Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe | Little Spice Jar (2024)

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Easy to make, light and healthy orange chicken lettuce wraps! The ground chicken tastes just like a healthier version of orange chicken andbeing in lettuce wraps means it’s a low carb, high protein, and filling meal for lunch or dinner!

Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe | Little Spice Jar (1)Bring on all the low carb, high protein dinners. ?

And these orange chicken lettuce wraps are a thing. A BIG thing around here. More specifically ground chicken sautéed and then drizzled with a homemade orange chicken sauce that actually contains, real 100% no sugar added orange juice, along with freshly grated orange zest and topped with tiny mandarin oranges so the orange flavor carries through and through.

These lettuce wraps are a healthy alternative to the not-so-healthy orange chicken you get from your favorite Chinese Restaurant and dare I say that orange chicken was meant to be wrapped in butter lettuce all this time and we arejusttt finding out now?

Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe | Little Spice Jar (2)If you follow me on snapchat (?:littlespicejar) then you know that Aneesand I recently just got Fitbits. Which in every other household may mean that a husband and wife trying to get healthier together and walk more.At our house, itis GAME ON. It doesn’t help that Fitbit allows you to ‘challenge’ people to walk more either. The hubby and I have done just 1 week of competition and I kid you not, we were literally on each other’s heel the entire time. You can check the other persons progress anytime during the day and you know that I did at least 10 times a day. I don’t know if our way of competing is exactly ‘healthy’ but I will say that I definitely did walk more than I usually do. So i’m paraphrasing andcalling it success.

And while we’re on the move, these chicken lettuce wraps are my new go to lunch. I’m loving theamount of energy I have when i’m eating a lunch that’s packed with lots of real protein and is low in carbs. It took me half of my twenties to realize that carbs at lunch leave me feeling tired, sleepy, and lazy around the 3-5pm mark. Skipping the bread/rice helps keep me going, which means I have TONS of energy to recipe test all sorts of deliciousness for us all.Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe | Little Spice Jar (3)Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe | Little Spice Jar (4)Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe | Little Spice Jar (5)But it doesn’t have to just be a healthy lunch. Orange chicken lettuce wraps make an ideal dinner too. What I also love about these wraps is that they are idealfor #mealprep Sundays or Mondays. The flavors of the orange chicken actually intensify as it sits. I made them earlier in the week and we had them for dinner last night. I even forgot to top them with the mandarin oranges but the orange flavor carried through from the juice/zest beautifully. The hubby also likes to add wonton strips (usually found next to the croutons at the grocery store) on top of his lettuce wraps. He’s all about that CRUNCH.

If you’ve got little ones (and sometimes hubbys too) that refuse to eat anything green which is often the case I hear, you can always serve the orange chicken on a bed of white/brown rice. Sliced peppers and matchstick carrots on top would make this a more filling and nutritious meal as well adding a little more crunchiness to the whole thing.

As always, you can swap out the ground chicken for turkey if you prefer. I usually use ground chicken breasts but ground thighs would add more flavor for those that enjoy dark meat.

Seriously let’s start the worst day of the week with a healthy meal.

ORANGE CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS TO THERESCUE.

Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe | Little Spice Jar (6)

Yield: Enough filling to fill 10-12 cups

Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Easy to make, light and healthy orange chicken lettuce wraps! The ground chicken tastes just like a healthier version of orange chicken and being in lettuce wraps means it's a low carb, high protein, filling meal for lunch or dinner!

Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe | Little Spice Jar (7)

Ingredients

orange chicken sauce:

  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1 tablespoons orange zest
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon EACH ground ginger AND red pepper flakes
  • 2 tablespoons water AND 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

chicken filling:

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 pound ground chicken (turkey or beef works too)
  • 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
  • 1 (10.5-ounce) can mandarin oranges (fresh cutie slices work too)
  • chopped scallions, lettuce leaves AND toasted sesame seeds for decorating

Instructions

  1. ORANGE CHICKEN SAUCE: Combine the ingredients for the sauce in a mason jar, give it a few good shakes until all the ingredients are mixed. Pour the sauce into a small saucepan and heat over medium high heat. When the sauce begins to simmer, lower the heat and allow to cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. You want the sauce to be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from stove, allow to cool.
  2. CHICKEN FILLING: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground chicken and break down any lumps with a wooden spoon, then add the garlic and let the chicken cook for 5-7 minutes or until it cooks all the way through. Drizzle the chicken with the prepared sauce. Let cook for 1-2 minutes. Adjust with salt and pepper to taste. Allow the filling to cool for several minutes before filling lettuce leaves. Top with mandarin orange slices and toasted sesame seeds.

Have you made this recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below. You can also share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #LITTLESPICEJAR, I'd love to see what you made!

IS THIS A GOOD CHOICE FOR YOU?

Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe | Little Spice Jar (8)

Note that this is the nutritional facts for 1 chicken lettuce wrap including the lettuce. Typically I can eat 2-3 depending on my hunger level. This recipe makes enough to comfortably feed a family of 4.

Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe | Little Spice Jar (9)

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30 Minute Meals Chicken Comfort Foods Dinner Lunch Salad30 minute meals asian brown sugar dinner easy ground chicken healthy high protein lettuce cups lettuce wraps light lo carb lunch mandarin oranges orange chicken orange juice protein sesame chicken simple soy sauce turkey

originally published on Jul 25, 2016 (last updated May 17, 2020)

6 comments Leave a comment »

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6 comments on “Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps”

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  1. Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe | Little Spice Jar (10)

    Girl and the Kitchen Reply

    OHHHH THESE LOOK SOOO GOOD! I can imagine just chowing down on this! And those tangerines I bet they add the best flavor! EVER

  2. Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe | Little Spice Jar (11)

    Tami Sand Reply

    I just made these tonight and Oh My YUM!!!! SO good. The red pepper flakes were a bit too much heat for a few in my household, but others, including myself, thought it was perfect.

    5

  3. Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe | Little Spice Jar (12)

    Madison Reply

    This recipe was delicious! Super easy to make and very filling. They stored great for lunch leftovers the next day 🙂 I highly recommend!

    5

  4. Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe | Little Spice Jar (13)

    Nancy Reply

    Very easy! Very good! Has become one of our family favorites!

    5

  5. Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe | Little Spice Jar (14)

    Anthony M. Reply

    This dish has made it into my family’s regular rotation and that’s hard to do with all the new recipes that I try. The sauce is the perfect balance of sweet and heat. I make a tasty vegan version using Butler® Soy Curls instead of chicken. If you’ve never tried them they are a great change of pace from meat, and substitute well in any shredded chicken recipe. We like the strips as opposed to ground chicken. I also add toasted peanuts or cashews for texture and flavor, and fresh squeezed OJ.

    5

  6. Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe | Little Spice Jar (15)

    Bleu Reply

    More kudos for this recipe. This is the first recipe I used ground Turkey in that my husband said he liked.

    5

Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe | Little Spice Jar (2024)

FAQs

What lettuce is best for lettuce wraps? ›

You can use any type of green leafy lettuce for lettuce wraps, but popular types of lettuce include Boston bib lettuce and romaine hearts. Cabbage leaves or jicima wraps would also work great.

How many calories are in a PF Chang's lettuce wrap? ›

Menu Nutritionals
ServingsCalories
Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps2330
BBQ Pork Spare Ribs (6)2430
Northern Style Spare Ribs (6)2380
Crispy Green Beans2500
4 more rows

What is lettuce wrap sauce made of? ›

Ingredients for Chicken Lettuce Wraps

The key ingredient is hoisin — a sweet, salty, slightly tangy, spiced sauce that's like the Chinese equivalent to American barbecue sauce. Here, I mix it with some soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil to make a sticky glaze for the chicken in our wraps.

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.

Is eating lettuce wraps healthy? ›

Lettuce is the perfect way create a healthy and low carb wrap. These Asian-inspired Chicken Lettuce Wraps are full of fiber and flavor. Wraps are a simple and easy lunch option that have the potential to be super healthy.

What's a good side for chicken lettuce wraps? ›

The best side dishes to serve with lettuce wraps are chicken dumplings, coconut shrimp, shrimp pasta, beef fajitas, cheese dip, cranberry sauce, french fries, cauliflower rice, egg rolls, potato soup, shrimp tempura, pickled carrots, Thai cucumber salad, stir-fry eggplant, mango and jicama slaw, quinoa and black bean ...

What kind of lettuce is best for sandwich wraps? ›

Iceberg lettuce gives the most satisfying crunch! You can also use romaine lettuce, butter lettuce, Boston lettuce, green leaf, or whatever lettuce that you can roll up. You can even use kale or collard greens if that's what you have in your fridge.

What is the best lettuce to replace wraps? ›

Iceberg lettuce offers a crisp texture and sturdy leaves, suitable for both wraps and sandwiches. Romaine lettuce is another popular choice; its long leaves and crunchy texture are perfect for sandwiches and wraps.

What is the healthiest option at PF Changs? ›

Most Nutritious Option

If you're looking for the healthiest meal at P.F. Chang's, the nutrition profile of the steamed Buddha's Feast makes it the best choice. It is a vegetable-based dish served with tofu.

What oil does PF Changs use? ›

As a bastion of Asian fusion cuisine, PF Chang's offers a tantalizing array of dishes that dance on the palate. However, for those who prioritize health alongside flavor, the widespread use of soybean oil serves as a caveat.

Why are PF Chang's lettuce wraps so high in carbs? ›

Excess amounts of sugar are why lettuce wraps are high in carbs at restaurants. So, to ensure this recipe was healthier than other lettuce wraps recipes (including P.F. Chang's), I skipped the added sugar altogether.

How do you prepare lettuce for sandwiches? ›

Unless you need shredded lettuce, don't cut the lettuce with a knife. For a salad or sandwich, just use your fingers to tear the lettuce.

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