Sesame chicken lettuce wraps, meal prep recipe 2 — PIN FOR LATER

Ground meat has a world of potential. One of my favorite things to do with ground meat is LOAD IT UP WITH VEGGIES, whether I’m making meatballs, meat loaf, or meat crumbles (like taco meat). Some vegetables amp up the flavor of ground meat (like a can of Rotel inside taco filling), while others add volume without extra calories, such as grated zucchini inside meatballs.

This week, ground chicken gets paired up with a couple unsuspectingly tasty veggies: minced onion and water chestnuts! The simple marinade balances out some sweetness, mild heat, and umami flavors. Spoon this mixture into butter lettuce and enjoy it all week!

Sesame chicken lettuce wraps, meal prep recipe 1

Busy Weeks Have
Met Their Match

Ground chicken lettuce wraps can be an easy win after a hectic week. I remember making them for meal prep right after we returned from Mesa Verde on a family trip. I was exhausted from the five-hour drive but I still carved out 25 minutes to whip these up for the week!

In fact, this recipe is a CAPSULE MEAL in my rotation because it’s done start-to-finish on the stovetop in like 20 minutes—it doesn’t get much easier than that. It’s also chock full of lean protein and fiber so it’s basically a golden meal prep recipe by my standards.

The ground chicken mixture freezes well, too! You can always double the recipe for the filling and freeze half for an upcoming week. Then all you need to do is defrost and portion it out!

Save this! Bookmark it! Pin it! Once you try this easy, flavorful meal prep recipe, you’ll be hooked!

PREPARATION NOTES

Sesame chicken lettuce wraps, meal prep recipe 3

Finely chopped is key. Dice your water chestnuts and onion up well for the best combined flavor (Get friendly with that santoku or try this hand chopper!)
FOR MEAL PREP: Assemble your wraps when you’re ready to eat them. Don’t pre-assemble or the lettuce will get soggy. Reference the photos above; you can either store butter lettuce inside sandwich bags or alongside your meals in the second compartment of your meal prep container.
Top your wraps off with something delicious! May I suggest sriracha, green onion, and crushed nuts?

If you try these lettuce wraps, let me know on Instagram! I’m also interested in your favorite crunchy/spicy toppings for ground chicken lettuce wraps!

macros

(Excluding rice)

Log Meal in My Fitness PAl

sesame chicken

lettuce wraps

Servings: 4 meals

Ingredients

Protein

1.5 pounds lean ground chicken
2 tsp sesame oil

Vegetables

1 8-ounce can water chestnuts, drained &chopped
1/2 onion, chopped fine
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 head butter lettuce or romaine lettuce

Sauce

1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce (tamari if GF)
1 tbsp + 1 tsp rice vinegar
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp Sriracha or chili garlic sauce (more/less for preferred spice)
1/2 tsp Umami mushroom powder (optional)

Topping Options

Extra Sriracha or chili garlic sauce, spicy mayo, white or brown rice, matchstick carrots, chopped green onion, raw cashews, almonds, or chopped peanuts.

Ground Chicken Lettuce Wraps Filling, Meal Prep Recipe

Instructions

Start with the protein: In a large skillet over medium-low heat, add 2 tsp of sesame oil to coat the pan, then diced onion. Let it soften until fragrant (3-5 minutes).
Increase heat to medium then add ground chicken and chopped water chestnuts. Break up the chicken and cook thoroughly until no longer pink.
Drain the chicken if needed.
Making the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk ingredients until combined.
Bring it all together: Drizzle sauce over the ground chicken mixture and stir to coat.

To prepare lettuce:

Wash lettuce if needed and pat until very dry. Carefully peel back and break leaves off the head. Store lettuce separately and assemble your wraps when you're ready to eat.

MEAL PREP & TOPPINGS

Transfer sesame chicken into four containers with rice and allow them to cool slightly before adding a lid and storing for up to 5 days.
Store lettuce on it’s own, sandwich bags or an airtight container work well.
TOPPINGS: I like to store extra sriracha and chopped nuts in 2oz condiment cups alright inside my meal prep container with the chicken. That way the toppings are portioned out and ready to eat.