First Published: Mar 10, 2018 · Last Updated: Feb 9, 2022 by Amanda Miller · This post may contain affiliate links

Asian Chicken Lettuce Cups

Name: Asian Chicken Lettuce Cups
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: ¼ cup Tamari, soy sauce, or liquid amino acids; 1 Tbsp chili garlic sauce, or more depending on desired spice level; 2 tsp honey; 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar; 2 tsp sesame oil; ¼ cup water; 2 tsp arrowroot powder*; 1 Tbsp oil, I use avocado; 1 lb ground chicken; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; 2 cups zucchini, chopped; 1, 8oz can water chestnuts, drained and roughly chopped; 3-4 green onions, sliced thin (white and light green part only); salt and pepper, to taste; 2 heads butter lettuce, cleaned and leaves separated

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I love making lighter and healthier meals during the Summer. When the weather is warm, I don't want something heavy, and I definitely don't want to be slaving over a hot stove for long. This recipe for Asian chicken lettuce cups satisfies a lot of meal-must-haves for Summer. It is WAY better than the take-out restaurant version, it's healthy and light, and comes together in 30 minutes. It also makes great leftovers, and satisfies that cool crunch craving thanks to the butter lettuce cups.

The ground chicken and zucchini base is complemented by the crisp chopped water chestnuts, and the slightly spicy sauce. I use Tamari, but soy sauce, or even liquid aminos would work well. Sometimes I omit the honey, but I do admit, that little bit of sweet balances out the spice from the garlic chili sauce really well. Arrowroot powder helps thicken the sauce and helps it really stick to the chicken and veggies. You can also use cornstarch, but it does have more flavor than arrowroot. Serve the mixture in butter lettuce leaves for the ultimate cool crunchy shell. Or, for a less messy version, tear up the lettuce and scoop the chicken on top (full confession - this is what I normally do!).

I love meals that are high in protein and already include veggies - no need to make extra sides or dishes. They are easy to throw together and are so satisfying. Plus, the flavor is out of this world fantastic! This 30-minute meal is sure to spice up any weeknight!