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These Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps are a fun and delicious way to enjoy your favorite teriyaki chicken. Perfect for a light lunch or dinner, they are a whole meal wrapped up in a crunchy lettuce wrap.
One of my favorite places to eat out is a little chain restaurant Islands. I think it might be only local to Southern California, but it’s this kind of Cali-Hawaii style joint with lots of good Aloha type food. My favorite meal there is the Yaki Tacos – Grilled chicken and pineapple, lettuce, tomato, jack cheese all topped off with a sweet Teriyaki sauce. They are a little on the indulgent side of course, so I love to make the same kind of thing at home, but take out the tortilla to make it a little bit better for me.
Lettuce Wraps have always kind of been my jam. They add that crunch that you really want from a taco, but without all the fat and calories of a deep fried tortilla, or even a soft one. I’ve experimented with different things to fill them with, like Chicken Club and Chicken Apple Salad. We love to make regular tacos this way too – even my kids enjoy them! They love that they are a little messy and they don’t miss the tortilla one bit.
These Chicken Teriyaki Lettuce Wraps are super easy and make for a great, light meal. You can make your own Teriyaki Sauce like I do in the recipe below, or use one that you already love (or even use just bottled!). Topped with green onions, shredded jack cheese and a nice, grilled pineapple (I just caramelize them in a cast-iron skillet), these are my favorite lettuce wraps yet!
Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
Lettuce Wraps
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2-3), cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 cup shredded Jack cheese
- Teriyaki sauce recipe below
- 8 canned Dole pineapple slices
- 1 head of Romaine Lettuce
- Green onions sliced
- Toasted sesame seeds optional
Teriyaki Sauce
- ½ cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- ¼ cup water
- 2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons warm water
Instructions
Teriyaki Sauce
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, mix soy sauce, ¼ cup water, red wine vinegar, sugars, garlic and ginger . Stir with a whisk until sugar is dissolved.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons warm water and cornstarch until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Slowly whisk cornstarch mixture into the sauce and simmer until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook chicken until no longer pink, turning over pieces to brown evenly.
- Stir in about 2/3 of the teriyaki sauce to coat the chicken. Reserve the remaining sauce for drizzling or dipping.
- Meanwhile, separate Romaine lettuce leaves; wash and pat dry.
- Drain the juice from the pineapple and caramelize in a heavy-bottomed skillet (optional).
- To assemble, place a heaping spoonful of teriyaki coated chicken in one of the lettuce leaves. Top with jack cheese, sliced green onions and a slice of pineapple. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds (optional).
- Serve while chicken is still warm with extra sauce on the side for dipping, or drizzle on top before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
For more delicious meal ideas, try these:
Baked Salmon Teriyaki Lettuce Wraps
For all salads go HERE, for all main dishes go HERE and for all recipes go HERE.
