Chicken Lettuce Wraps – P.F. Chang’s Recipe

The Best Chicken Lettuce Wraps

This Chicken Lettuce Wraps recipe is the king of Lettuce Wraps and it’s not just because I say so.  This is the original P.F. Chang’s recipe.  I’m talking about everything down to the last drop is the exact ingredients you would find being taught to the Pantry chefs that crank out hundreds of these plates a day.  So needless to say, this ain’t no “Copy Cat!”

Making Chicken Lettuce Wraps

The secret to this Chicken Lettuce Wraps recipe is 70% pre-prep.  That means any and everything you can make ahead of time, get it done.  That’s also what makes this appetizer so great.  It’s something that can be sitting in your refrigerator until you’re ready to whip out fresh, hot and crisp wraps in just a matter of minutes. The Chicken mix can be pre-made and mixed with the Shitake Mushrooms and Water Chestnuts.  The Sauce can be made in advance.  Now all you have to have is cold crisp lettuce.  P.F. Changs soaks theirs in ice water, FYI.

So, as you know, I clearly didn’t invent this recipe but I most certainly have taken the time to prepare, film, edit, produce and teach this amazing dish to you by way of this “How to” video posted down below.  So please take note that I show you how to cook P.F. Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps in the comfort of your own home, via this tutorial.

If you’re interested in other P.F. Chang’s recipes, please check out this selection and click on any that you might be interested in:  Barbecue Spare Ribs, Chinese BBQ Sauce, Garlic Noodles, Red Sauce Wontons, Wonton Soup, Firecracker Shrimp, Mongolian Beef, Curry Chicken Salad, Shrimp Dumplings, Pot Stickers, Dan Dan Noodles, Cantonese Chicken, Japanese Cold Cucumber, Salt and Pepper Calamari!

Chicken Lettuce Wraps Ingredients:

1 Lettuce Head
1 lbs Ground Chicken, cooked
1 cup Shitake Mushrooms, chopped
1 cup Water Chestnuts, chopped
2 Green Onions, chopped into scallions
1 Garlic clove, chopped
Salt and Pepper
2 tbsp Cooking Oil
1 tbsp Sesame Oil
Fried Rice Noodle is Optional

Sauce

1 pt Mushroom Soy, (Soy Sauce is fine)
1 pt Oyster Sauce
1 pt Michiu Rice Wine
1 pt Sugar
White Pepper to taste

3 oz of Sauce to every Cup of Chicken Mix.  You will need 12 oz of sauce for all of the mix in this recipe.

Cook the Ground Chicken First.  Chop all the veggies and separate the Scallions and the Garlic from the Shitake Mushrooms and Water chestnuts. Mix the Water chestnuts and Mushrooms with the Ground Chicken when it is finished cooking, and add salt and pepper to taste.  Add all the Sauce ingredients together and stir.

Then in a hot Skillet set on High, add the cooking oil, immediately followed by the garlic and 1 cup of chicken mix.  Toss and turn for approximately 1 minute.  Add 3 oz of sauce, then stir and add 1 oz of Scallions and 1 tbsp of Sesame Oil then Plate.  Cut the Lettuce head in half and serve with the mix.  

One more thing, Chicken Lettuce Wraps are usually served with the Chicken mix over the top of Fried Rice Noodles. So, if you’re willing to go the full distance, I teach you how to make those too. Enjoy this Chicken Lettuce Wraps recipe and don’t forget to tell your friends where you got it!

Rice Noodle Spring Rolls

Rice Noodle Spring Rolls

So what’s the difference between an Egg Roll and a Spring Roll and why do people confuse Summer Rolls with Spring Rolls?  Well, I think the main thing to look at is that they are all rolled in a wrapper with vegetables and they are all fried.  Except for the Summer Roll, which is a Korean Roll many confuse for the Spring Roll but Spring Rolls are fried!  The easiest way to remember is this: Egg Rolls are bigger, Spring Rolls are small and Summer Rolls are soft and see through.  The best part is, you can put anything you want in any of them.  Sure there’s a few traditions but you literally could go breakfast burrito in any one of these rolls if you really wanted to.

Rice Noodle Spring Roll Ingredients:Kikkoman-Tempura-Dipping-Sauce1

1 qt boiling water
2 Rice noodles
1 Nori Sheet
Cilantro, freshly chopped
1 Garlic Clove, chopped
2 tbsp Cooking Oil
8 oz Ground Pork, cooked
Salt and Pepper too taste
2 tbsp Tempura Dipping Sauce (1 part ea. Soy, Sugar, Water, White Vinegar)
1 pkg Spring Roll Wrappers
1/4 cup Water for wetting Wrappers
Oil for Frying

Boil water and Poor over Rice Noodle in a separate bowl.  Let it sit for 5 minutes then strain and add 1 tbsp cooking oil to prevent sticking.  Cut Nori into fours then stack and cut with scissors into shoe string slices.  Chop Cilantro and Garlic.  Cook pork with 1 tbsp of cooking oil and add garlic half way through cooking and salt and pepper to taste.  Combine the Rice Noodle with cut Nori, Cilantro, Pork and Tempura Dipping Sauce and mix thoroughly.  Add 2 to 3 tbsp of the mixed Rice Noodle Ingredients to the center of 1 Spring Roll Wrapper.  Starting with the back corner, fold over the top and tuck the ingredients back so they are snug.  Fold the left and right sides in at 90 degree angles and roll forward half way.  Wet the last corner with a finger dab of water in an envelope fashion, then complete the rolling and apply light pressure in the center of the roll to ensure it won’t come apart in the fryer.  Fry at 350 degrees for approximately 3 minutes.  Let them cool on Paper towels before serving with Sweet and Sour or Orange Chili Sauce.

How to Make Chili Oil

Chili Oil peppers

The Best Chili Oil

Chili Oil is made about once a month, in a large Chinese Restaurant I use to work for, and this literally is the way it’s done.  It’s very straight forward and easy to make.  Of course the Restaurant required more volume so I’ve Dumbed this recipe down quite a bit just to give you what you need for your kitchen.  You can use this oil to spice up many of you’re favorite recipes and it can be added through out the cooking process or served as condiment for individuals to add to their specific tastes.

Chili Oil Ingredients:

1 cup Red Chili’s
2 cups Canola Oil

To make Chili Oil, combine Oil add Red Chili’s in a pan and Heat Oil to 180 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 5 minutes, then kill the heat and let it rest 2 to 3 hours before straining.  Other ingredients can be added, if you want more flavor than just the heat.  Garlic and Ginger are great examples but the possibilities are endless.

Poor the oil into your favorite receptacle or mason jar for safe storage.  On a side Note, this can irritate your eyes when it’s cooking, so it’s not a bad idea to cook this outside if you have an outside burner on a barbecue or something.  And if you want more potency, crush the red chili’s up and cook with the lid off until there is a Red hue to the Chili Oil.