Slow cooker chicken lettuce wraps are a copycat version of P.F. Chang’s recipe, and it’s all done in the crockpot! Juicy ground chicken cooked in a sweet, salty, and spicy sauce is served in lettuce wraps for a fun lunch or dinner idea from the comfort of home!
Who would have ever thought that one of a restaurant’s most famous dishes would be an appetizer?! I suppose going to PF Changs for their chicken lettuce wraps is the same way people go to Olive Garden for their breadsticks or Red Lobster for their biscuits.
PF Chang’s chicken lettuce wraps are made with ground chicken in a sweet and salty sauce with a hint of spice. They’re delicious and light, but if you eat enough of them, they’re a hearty meal!
Making it in the slow cooker with ingredients you can control means it’s not only delicious but healthier, too. Make a big batch of the filling because everyone will inhale it. If you have enough lettuce leaves, you’ll have enough slow cooker lettuce wraps to serve a large crowd.
Copycat PF Changs Lettuce Wraps
Why you’ll love this recipe
- There’s just 10 minutes of prep time that goes into this dish.
- You can serve the filling over rice if lettuce wraps aren’t your thing.
- It tastes just like the original, but you can make certain substitutions if necessary.
- Brown the meat and then dump and set. It couldn’t be easier!
Helpful Tools
- Slow Cooker – I’ve been recommending this one for years but I recently got this GreenPan slow cooker & the ability to saute in it is especially helpful in recipes like this one.
- Meat Chopper
- Veggie Chopper
Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe, why you need them, and possible substitutions. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card with measurements.
Jump- Ground chicken: Ground chicken is lean, which keeps these nice and light.
- Hoisin sauce and low-sodium soy sauce: Both sauces give the meat filling plenty of salty, umami flavor and darker color.
- Rice wine vinegar: Slightly acidic and mildly sweet, this type of vinegar adds a depth of flavor.
- Sesame oil: A nuttiness often found in Asian dishes.
- Onion, garlic, ground ginger: Diced white onion, minced garlic, and ground ginger. I like to use the ground ginger instead of fresh for this recipe just because it’s a bit milder and I always have it on hand.
- Red pepper flakes and brown sugar: For the sweet and spicy balance. Use more red pepper flakes for extra spice.
- Lettuce leaves: Wash and dry large green leaf or bibb lettuce leaves, large enough to hold the filling.
- Green scallions and sesame seeds: For garnish.
How to make Slow Cooker Lettuce Wraps
This section shows you how to make this recipe, with process photos showing the steps to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Jump- Step One: In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the chicken until it is no longer pink. Use a meat chopper or wooden spoon to break it apart into crumbles.
- Step Two: Add the cooked chicken and remaining ingredients into the basin of the crockpot. Stir everything together, then cover with the lid.
- Step Three: Cook on LOW for 4 hours, stirring at the halfway mark if possible (if not, no biggie).
- Step Four: To serve, spoon some of the saucy ground chicken mixture into the middle of a lettuce leaf and top with scallions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Every slow cooker runs differently. Times given are a general recommendation and should be tested in your own slow cooker and adjusted as needed.
- Water chestnuts have a light, crispy texture and are a great addition to the filling. Drain a can of sliced water chestnuts and chop them up before adding them to the slow cooker.
- If you prefer crunchier water chestnuts, add them in at the end.
- Swap the brown sugar for honey for a sweet alternative.
- Bibb lettuce, butter lettuce, romaine lettuce, or iceberg lettuce are the best kinds to use for lettuce wraps.
- Matchstick carrots and/or diced mushrooms can be added for extra veggies.
Storage & Reheating
How to store leftovers
Keep the meat mixture in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezing Instructions
You can also freeze the filling for up to 2 months. This is another great reason to make a big batch of it.
Reheating Instructions
You can use either the microwave or the stove, but either way, you’ll want to add a splash of water to loosen it up and make it saucy again.
FAQs
Can these be made with different ground meat?
Definitely. You can swap the ground chicken for ground turkey, ground beef, or ground pork.
What other things can I add to a chicken lettuce wrap?
You can add a drizzle of Sriracha sauce for extra heat and add some garlic chili sauce to the mixture. You can also top it with crunchy peanuts or crispy rice noodles.
Need more Asian-inspired crockpot recipes? Try these:
Slow Cooker Beef Ramen Noodles
Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken and Noodles
Click here to view my entire collection of slow cooker recipes.
Did You Make This?
If you made this recipe, I’d love to know how it went in the comments section below.
You can also tag me on Instagram – @melissa_ppplates or share a pic in the Persnickety Plates Community Facebook group. I love seeing what you’ve tried!
Slow Cooker Chicken Lettuce Wraps – PF Chang’s Copycat
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground chicken
- 3 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 small white onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 10 large green leaf lettuce leaves for wrapping
- chopped scallions & sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- In a large saucepan over medium high heat, brown the chicken, breaking it apart into crumbles as it cooks.2 pounds ground chicken
- Pour the cooked chicken, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, diced onion, minced garlic, ground ginger, red pepper flakes, and brown sugar to the basin of a 6 quart slow cooker. Stir everything together.3 Tablespoons hoisin sauce, 2 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce, 2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 small white onion, 3 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours, stirring at the 2 hour mark, if possible.
- When ready to serve, wash and pat dry the lettuce leaves, spoon some mixture into the center of each and garnish with sesame seeds and chopped scallions10 large green leaf lettuce leaves, chopped scallions & sesame seeds
Notes
- If you like water chestnuts, add an 8 ounce can of sliced, drained, and chopped water chestnuts to step 2.
- If you like water chestnuts but prefer them crunchy, add them in at the very end of the cook time.
- For more heat, add more red pepper flakes.
- The mixture is also very good served over a bed of white rice.
- Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
