Description
These Instant Pot Chicken Lettuce Wraps are a quick, flavorful, and healthy meal option perfect for lunch or dinner. Juicy chicken is sautéed with aromatic vegetables, mushrooms, and a savory-sweet sauce, then served in crisp lettuce leaves for a refreshing and low-carb wrap experience. Ready in just 25 minutes, this recipe combines tender chicken with bold Asian-inspired flavors for an easy and satisfying dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Vegetables
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, finely chopped
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 inch fresh ginger, minced
- 1 small jalapeño, finely chopped (optional)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup mushrooms (e.g., Baby Bella), chopped
- 6-8 large lettuce leaves (e.g., butter or romaine)
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/3 cup water (if needed for deglazing)
- Red pepper flakes, to taste
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: Set the Instant Pot to SAUTE mode on NORMAL heat. Add olive oil, then sauté the chopped onion, garlic, ginger, scallions, and jalapeño until they become soft and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add Chicken: Add the finely chopped chicken to the pot. Stir well and sprinkle with red pepper flakes according to your heat preference. Continue sautéing for about 30 seconds, allowing the chicken to start cooking.
- Cook Mushrooms and Chicken: Add the chopped mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is no longer pink and the mushrooms have softened, approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Deglaze the Pot: If the mixture seems dry, add about 1/3 cup of water. Cancel SAUTE mode and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot to deglaze it, ensuring nothing sticks.
- Pressure Cook: Seal the Instant Pot lid and set to pressure cook on HIGH for 1 minute. Once done, perform a manual pressure release carefully to avoid overcooking.
- Simmer Sauce: Open the lid and stir in all sauce ingredients (hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar). Return to SAUTE mode and simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken well, about 5-6 minutes.
- Finish & Serve: Stir in the sesame oil, then spoon the warm chicken mixture into the prepared lettuce leaves. Serve immediately as wraps for a fresh, low-carb meal.
Notes
- For spicier wraps, keep the jalapeño seeds or add more red pepper flakes.
- Butter lettuce or romaine leaves work best as sturdy yet tender wraps.
- You can substitute chicken breasts with ground chicken or turkey if preferred.
- If you do not have an Instant Pot, this recipe can be made in a skillet, but cooking times will vary.
- Adjust the sweetness and acidity of the sauce according to your taste by tweaking the brown sugar and rice vinegar amounts.
