Name: Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps (Whole30)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 head romaine lettuce; 1 cup red cabbage (shredded); 1 mango (sliced ); 1/2 cup cashews (roasted ); cilantro and Thai basil (to garnish); red chillis (optional); 1 tablespoon sesame oil; 1 pound ground chicken; 1/4 cup fresh ginger (grated ); 1/4 cup Thai shallots (minced ); 2 tablespoons coconut aminos ((can sub Tamari or soy sauce)); 1/2 tablespoon chilli sauce ((or more, to taste)); 1/4 teaspoon sea salt ((or more, to taste)); 1/4 cup almond butter; 1/4 cup coconut milk ((full fat, from the can)); 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar ((sub white wine vinegar for Whole30 or Paleo)); 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut aminos; 1/2 tablespoon fresh lime juice ((half a large lime)); 1/2 teaspoon chilli sauce; 1 teaspoon sesame oil; pinch of salt (to taste )

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These Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps are the answer to your take-out cravings. So. much. flavor. The chicken is loaded with ginger, and the creamy almond butter sauce tops it all off. And so healthy, too! Low carb, Paleo, and Whole30 compliant.

I did the Whole30 last year, and one of my key take aways was that meals full of nutrient dense foods (proteins, veggies, nuts and seeds, fruit) make me feel the best. Although the Whole30 is too restrictive (for me) to stay on long term (I just don’t like meat enough!), I do try to incorporate Whole30 meals daily – whether that’s chia pudding for breakfast, a salad for lunch, or a delicious combination of Thai ingredients wrapped into crunchy lettuce leaves for dinner.

Now what makes these magical is the sauce. I am allergic to peanuts, but always thought peanut sauce sounded like a pretty good idea. I started making my own version with almond butter and coconut milk years ago– and holy flavor!

The chicken in these wraps is flavor loaded as well. If you’ve tried to make Thai at home, but never quite mastered the flavors, try using Thai shallots! That was a real turning point for me in learning to cook Thai food. To be honest, they are a pain to chop up. They are small, so you have to peel quite a few. And then they are super strong, so they make my eyes burn and tear up.

But the flavor is worth it! I run back and forth between the kitchen and bathroom crying, rinsing my eyes out, patting them, and then braving the kitchen again to chop a few more. Maybe it’s time for onion goggles? Did you know those were a “thing?” Well, they are my friends.

And once you taste these Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps, you might realize the shame of wearing onion goggles isn’t as great as the joy of eating these.

Tips for Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps

These are so versatile! We also use carrots and red bell pepper in these, or top with toasted almonds instead of the cashews. I bet grilled pineapple would be just as delicious as the mango. I am sure ground turkey would work in place of the chicken.
Make it Gluten Free: Be sure to use Tamari (wheat free soy sauce) or Coconut Aminos.
Make it Ahead: These make a great party appetizer or option for a weekly meal prep. The chicken is delicious cold in these. Simply prepare all ingredients, and keep the chicken, sauce, and chopped mango and cabbage in separate containers, and assemble when you’re ready to eat.
Make it Vegan: Sub chickpeas or tempeh for the chicken and you have a super flavorful vegan meal.
Make it Paleo/Whole30: Be sure to use Coconut Aminos, and be sure your chili sauce is compliant.