Chicken Lettuce Cups with Bok Choy, Peanuts, Fresh Herbs and Lime
Life lately, and hopefully a little breath of fresh air in your dinner rotation.
We've been deep in the trenches over here: endless rounds of kids getting sick and staying home from school, an ER trip for what we thought was appendicitis (it wasn’t), me getting sick, a little travel thrown into the mix — and a bug problem that rhymes with "rice." Insert icky face emoji. On top of it all, I’ve just been feeling a little blue. I know it happens to all of us, and I’m trying to snap myself out of it, but it’s been a little stickier than usual.
At home, it felt like all I was making for a while was chicken soup, ginger lemon tea, and really simple BRAT food — nothing too inspiring. On top of that, the family I private chef for just moved houses, which meant weeks of packing, unpacking, and not a whole lot of actual cooking. I’ve only cooked in their beautiful new kitchen once so far (which will pop up on my Instagram Stories once my schedule gets back to normal).
In the meantime, at home, these Chicken Lettuce Cups (Chicken Rice Bowls for the littles) were the first fun thing we’ve made in a while. Super easy, kids loved it, and all you need to elevate them from "kid food" to adult food is a big handful of fresh herbs. Bonus, they come together fast, they’re flexible, and they hit that perfect balance of savory, fresh, and a little bit spicy (if you want it). Here's how to make them….
Chicken Lettuce Cups with Bok Choy, Broccolini, Peanuts & Herbs
Ingredients
Olive oil (or any cooking oil)
½ cup chopped onion (any kind—red, white, yellow, spring onions, even leeks)
5 oz mushrooms (optional), sliced or roughly chopped (any kind—I like oyster, enoki and baby bella)
1 lb ground chicken
2–3 cloves garlic, minced
2–3 tsp fresh ginger, minced (optional)
1 fresh chili, minced (optional—Fresno, jalapeño, or serrano all work)
Sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp fish sauce
2 tsp honey
Juice of 1 lime
To finish
1 can water chestnuts, drained (optional)
3–4 heads baby bok choy, leaves separated (or 1 bunch broccolini, cut into 1" pieces, or a 5 oz bag of spinach)
⅓ cup roasted peanuts or cashews, lightly chopped or whole
Fresh cilantro and mint, for serving
Extra lime wedges
Steamed rice and lettuce cups (butter lettuce or little gem work best)
Instructions
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and mushrooms if using. Sauté for about 5 minutes, until mushrooms are golden and onion is soft.
While that cooks, mix the soy sauce, sesame oil, fish sauce, honey, and lime juice in a small bowl.
Add the ground chicken, garlic, ginger (if using), and chili to the pan. Cook, breaking up the meat, until it begins to brown in places.
Pour in the sauce and toss everything together until evenly coated.
Stir in the water chestnuts if using, and your vegetable of choice and cook until greens are tender and chicken is fully cooked:
Bok choy or broccolini: 3–5 minutes
Spinach: Add during the last minute—it wilts quickly
Stir in the peanuts or cashews. Remove from heat and top with fresh cilantro and mint.
Serve with lime wedges, lettuce cups for wrapping, and steamed rice on the side, or simply over steamed rice.
Notes
If you're cooking for picky eaters, set aside some of the chicken after Step 3 before adding vegetables.
For lettuce cups, butter lettuce or little gem lettuce works best because the leaves are sturdy and tender.
Variations
Proteins: Swap ground turkey, ground pork, or crumbled tofu for the chicken.
Greens: Use spinach, shredded cabbage, or even a bag of slaw mix if you don’t have bok choy.
Crunch: Add shredded carrots or 1” green beans to the sautée, or thinly sliced cucumber or extra peanuts to the finished dish.
Herbs: Fresh mint, Thai basil, regular basil, chives, or extra cilantro make it even brighter.
Heat: Add extra minced chili, sriracha, or a drizzle of chili crisp for more spice.
Sauce tweak: A little hoisin sauce stirred into the final dish gives a sweet-savory richness.
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That's it for now — a little meal to get you through a busy week, and hopefully a little breath of fresh air in your dinner rotation. Thanks for being here, even when things get a little quieter.
If you’re not already, you can follow me on Instagram at @everythingyouwanttoeat where I share cooking stories. And if you have anything to say/ask, drop me a note either via DM or in the comments below.
As always, thank you for taking the time to read this post. I’m truly glad you’re here. If you like what you’re reading, please consider sharing this newsletter. (And if you have the time to like it, that would mean a lot to me!)❤️
More soon,
Emily
Can't wait to make this tonight! Perfectly adaptable for differing palates!
This was so good. Made it after a long day on set when I normally don’t want to cook but it came together really fast. Doubled it for the whole fam — topped with lots of Sambal—another hit, thank you!