Chicken Lettuce Cups

Ginger-garlic ground chicken in crisp butter lettuce with hoisin drizzle

• Prep: 20 min
• Cook: 15 min
• Serves 8
• Difficulty: medium

Ground chicken cooks with ginger, garlic, water chestnuts, and scallions, served in butter lettuce cups with hoisin, lime, and crushed peanuts.

Why crews like it: Low-carb option that does not feel like diet food. Interactive assembly keeps dinner lively after a quiet shift.

Ingredients

• 3 lb ground chicken
• 3 heads butter lettuce
• 1 can water chestnuts
• 8 whole green onions
• 6 cloves garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp fresh ginger
• 0.25 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 0.33 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 0.75 cup crushed roasted peanuts
• 3 whole lime

Instructions

1. Prep lettuce cups: Wash butter lettuce leaves and dry thoroughly on towels. Keep chilled on a sheet pan until service so cups stay crisp and cup-shaped.
2. Brown ground chicken: Cook chicken in batches over medium-high 8–10 minutes, breaking into small crumbles until fully cooked with lightly golden edges.
3. Add aromatics and chestnuts: Add ginger, garlic, water chestnuts, and half the scallions. Cook 3–4 minutes until fragrant and chestnuts heated through with slight crunch.
4. Finish sauce: Stir in soy sauce, 2 tbsp hoisin, sesame oil, and vinegar. Simmer 2 minutes until liquid mostly absorbs and mixture looks glossy, not wet.
5. Assemble cups at the line: Spoon ¼ cup chicken into each lettuce cup. Drizzle hoisin, sprinkle peanuts and scallions, serve with lime. Leaves should crack lightly when bitten.

Tonight's spread

• Steamed jasmine rice for optional base.
• Cucumber salad with rice vinegar.

Hall tips

• Offer rice on the side for crew who want more carbs without changing the core recipe.
• Substitute crushed cashews if peanut allergy is a concern at your hall.
• Double-stack small leaves for sturdier cups that do not tear when filled.

Meal prep

Wash and dry lettuce cups early—wet leaves tear when filled. Chop water chestnuts fine for even distribution. Station: Keep lettuce cups on ice until service—they wilt fast near a hot range. Station: Cook chicken in two batches for better browning and texture. Station: Set build station: lettuce, chicken, hoisin, peanuts, lime, scallion.

Leftovers

• Chicken filling over rice bowls next day—skip lettuce.
• Wrap filling in rice paper spring rolls with herbs.

• Large skillet
• Sheet pans for lettuce

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