Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps

One day, a few months back, a friend and I were emailing and I asked her if she had any suggestions for dinner.  She suggested her signature recipe: Thai chicken lettuce wraps.  

Since then, it's not only become a go-to and something I make quite frequently, but also something I whip out for guests as well--and it's always a hit.  I'd love to share the simple recipe with you...

Click for more (photo overload)...

I start by throwing a few chicken breasts into a bowl of Hoisin sauce to marinate while I get onto preparing the fixings...

I typically go with thin-sliced cucumber, grape tomatoes, bean sprouts (missing on this day), peanuts, cilantro and peanut sauce.

Once your fixings are all set, heat your pan to medium and throw in the chicken breasts whole.  

Let them sizzle and brown, then flip them over until the outside is getting crispy.  You want to remove them before they are fully cooked through, slice them into chunks and return them to the pan to cook on low for another 15 - 20 minutes to get them nice and browned (and chewy!).

Then it's the fun part: time to assemble dinner!

Using washed Boston lettuce, I like to spread a generous amount of peanut sauce on first...

...then I layer on the cucumber slices, tomatoes, peanuts and cilantro.

Then run over to the pan and scoop out some chunks of chicken, pile it on top and you're done, like your dinner!

Enjoy!

Outfit deets:  Joe Fresh t-shirt (new!) & Almost Famous jeans (old).

Photos by Serena Rivard.

Shopping List:

* Chicken breasts (dependant on how many people you're feeding; I like to make four so I have enough for two and left overs)

* Hoisin sauce (I typically eye-ball this, enough to coat the chicken)

* Boston lettuce

* Cilantro

* Cucumber

* Bean sprouts

* Grape tomatoes

* Peanuts

* Peanut sauce

Directions:

1. Marinate chicken in Hoisin sauce, the longer the better (but I usually only do this as I prepare the toppings, so, 10 minutes)

2. Slice & dice your toppings and set aside

3. Cook full chicken breasts in pan on medium heat

4. Flip chicken and cook on other side

5. Remove chicken from pan when both sides are brown.  The inside will still be raw; slice into small-medium sized chunks.  Return chunks to pan to finish cooking for 12 - 20 minutes.

6. Prepare lettuce wraps by spreading on peanut sauce and covering with toppings.

7. Add chicken.

8. Bon appétit!