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Thai Chili Chicken Lettuce Wraps (Freezer Friendly)

Freezer cooking is a great way to save time cooking on a busy weeknight. But it isn’t always easy to find healthy freezer meals. That’s why we love this recipe for Thai chicken lettuce wraps! Made with a low-carb filling and served in a healthy lettuce boat, this delicious dinner is sure to be a hit. The filling is freezer-friendly, making them a quick and easy way to serve a healthy meal for your family.

There was a restaurant where I would often order lettuce wraps. Last year, they drastically changed their recipe and I don’t enjoy them anymore. So I set about trying to figure out a way to make them at home. And of course, I had to make a freezer meal version of the filling so that I could always have them on hand when the craving strikes.collage of photos of Thai Chili Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Thai Chili Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 10 ounces ground chicken, cooked
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup roasted cashew nuts
  • 1/4 cup carrots, peeled and sliced or in matchsticks
  • 1/2 cup red pepper, diced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce

For the Sauce:

  • 1/3 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. lime juice
  • 1 tsp. sesame seeds

For serving:

  • Lettuce leaves (Romaine or butter)
  • Steam Fried Noodles (uncooked)
  • Cilantro (optional)

Freezing instructions:

  1. Add the cooked ground chicken, garlic, onion, cashews, carrots, red pepper, soy sauce, and fish sauce to a large resealable freezer bag. Remove the excess air from the bag and seal.
  2. In a separate medium freezer bag, add the sauce ingredients to a medium size freezer bag.
  3. Staple the medium bag to the large bag above the seal. Place both bags in the freezer.

clear bag with ground chicken and diced vegetables

Serving instructions:

  1. When ready to serve, thaw both the chicken and sauce in the refrigerator until no longer frozen.
  2. Pour the ingredients in the large bag into a skillet and cook over medium heat until heated through.
  3. Spoon the mixture onto a lettuce leaf.
  4. Top with crunchy noodles, sauce and if desired, cilantro.

collage of photos for how to make freezer meal chicken lettuce wraps

Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe Tips & Tricks

Since this quick and easy freezer recipe is so simple to prepare, you can adjust the ingredients to add even more flavour to your healthy dinner. Try these recipe ideas as you’re meal prepping to create a delicious dinner for your family:

  • Add more veggies. There are a variety of different vegetables you can mix into your Thai chicken filling before freezing it. In addition to the veggies listed in the recipe, try mixing in some cabbage, onions, celery, bok choy, bean sprouts, zucchini, broccoli, or cabbage.
  • Try different cuts of meat. Ground chicken is a quick and easy option for this flavourful recipe, but it’s not the only choice. Ground turkey or pork can also be used. Or finely chopped chicken breast can be substituted for the ground chicken.
  • Serve the chicken over rice. If you’re not concerned about the carb count in your dinner, this Thai chicken recipe can also be served over rice. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the rice according to the package instructions. Then, serve the chicken over the top of the rice and topped with sauce.
  • Make it a salad. Lettuce wraps are perfect for grabbing a quick bite, but you can also turn your Thai chicken lettuce boats into a delicious salad. Instead of serving the chicken on top of full lettuce leaves, simply chop the lettuce and add the chicken on top.

lettuce wraps on a plate sitting beside the filling

What is the Best Lettuce for Lettuce Wraps?

There are no rules to follow when it comes to making lettuce wraps. That means you can use any type of lettuce you like to make this low carb dinner!

While any type of lettuce will taste delicious with the Thai chicken filling, there are a few lettuce varieties that work better than others for creating a “boat” for your filling. Large leaf varieties, like bib lettuce or romaine hearts, are the best option for easy eating.collage of lettuce wraps and the filling and other ingredients

How Do You Cut Lettuce for a Lettuce Wrap?

Turning your head of lettuce into lettuce boats is so easy! If you’re using a large-leaf variety, like bib or romaine, simply cut off the end of the lettuce. After that, you can peel the leaves off and use them as cups to hold your Thai chicken. Just make sure to rinse and dry the lettuce leaves before serving them.

Can You Freeze Lettuce?

There are so many delicious vegetables that are perfect for freezer cooking, but lettuce isn’t one of them. Since lettuce is made of mostly water, freezing the leaves will cause the lettuce to wilt as it thaws.

So, while the majority of this Thai chicken lettuce wrap recipe is freezer friendly, you’ll need to make sure to have fresh lettuce on hand when you’re ready to serve your dinner.

How Do You Store Thai Chicken?

After following the cooking instructions, you may have some leftover lettuce wrap filling. While I wouldn’t recommend refreezing the leftovers, you can store them in the refrigerator to enjoy later. Just place the leftover meat and sauce in airtight containers and place them in the fridge. They’ll stay good for up to three days when stored properly.

When you’re ready to eat the leftovers, they can be reheated in a skillet on the stovetop or in the microwave. lettuce boats with crispy noodles, vegetables, and ground chicken

Some of our other low carb freezer meals:

Thai Chili Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
 
Course: Main Course
Keyword: ground chicken
Servings: 4
Ingredients
  • 10 oz. ground chicken cooked
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 onion diced
  • 1/2 cup roasted cashew nuts
  • 1/4 cup carrots peeled and sliced or in matchsticks
  • 1/2 cup red pepper diced
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. fish sauce
  • 1 ½ Tbsp. soy sauce
For the Sauce:
  • 1/3 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. lime juice
  • 1 tsp. sesame seeds
For the day of serving:
  • Lettuce leaves Romaine or butter
  • Steam Fried Noodles uncooked
  • Cilantro optional
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Add the cooked ground chicken, garlic, onion, cashews, carrots, red pepper, soy sauce, and fish sauce to a large resealable freezer bag. Remove the excess air and seal.

  2. In a separate medium freezer bag, add the sauce ingredients.

  3. Staple the medium bag to the large bag above the seal. Freeze.

Cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw.

  2. Pour the ingredients in the large bag into a skillet and cook over medium heat until heated through.
  3. Spoon the mixture onto a lettuce leaf.
  4. Top with crunchy noodles, sauce and if desired, cilantro.