This is a homemade copycat recipe for P.F. Chang’s chicken lettuce wraps. This recipe only takes about 20 minutes to make and is just as good as the restaurant version.
A few weeks ago, I made lettuce wraps using Lee Kum Kee’s lettuce wrap sauce, which is similar to the lettuce wraps I grew up eating. This then sparked a debate in my house as to which version of lettuce wraps tastes better, the very popular P.F. Chang’s or the more traditional Chinese ones?
So we did a taste test and I have to admit, I think PF Chang’s wins this one. The Chinese lettuce wraps I grew up eating has a sweeter, heavily hoisin-based sauce. It’s also a little more colorful, with the addition of carrots and peas. PF Chang’s version has a more savory sauce, layered with garlic, ginger, vinegar and more. These are flavors I don’t think I would have appreciated as a kid but are ones I really love now.
While I know this isn’t the exact PF Chang’s formula, it is pretty darn similar. I did a few different test runs and compared them against leftover PF Chang’s lettuce wrap sauce. This version I’m sharing is our favorite. It’s mostly the same except for a few small changes. What I like best is that my chicken lettuce wraps are less oily than the restaurant version.
There are two parts – the chicken filling and the sauce. Altogether, this recipe only takes about 20 minutes from start to finish.
How to Make the Sauce
The first thing I do is make the sauce. That way it’s ready to go once you’ve prepped and cooked the other ingredients for the filling.
All you do is combine the following ingredients in a bowl:
- Hoisin sauce
- Low sodium soy sauce
- Rice vinegar
- Sesame oil
- Freshly grated ginger
- Minced garlic cloves
- Diced shallots
How to Make the Chicken Filling
Once you’ve made the sauce, prep the ingredients for the filling. Here’s what you will need:
- Sesame oil
- Ground chicken
- Diced water chestnuts
- Diced shitake mushrooms
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook it, using a spatula to break it up. Once it’s browned, add the water chestnuts and mushrooms.
Adjust the heat to medium and pour the sauce into the skillet. Stir to combine and then cover the skillet with a lid. Cook all of it together for a few minutes.
Remove the lid and give the filling a taste. If needed, add more of the seasonings to adjust to your liking. For example, if you want it a little sweeter add a little more sugar or to increase the saltiness add some more soy sauce.
How to Serve
PF Chang’s serves their lettuce wraps with iceberg lettuce, which I’m not a big fan of so I prefer to use large romaine lettuce leaves instead.
I also like to add sliced scallions as a garnish to add a little color and flavor.
These lettuce wraps are really easy to make at home and I’ll definitely be making them again next time the craving hits.
More Recipes to Try
Recipe now updated with video! You can also view all my recipe videos on my youtube channel
PF Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 (8 oz) can water chestnuts, drained and diced
- 3 oz shiitake mushrooms diced
- 3 scallions thinly sliced
- 1 head of romaine lettuce leaves washed and broken or sliced in half horizontally (see note)
For the Sauce
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp regular soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp lightly packed fresh grated ginger
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 shallot diced
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add all sauce ingredients and whisk together.
- In a large skillet, add 1 tbsp sesame oil and bring to medium-high heat. Add in ground chicken and cook and stir until crumbled and browned. Add in water chestnuts and mushrooms.
- Reduce heat to medium. Pour in sauce and stir into ingredients until ingredients are evenly coated in sauce. Cover skillet with a lid to cook a few minutes and allow ingredients to absorb the sauce. Remove lid, taste and make any adjustments as needed. If you prefer a little sweeter, you can add a little bit of sugar. If you prefer saltier, you can add a little more soy sauce. When finished, remove from heat.
- Lay out lettuce leaves onto a plate. Spoon on filling. Garnish with scallions. Serve while filling is still warm.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
We absolutely love this recipe! I’ve made them with and without the mushrooms, they are great either way.
Thank you for letting us know!
Absolutely delish! I have made this recipe several times and crave it often. Super simple instructions, great flavor and reheats well!
We’re happy you love the recipe – thanks for letting us know!
Seems like it’s missing something. What about those white tiny crispy noodle things that are in PF Changs recipe?
I will probably try to combine some recipes to get more flavor like P.F. Chang’s.
Thanks for posting it!
For this recipe it’s all about the sauce – that’s what makes PF Chang’s so good and we think ours pretty spot on! The PF Chang ones do have crispy rice sticks – you have to fry those separately, so we leave them off to make the recipe really easy. The lettuce wraps are still great without them.
Lord knows how many times I’ve followed this recipe. The absolute best…hands down!
Thanks so much! We’re so glad you love the recipe.
Loved this recipe. My pickey hubs even enjoyed it & he’s a pretty tuff one to impress. We might try serving over some brown or jasmine rice.I used diced up chicken breast instead of ground & it was delish!
We’re happy you both loved the recipe!
This was delicious! My hubs and I loved it. I will definitely make it again! The flavors were amazing!
We’re so glad you both enjoyed the recipe!
I made this according to the recipe. There was
Not enough sauce. Which made it bland. I went back and made another batch of sauce. I added it slowly just ti make sure I didn’t over do it.
Too much sauce can overwhelm the dish, which is why we like it with the amount in the recipe. We’re glad you found the right amount for you – thanks for sharing your experience.
Hi! Thinking of making this for a crowd of 30 this Christmas…have you ever made ingredients ahead of time? I am running of out burners! Thanks so much..
You can make the filling ahead of time (a day in advance) and reheat it when you’re ready to serve the wraps.
Made these a few times, so yummy!
We’re so glad you like the recipe!
This was so delicious and easy!! It was the first meal in a long time that had no complaints! I added some cooked rice to the meat.
So glad it was a hit!
Made for dinner tonight it was great!! Have not had PF Changs in years not sure if it tasted like thiers….but will make this again!!
I’m so glad you liked it!
Loved how easy it was to make and that even my picky eater loved it! We spruced ours up with butter lettuce, wonton crisps on top, sriracha and sesame seeds. We will definitely be making this frequently, especially for meal prep.
I’m so glad you enjoyed! I love the additions you made
Made these today could not take a picture because they went to fast delicious
I’m so glad you liked them!
Absolutely love this recipe! We make up a double batch and eat it as lettuce wraps, with soba or udon noodles or just with rice crackers as a snack.
I’m so glad you enjoyed!
Just prepped these to have for lunch the rest of the week! This recipe is amazing!! So yummy!!
I’m so glad you like it!
I only have chicken breasts so I plan to small dice that. I hope it turns out! ?
I hope you enjoyed!
So good! I made it for my family in quarantine and they loved it!!! Thank You!
I’m so thrilled to hear that!
Delicious!! Kid approved and we enjoy eating the filling by the spoonful. ?
I’m so glad you enjoyed!
So good! Made this for lunch today!! I didn’t have hoisin so I used oyster sauce instead and it turned out so yummy! Also added 1/2 tsp of sugar! Thank you for this recipe!!!
I’m glad you enjoyed!
Fantastic quick dinner with enough leftovers for lunch. I used ground turkey and added onions, grated carrots and a sweet pepper to the meat concoction. Also, added red pepper flakes for my husband that likes things spicy. YUM!
I love the idea of using ground turkey!
This looks like it would be good to make even without lettuce, just as a general chicken dish. Yum.
Agreed! It’s super yummy. I was eating it by the spoonful. It could be a nice dish over rice too