishes at home? Using these copycat recipes, you’ll even be able to change them up a bit, using fresher, healthier ingredients than you’d likely find at a chain restaurant.

Easy PF Chang's Lettuce Wrap Recipe - Fearless Fresh (2)

Easy PF Chang's Lettuce Wrap Recipe - Fearless Fresh (3)

Copycat Recipe: PF Chang's Lettuce Wrap Recipe

These PF Change's lettuce wraps taste just like those from the restaurant, only they’re way better for you! A perfect dish for Asian dinner night.

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Entree

Cuisine: Chinese

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 4

Calories: 380kcal

Author: Stephanie Stiavetti

Ingredients

For dipping and pouring sauce

  • 4 tablespoons sugar or agave nectar
  • 1/2 cup hot water
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce or gluten free tamari
  • 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup or canned tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon dark sesame oil

For stir-fry sauce

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce or gluten free tamari
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar (not packed tightly)
  • 1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

For stir-fried chicken

  • 1 teaspoon hot water
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard (use the good stuff, it will make a difference)
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into half-inch cubes”
  • One 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts drained and minced
  • 1/2 cup minced mushrooms (minced to the same size as the water chestnuts)
  • 1/2 yellow onion minced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 6 large iceberg lettuce leaves

Instructions

For dipping and pouring sauce

  • In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in 1/2 cup hot water. Blend in soy sauce or tamari, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and dark sesame oil. Mix well and set aside in the refrigerator until the rest of the dish is ready.

For stir-fry sauce

  • In a small bowl, combine soy sauce or tamari, brown sugar, and rice vinegar. Mix well and set aside.

For stir-fried chicken

  • In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon hot water, dijon mustard and minced garlic and set this aside.

  • In a wok or large frying pan over high heat, combine olive oil and sesame oil. Heat until it shimmers, about one minute. Add chicken chunks and stir fry until entirely cooked through, about five minutes. Remove from the chicken pan and allow to cool, but reserve the oil in the wok or pan, keeping it hot over a low flame.

  • Take the pan or wok that you cooked the chicken in (with the still warming oil) and turn it up to medium-high heat. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, wait one minute, and then add the garlic, onions, water chestnuts, mushrooms, cooked chicken, and the stir-fry sauce. Cook everything, stirring constantly, until the mushrooms have cooked through and are tender, about four minutes. Remove from pan and place in a serving dish.

  • Add mustard/garlic mixture that you set aside to the pouring sauce, 1/2 a teaspoon at time to taste.

  • Serve the entire lettuce wrap recipe in a nice, big serving tray, complete with stir-fry and iceberg lettuce leaves, and pouring sauce in small bowls. Wrap the stir-fry in lettuce leaves, then top with pouring sauce.

Video

Notes

As noted above, if you change the recipe, it might not taste exactly like PF Chang's lettuce wraps. But that's fine! Make it your own, which you might enjoy even more.

Nutrition

Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 1466mg | Potassium: 558mg | Fiber: 2g | Vitamin A: 150IU | Vitamin C: 9.9mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2.3mg

This content was originally posted on FearlessFresh.com.

About Steph

I’m Steph, a classically-trained cooking teacher and professional recipe developer who’s going to show you how to COOK LIKE A BOSS.

Follow me for friendly-fierce guidance and training. Let's get you on the road to becoming a master home cook!

Easy PF Chang's Lettuce Wrap Recipe - Fearless Fresh (2024)

FAQs

What is lettuce wrap sauce made of? ›

The sauce is a mixture of soy sauce, oyster sauce, aji mirin (rice wine), hoisin sauce, sugar, and a bit of cornstarch. You can find most of these ingredients on the Asian section of your grocery store. I found the aji mirin in the vinegar section. Aji mirin is a sweetened rice wine.

What is the best lettuce for lettuce wraps? ›

Smoother butterhead lettuce leaves are ideal for wrapping as they're super flexible and wide enough wrap around and keep all the toppings inside. Butterhead lettuce is the key to loading up our peanut-sesame chicken lettuce wraps, caramelized tofu lettuce wraps, and our basil avocado shrimp salad wraps.

How do you crisp lettuce for lettuce wraps? ›

Fill a large bowl with very hot tap water (around 120°F) and plunge your wilted greens. Let them soak for 10–30 minutes, then drain. Wrap the leaves in a damp towel and chill before using (or if you need them immediately, cool them down in ice water). They'll be perkier than a Pomeranian with a plushie.

What oil does PF Chang's use? ›

Additionally, the chain uses soybean oil – not peanut oil – for cooking.

Are lettuce wraps healthy for weight loss? ›

Wraps are a simple and easy lunch option that have the potential to be super healthy. Making your own wrap ensures that you control the ingredients and create a diet-friendly meal that you can feel good about eating. Swapping a carb-heavy tortilla with lettuce is a great way to save on calories and carbs.

Does PF Chang's use oyster sauce? ›

Get your Buddha's Feast and edamame steamed. Unless they are marked safe for shellfish allergies, the sauces also contain oyster sauce.

How do you keep lettuce crisp in a wrap? ›

Instead of storing your lettuce in a plastic bag or wrapping it in plastic wrap, simply wrap it tightly in aluminum foil. The foil will help retain moisture in the leaves, keeping them fresh and crisp for much longer.

Are lettuce wraps healthier than bread? ›

Lettuce wraps are much lower in calories than bread, and they are very fresh. Corn Tortillas → Corn tortillas tend to be cleaner than regular bread. You can even use a tortilla to replace a pizza crust which is much lighter option.

How do restaurants make their lettuce so crisp? ›

The Keys to Crisp Lettuce

Lettuce actually needs a good amount of airflow, in addition to a bit of moisture (but not too much!), in order to stay crisp. That's why restaurants store their lettuce in special perforated bins that allow for air circulation while it's held in the fridge.

Is there MSG in PF Changs? ›

I started at P.F. Chang's in 2005 as a server and left in 2009 as a Key Manager and can tell you that no, they don't and are very proud of it.

What oil do Chinese restaurants use? ›

Chinese cooks normally use soybean oil, vegetable oil, or peanut oil, all of which have a high smoke point. Peanut oil usually has a pleasant nutty flavor and is suitable not only for stir-frying but also for deep-frying. Canola oil, which has a high smoke point but a neutral flavor, is also a good choice.

What is hoisin sauce made of? ›

Ingredients. The key ingredient of hoisin sauce is fermented soybean paste. Some hoisin sauce ingredients include starches such as sweet potato, wheat and rice, and water, sugar, soybeans, sesame seeds, white distilled vinegar, salt, garlic, red chili peppers, and sometimes preservatives or coloring agents.

What are the ingredients in Lee Kum Kee lettuce wrap sauce? ›

Water, sugar, soybean oil, sesame oil, salt, sweet potato powder, modified corn starch, rice vinegar, contains less than 2% of soybeans, spices, dehydrated garlic, wheat flour, sesame paste, caramel color, yeast extract, chili peppers, safflower oil, xanthan gum, natural flavors (milk), cultured dextrose, maltodextrin.

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