These healthy lettuce wraps are inspired by the PF Changs lettuce wraps recipe but are totally Whole30 compliant and paleo. Loaded with flavor and with lots of veggies, these easy healthy lettuce wraps are made with pork or chicken and are a great Whole30 dinner recipe. They’re filling yet light, totally healthy, and slightly sweet yet nutty and spicy.
We’d pile in the Jeep, the cool car with the windows that unzip, and head down the flat streets with palm trees on either side. Past the rocky hills in the shapes of monks praying or the humps of camels, towards PF Changs, the new Asian place with the funny crunchy noodles and the “lettuce wraps,” which were basically tacos you ate in leaves. We were celebrating a birthday or the first day of school or the last day of school or it was just too hot to cook and we’d already had Taco Bell twice that week.
We had a set order at PF Chang’s when I was little: their healthy lettuce wraps, wonton soup, honey chicken. Back then, I was 10 or so, living in Scottsdale, Arizona where it was hot as hell but still cold when you got out of the pool. It’s a dry heat, I learned later, experiencing the contrast first-hand as we settled into the jungle-like humidity of the American Southeast.
I didn’t know that PF Changs, the local Asian place back then, would expand across the country and take on permanent chain restaurant status. All I knew was that lettuce wraps were too cool and the servers made the dipping sauce and we were eating something so different and funky, and that right there, that might have been the moment I first started falling in love with foods from different cultures, like healthy lettuce wraps and Szechuan chicken, with different tastes and textures than I was used to, with something other than tuna noodle casserole or chicken soup chicken or ground beef and gravy over mashed potatoes.
And while I wouldn’t claim that that food was necessarily authentic back then, certainly not now, I’m still wild about those healthy lettuce wraps. The savory ground meat with crunchy water chestnuts and salty, spicy sauce work perfectly enveloped in the light, crisp lettuce cups. And with hardly any processed carbs to replace, I had to make a Whole30 version!
Why these PF Changs-inspired healthy lettuce wraps are so good:
- These Whole30 lettuce wraps are loaded with flavor and full of veggies.
- They’re seasoned with naturally sweet coconut aminos, creamy almond butter, and nutty sesame oil. Sautéed with mushrooms, water chestnuts, and shredded carrots, they’re filling but light and will make you feel fantastic.
- These healthy lettuce wraps are totally Whole30 compliant, and they’re perfect to make when you’re tired of meatballs and eggs and chimichurri steak (IF THATS EVEN POSSIBLE).
- This recipe is so easy: sauté some stuff, pour some sauce over the stuff, and boom, done.
Variations
- These healthy lettuce wraps can be made easily with ground chicken instead of ground pork.
- Try diced shiitake or even white button mushrooms in place of the baby bellas.
- Make a vegan version: swap the ground meat for vegetarian crumbles. Meatless Monday win!
Tips
- Make these as your weekly meal prep: make the healthy lettuce wraps filling and pack them with crisp lettuce leaves. This Whole30 recipe is a reader meal prep fave!
- Make my Whole30 sriracha recipe for the ultimate lettuce wraps. It’s surprisingly easy and the flavor is out of this world.
- If you’re not on a Whole30 or paleo diet, swap the almond butter for peanut butter. This substitution gives these healthy lettuce wraps such a savory twist.
- These would also make an awesome potluck dish when you just happen to be on a Whole30: no one will know these healthy lettuce wraps are compliant. Win-win.
In a large skillet, sauté onion until they start to turn translucent. Add mushrooms and cook a few minutes, or until beginning to soften. Stir in garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds.
Add the ground pork or ground chicken and brown, crumbling with a spatula or wooden spoon. Add shredded carrots.
In a small bowl, stir together coconut aminos, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, almond butter, ginger, and hot sauce; whisk until smooth. Pour over pork or chicken mixture and stir; add water chestnuts and green onions (minus reserved tablespoon). Cook 3-4 minutes or until well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.
In another small bowl, whisk together all sauce ingredients. Spoon healthy lettuce wraps filling into lettuce cups and garnish with sliced green onions. Serve with dipping sauce.
