Table of Contents
  1. The ingredients in these chicken lettuce cups
  2. More Dinner Recipes
  3. Watch how to make these chicken lettuce cups
  4. Have I Convinced You to Make This Recipe?
  5. Korean-Style Chicken Lettuce Cups Recipe

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There is a time and place for a full meal, complete with a main course, sides, and a salad. For me, that time is not every single night. Instead, I opt for easy, carefree meals that are healthy but satisfying.

Enter these Korean-style chicken lettuce cups, which have two great selling points. First, these are assembled while eating, which is always fun. Second, the flavor of the Korean spices is not spicy but instead so flavorful that you cannot wait for more.

Ground chicken is an ideal meat to soak in all of the flavors in this recipe. Plus, it’s super economical! Once cooked with the spices, the lettuce cups are assembled in large lettuce leaves, which is also an economical choice. The toppings are whatever you’re in the mood for, which makes these easy to fit anyone’s preferences.

Hand holding green lettuce cup filled with spicy chicken with another lettuce cup sitting on white plate in background

The ingredients in these chicken lettuce cups

  • Ground chicken is a cost-effective meat that’s easy to keep in the freezer. Choose an organic ground chicken so it has the most flavor.
  • Gochujang is a Korean red chili paste. The flavor is chili-forward but balanced with sweetness and a little fermented funk. Sounds unique, but it’s terrific!
  • Gochugaru is a Korean chili flake. The chilis are often sun-dried without the seeds and ground into a fine powder. To make sure this ingredient fits your spice level, you can find mild to hot varieties.
  • Toasted sesame oil is a key component, and the key word is toasted. When the sesame seeds are toasted before retrieving the oil, the result is a full-tasting oil that carries a huge flavor impact, especially in this recipe.
  • Soy sauce is both a seasoning and a flavoring in one. The sauce is fermented and has a good, salty kick, but also a depth of flavor that’s essential.
  • Honey helps balance out the stronger flavors with a bit of sweetness.
  • Fresh ginger adds a brightness, much like citrus does in some recipes. Fresh ginger has a clean flavor but much more impact than dried ginger.
  • Garlic is warmed with the chicken and offsets the impact of the spices with a sweet and almost buttery flavor.
  • Buttercrunch lettuce will provide the best leaves for these lettuce cups. Large romaine leaves can work, but they do not have quite the same effect. Buttercrunch is sweet and tender and works perfectly.
Top down view of skillet filled with spicy chicken sitting on white countertop with wood spatula sitting amidst the meat

The ingredients and steps to make this recipe are simple. Despite that, the flavors are complex, which means this is a winner. Whenever I make these for a meal by myself or serve them to friends, I’m always amazed at how easy they are but also how quickly they disappear!

Top down view of white countertop with white plates filled with chicken lettuce cups with carrots and radishes as toppings with skillet with rest of chicken

More Dinner Recipes

Watch how to make these chicken lettuce cups

YouTube video

Have I Convinced You to Make This Recipe?

I hope you make this recipe and put some food on your table. Leave a comment and share a star rating so you can let others know how much you love this recipe. This helps show others that this is a recipe they, too, can make, enjoy, and love!

Top down view of white plate filled with two chicken lettuce cups one with radish and carrots as toppings all on white countertop

Korean-Style Chicken Lettuce Cups

4.64 from 11 votes
Whether you're trying to minimize carbs or not, these chicken lettuce cups are a great weeknight meal option! And with a bit of spice, which harks to some Korean influence, the ground chicken is a tasty morsel in each bite. Top with whatever you prefer: radish, carrots, peanuts, more sauce. The options are endlessly customizable!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 8 lettuce cups

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp neutral oil
  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • 2 tbsp Gochujang (Korean chili paste)
  • 1 ½ tbsp Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
  • 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 2 tsp grated ginger
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 onion diced
  • 2 heads buttercrunch lettuce broken down into individual leaves

For the toppings

  • 1 large carrot grated
  • 4 large radish grated
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro
  • ½ cup crushed salted peanuts
  • chili sauce to taste

Instructions
 

  • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low. Add the oil and sauté onions until soft, 5 minutes.
    1 tbsp neutral oil, 1 onion
  • While the onions are cooking, in a large bowl combine the ground chicken, Gochujang, Gochugaru, sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, grated ginger, and garlic. Combine until evenly mixed.
    1 lb ground chicken, 2 tbsp Gochujang (Korean chili paste), 1 ½ tbsp Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), 2 tsp toasted sesame oil, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp honey, 2 tsp grated ginger, 3 cloves garlic
  • Once the onions are softened, add the chicken mixture to the onions. Cook the chicken and break up into small, bite-size pieces with a spatula. Continue cooking the chicken until it is evenly browned with no pink, 10-14 minutes. Once cooked, remove the skillet from the heat.
  • Serve in lettuce cups, with grated carrot, grated radish, chopped cilantro, crushed peanuts, and chili sauce on top.
    2 heads buttercrunch lettuce, 1 large carrot, 4 large radish, ½ cup chopped cilantro, ½ cup crushed salted peanuts, chili sauce to taste

Nutrition

Serving: 1lettuce cupCalories: 202kcal
Course Dinner
Cuisine Asian
Difficulty Easy
Method Cooking

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Kaleb

Kaleb Wyse is a New York Times bestselling author behind the popular Wyse Guide website. Living on his fourth-generation Iowa farm, he loves sharing recipes and gardening tips that come from traditions that feel comfortably familiar. His down-to-earth style makes sustainable living and farm life feel like home!

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4.64 from 11 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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11 Comments

    1. Me too! It’s easy but filling, a great thing as we head into spring and spend all the time working in the yard.

  1. I made these for dinner tonight and they are delicious! Loved the heat!! I added a little bit of avocado.

  2. 5 stars
    I made these for dinner tonight since I knew I had everything on hand except the ground chicken which I bought while running errands. This was so easy to make and delicious!!

  3. Really enjoyed this! Very flavorful with relatively few ingredients, and customizable. Thank you!

  4. 5 stars
    This recipe is awesome! Will become a weekly staple. Not only delicious, but easy and you can customize and add different vegetables. We added water chestnuts and sweet chili sauce as a garnish. Very delicious.

  5. Made these lettuce wraps for dinner tonight. Another favorite. The flavor was amazing.. I added some red onion, avocado and rice noodles, made this an entire meal!