Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe for Quick Weeknight Meals

Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps are an easy, slightly healthier weeknight dinner you can make in about 30 minutes.

Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps Ready to Eat on two plates with lettuce on the side

This is a great “need dinner now” recipe: ready in roughly 30 minutes but full of layered flavors from green onion, fresh ginger and garlic. Orange juice, soy sauce and maple syrup reduce into a tangy-sweet teriyaki glaze that’s balanced, not cloying. Big, flexible lettuce leaves and extra sliced green onion add a fresh crunch and brightness to each wrap.

Teriyaki Chicken in pan with lettuce oranges and green onion on the side

Note: this is my adapted teriyaki-style recipe rather than an authentic traditional recipe. I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients

There are a few ingredients here, but they’re common items you’ll find at most grocery stores. For these teriyaki chicken lettuce wraps you will need:

Orange juice: freshly squeezed is best. You’ll need about ½ cup (roughly 1 ½–2 oranges).
Maple syrup: adds sweetness and depth. Honey can be used as a substitute.
Low-sodium soy sauce: keeps the glaze from getting too salty. For gluten-free, use reduced-sodium tamari.
Green onions: separate the dark green tops for garnish and use the white/light-green parts for cooking.
Fresh ginger and garlic: finely chopped—fresh is recommended for best flavor.
Red bell pepper: diced. Use another color if you prefer; red looks vibrant.
Boneless chicken breasts: cut into small cubes. Boneless thighs work well too.
Cornstarch: to make a slurry and thicken the sauce at the end.
Water: a small splash to mix with cornstarch so it doesn’t clump.
Oil: a teaspoon of neutral oil (or olive oil) to cook the vegetables and chicken.
Lettuce: large flexible leaves such as butterhead, green leaf or red leaf lettuce are ideal for wrapping.

What kind of lettuce should I use for lettuce wraps?

Large, flexible leaves work best. Butterhead, green leaf and red leaf lettuce are ideal because they fold easily without breaking. Romaine outer leaves can work but have a firm rib that can make wrapping awkward. Iceberg is large and shaped like a cup but is very crisp and can be harder to wrap.

What if my lettuce leaves are too small?

If your leaves are small, simply overlap two leaves to create a larger base for the filling. That’s an easy fix and still delicious.

Types of Lettuce for Lettuce Wraps - Red Leaf and Butterhead — Stacking two red leaf lettuces on the left, butterhead lettuce on the right

Teriyaki sauce tips

The key step is reducing the sauce so it concentrates and coats the chicken. Follow these tips for a smooth, glossy glaze:

Reduce the sauce until it coats the back of a spoon and you can draw a line through it with your finger. This usually takes about 12–14 minutes at a gentle boil.
If the sauce becomes too thick (but isn’t burnt), thin it with a splash of orange juice or water.
If the sauce is too thin, keep reducing it, or add a little more cornstarch slurry. If you’ve already added the sauce to the chicken and it’s thin, cook the final dish an extra minute or two, but avoid overcooking the chicken.

Checking Thickness of Teriyaki Sauce on spoon with finger

Chicken for teriyaki chicken lettuce wraps in pan with lettuce on the side

If you try this recipe, please leave a comment to share how it went. I love hearing feedback and variations people try.

📖 Recipe

Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Chicken flavored with ginger, garlic and green onions, coated in a homemade sweet-tangy teriyaki-style sauce, and served in fresh lettuce leaves.

Author: Kate
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Category: main course
Method: stove top
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

½ c. orange juice, preferably freshly squeezed (from about 1 ½–2 oranges)
3 tbsp. maple syrup
⅓ c. low-sodium soy sauce (for gluten-free, use reduced-sodium tamari)
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions, sliced (separate dark green tops for garnish)
1 ½ lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into small cubes
1 tsp. neutral oil
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. water
1 head butterhead lettuce, or other large leaf lettuce

Instructions

Add the orange juice, maple syrup and soy sauce to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a gentle boil and simmer 12–14 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. If it reaches the right thickness before you’re ready to use it, turn off the heat and leave it on the stove.
Prep the ingredients: finely chop the ginger and garlic, dice the bell pepper, thinly slice the green onions (separating dark greens for garnish), rinse and dry the lettuce leaves, and cut the chicken into small cubes.
Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the bell pepper and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the chicken to the pan and cook 3 minutes, stirring often; the chicken should be mostly opaque but not necessarily fully cooked.
Add the ginger, garlic and the white/light-green parts of the green onion. Cook 1 more minute, stirring.
Pour in the reduced sauce and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 1 more minute. If your sauce still needs reducing, turn off the skillet while you finish the sauce.
Whisk the cornstarch and water until smooth, then stir the slurry into the chicken. Cook 1 minute until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken. If it’s too thick, add 1–2 tbsp water or orange juice; if too thin, mix a little more slurry (1 tsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water) and add gradually.
Garnish with the reserved green onion tops and serve immediately with the prepared lettuce leaves for wrapping.

Notes

If you can’t find butterhead lettuce, red leaf or green leaf lettuce are good substitutes. For smaller leaves, overlap two to make a larger wrap base.