Other recipes you’ll love:
- Egg Roll in a Bowl with Creamy Chili Sauce (Whole30, Paleo)
- Whole30 Sriracha
- Whole30 Bang Bang Shrimp
- Whole30 Thai Chicken Zoodle Bowl
Did you make and love this recipe? Give it your review below! ? And make sure to share your creations by tagging me on Instagram!
Whole30 Lettuce Wraps (PF Changs Lettuce Wraps Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion diced
- 1 cup baby bella mushrooms minced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound ground pork or ground chicken
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon almond butter
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon Whole30 compliant hot sauce sriracha or sambal oelek if not on Whole30 (or make the homemade sriracha recipe in the notes)
- 8- ounce can water chestnuts diced
- 3 green onions thinly sliced, 1 tablespoon reserved
- 1 head Bibb lettuce leaves gently removed from stem
Sauce:
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- Compliant hot sauce to taste
- 1 tablespoon green onions from above ingredients
- Salt
Garnishes
- sesame seeds
- thinly sliced green onions
Special Equipment
Instructions
- In a large skillet set over medium heat, heat olive oil. When the oil is hot, add onion and cook for about 3 minutes or until beginning to soften, then add mushrooms and cook 3 more minutes, or until onion is translucent and mushrooms are softening. Add garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Add ground pork and cook until browned, crumbling with a wooden spoon or spatula. Add carrots and stir until starting to soften, about 3 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup coconut aminos, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar, almond butter, ginger, and hot sauce. Whisk until smooth then pour over meat mixture. Stir until combined, then add the chestnuts and green onions. Cook for 3-4 minutes then remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Make sauce: whisk together all sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- When ready to serve, spoon 3-4 tablespoons of the mixture into the center of a lettuce leaf and serve with sauce. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.
Video
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published July 2017 but was updated with video, step by step photos, and tips in July 2018.
Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She’s been a blogger for 10+ years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of three who lives in Memphis, TN.
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Becca says
Hi Cheryl! I’ve made this recipe several times and love it. I’m currently planning some freezer meals to have on hand, and I was wondering if you think this would work well as a crock pot freezer meal? I was thinking of putting the meat, mushrooms, carrots, etc. in a large gallon bag in the freezer, then after all that has thawed and cooked in the crockpot, I would add in the chestnuts, green onions, and make the additional sauce. Let me know if you have thoughts! 🙂
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
Hi Becca, we can’t think of any reason why this plan wouldn’t work, but you can also cook the filling as-is, let it cool, and then stock your freezer that way! These work great for he purpose and just need to be thawed in a skillet or the microwave. Just add the sauce and lettuce wraps after the meat has defrosted. Hope this helps! 🙂
Beeper says
So delicious!! I double this recipe for my family of 5 with three young boys and we barely have any leftovers. I’ve made this recipe at least 3 or 4 times and it’s on the short list of all 5 of us eat with no complaints.
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
Thrilled that you and your family enjoy this recipe! “No complaints” is a huge compliment. 🙂 This is definitely an ideal recipe for doubling or even tripling to feed a large family or to meal-prep ahead of a busy week.
Court says
Delicious!!!
Cheryl Malik says
Thank you!
Gigi says
Amazing! Should have double the recipe.
Virginia says
Can you substitute the meat with ground beef?
Cheryl Malik says
Sure!
Karen says
Wow! Just Wow!!! Absolutely AMAZING!!!! I will say they took me way longer than 5 minutes to prep (as the recipe says) but definitely worth it. I think these are even better than PF Chang’s. Thank you for the delicious recipe!!!
Paula says
Made this for football playoffs during the W-30. AHHH-mazing!!! I wanted to pour the sauce in a glass and drink it.
Casey says
My first whole30 ever and this hands down is the BEST recipe I’ve made. Filled with flavor – hearty and delicious. My partner isn’t even doing whole30 and went back for seconds. These are incredible and highly recommend!
Kate says
Delicious!!
Heather May says
This is a staple in our home! It is our favorite weekend meal and one of my top 3 meals I make for guests!! We always double the recipe so we have plenty of leftovers. Do you think we could freeze leftovers for a quick weeknight meal option?
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
Freezing will work! Just add the sauce and lettuce wraps after the meat has defrosted. 🙂
Kelly says
This recipe is a staple both on and off of Whole30 – such a game changer to make your own stir fry style sauces!
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
Thanks for the positive review, Kelly! 🙂