From the kitchen of Chef Tse: Thai chicken lettuce wraps

There’s a very popular Chinese restaurant chain that serves this recipe. But their version has almost two teaspoons of salt per serving! My version has 50% less salt and if you want even less, just cut add more water to the sauce recipe.

If you don’t have chicken, try ground beef or even ground turkey. Personally I like using ground dark meat chicken because it has more fat which prevents the moisture in the meat from drying up during cooking.

Thai chilies are hot hot hot so do be careful! Use gloves when slicing the chilies or you’ll be sorry later!

Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps

From the kitchen of Chef Tse

Serves 4

Dipping Sauce

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 ½ tablespoon fish sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 thinly sliced Thai chilies or jalapenos (optional)

2 tablespoons water

Wraps

1 tablespoon canola oil, divided

8 ounces ground dark meat chicken

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 red onion, thinly sliced

1 red pepper, sliced

¼ cup Thai basil leaves

¼ cup cilantro leaves

12 whole bib lettuce leaves

For the sauce:

Mix together lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, water and chilies.

For the wraps:

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a skillet. Add chicken and sear until brown and cooked through. Add fish sauce, cooking 30 seconds longer; set aside and keep warm. Wipe out skillet, add remaining 1 teaspoon oil and sauté peppers and onions until tender. Add chicken, basil and cilantro leaves and heat through.

Assemble:

Place three lettuce leaves on each plate. Spoon chicken mixture into the center of each leaf. Serve dipping sauce on the side.

Nutritional information per serving:

Calories: 228; fat: 15g; sodium: 920mg; carbohydrate: 13; fiber: 2g; protein: 11g