Recipe Background
Kung Pao Chicken Wraps offer a bold mix of flavors in a crunchy lettuce wrap.
Kung Pao Chicken Wraps bring a delightful burst of flavors and textures, perfect for gatherings or a quick weekday meal. The ground chicken, sautéed with zucchini and garlic, offers a savory base with a hint of spice from the chili garlic sauce. As the aroma fills your kitchen, a sweet and tangy sauce thickens, clinging to each morsel and marrying the varied elements beautifully. Toss in some crunchy water chestnuts and a sprinkle of green onions for added depth.
Nestling the mixture into crisp butter lettuce creates a satisfying contrast. The fresh, slightly bitter crunch of the lettuce rounds out the bold, savory filling. Topping it off with chopped peanuts adds an irresistible nuttiness. For a clean bite, ensure the ground chicken is crumbled evenly as it cooks, allowing the flavors to meld and ensuring no large chunks disrupt the perfect wrap.
Sharing these wraps is as pleasurable as eating them. Each bite delivers a harmonious blend of soft, crunchy, sweet, and spicy. It's more than a meal—it's an experience of textures and tastes that captures the essence of Kung Pao in every wrap. Plus, there's something joyful about assembling and devouring these little parcels among good company.
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/4 cup water
For the lettuce wraps:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 zucchini diced
- 1 (8-ounce) can whole water chestnuts drained and diced
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 head butter lettuce
- 1/4 cup peanuts optional, chopped
Directions
- In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce, the dry sherry, the chili garlic sauce, the brown sugar, the rice vinegar, the cornstarch, the sesame oil, and the water together.
- Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Add the ground chicken to the oil and cook, while crumbling it, until it is no longer pink, about 3-5 minutes. Drain the excess fat.
- Stir the garlic and the zucchini into the chicken until they are softened, about 1-2 minutes.
- Stir the sauce mixture into the chicken mixture until it slightly thickens, about 1 minute.
- Stir the water chestnuts, the green onions, the salt, and the pepper into the chicken mixture until the water chestnuts are tender, about 1-2 minutes.
- Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture into the center of the lettuce leaves, taco-style, and garnish with the peanuts.
- Serve.
×
