Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Serves 4 to 6
Cooking Time 2 to 3 hours on Low
Slow Cooker Size 5½ to 7 Quarts
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: This Sichuan-inspired recipe features seasoned ground chicken spooned into lettuce
leaves and eaten like a taco. Packed with flavor and easy to assemble, it’s an all-around
winner. We found that we could make a sauce and season our chicken all at once by
combining soy sauce and hoisin in the slow cooker with the chicken. A little garlic
rounded out the sauce, and a chopped red bell pepper added color and a refreshing
crunch. To protect the ground chicken from drying out as it cooked, it was important
to cook the mixture on low for no more than three hours. We also found that if we
microwaved the chicken for a few minutes, it became firm enough to break into coarse
crumbles that did not turn grainy during cooking. Once the chicken was cooked, we
stirred in some cooked rice. The rice soaked up the extra sauce and bulked up the
filling. Finally, we added some scallions and water chestnuts for freshness and crunch.
Be sure to use ground chicken, not ground chicken breast (also labeled 99 percent
fat free), in this recipe. Feel free to use leftover rice or precooked rice from the
supermarket. See the sidebar that follows the recipe.
|
2 |
pounds ground chicken |
|
4 |
teaspoons minced garlic |
|
1 |
red bell pepper, cored and chopped fine |
|
½ |
cup hoisin sauce |
|
2 |
tablespoons soy sauce |
|
|
Salt and pepper |
|
1 |
(8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, rinsed and chopped |
|
1 |
cup cooked rice |
|
3 |
scallions, sliced thin |
|
2 |
heads Bibb lettuce |
1. Microwave ground chicken and garlic in bowl, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain off liquid and transfer mixture to slow cooker. Stir in bell pepper, hoisin, soy sauce, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Cover and cook until chicken is tender, 2 to 3 hours on low.
2. Stir in water chestnuts and rice and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in scallions and season with salt and pepper to taste. Separate Bibb lettuce leaves. Serve with chicken filling.