Easy Thai chicken meatball lettuce wraps with peanut sauce are a healthy dinner or appetizer recipe! Topped with a crunchy mango slaw, these Asian lettuce wraps are full of flavor.
Lettuce wraps are tied with cauliflower rice for my top low carb alternatives.
They're quick & easy and you can fill them with anything your little heart desires :).
I prefer filling these easy lettuce wraps with mini Thai meatballs, mango slaw and a nice drizzle of peanut sauce.
Crunchy, sweet, salty, and healthy. What more could you ask for?
Thai chicken meatball lettuce wraps make a deliciously healthy dinner recipe or even as lettuce wrap appetizers!
I served them as appetizers at my sister-in-laws surprise baby sprinkle party and they were a big hit!
They're just so colorful from the green lettuce wraps and and rainbow color mango slaw.
Ingredients in Thai Chicken Meatball Lettuce Wraps:
- Mango Slaw:
- diced mango
- coleslaw mix
- shredded red cabbage
- shredded carrots
- bell pepper
- scallions
- fresh cilantro
- Thai Chicken Meatballs:
-
ground chicken (or turkey)
-
1 egg
-
fresh grated ginger
- garlic
-
soy sauce
-
fish sauce
-
fresh cilantro
-
panko breadcrumbs
-
lime juice
-
brown sugar (or honey)
-
sriracha (optional)
-
- Peanut Sauce:
- peanut butter
- lime juice
- fish sauce
- rice wine vinegar
- soy sauce
- brown sugar
- sesame oil
- fresh grated ginger
I know, you may be thinking "damn, this is a lot of ingredients", but most of the ingredients you use in all 3 components so I promise it's not as complicated as it looks :).
Which lettuce is best for wraps?
- butter lettuce (boston or bibb)
- iceberg lettuce
- romaine
My favorite type of lettuce for lettuce wraps is the butter lettuce because it's easy to rip off the pieces and it's got a nice tenderness to it.
Iceberg is my next alternative because it's nice and crunchy and holds up to the filling.
Whichever type of lettuce you choose for your lettuce wraps, be sure it's sturdy and easy to pull the individual leaves apart!
How to make thai chicken lettuce wraps with peanut sace:
- Make your mango slaw: combine all ingredients together and set aside.
- Make your chicken Thai meatballs: combine all ingredients. Roll into small, 2" balls and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 min per side or until slightly golden. Remove and set aside.
- Make your peanut sauce: combine all ingredients in mason jar or air tight container. Stir until creamy. Set aside.
- To assemble: separate lettuce leaves and place about 2 tbsp of the mango slaw in each leave. Top with 1-2 meatballs (depending how big you make them). Drizzle with a generous amount of peanut sauce and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with a wedge of lime.
For more Asian inspired recipes try:
- Sheet pan Asian chicken thighs with broccoli
- Braised Asian Short Ribs
- Asian Cauliflower Rice Stir Fry Bowls
- Crockpot Thai Beef Stew
Thai Chicken Meatball Lettuce Wraps
Easy Thai chicken meatball lettuce wraps with peanut sauce are a healthy dinner or appetizer recipe! Topped with a crunchy mango slaw, these Asian lettuce wraps are full of flavor.
Ingredients
Peanut Ginger Dressing:
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice (about ½ lime)
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar (or honey/agave)
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp fresh grated ginger
- 1 tsp sriracha (optional)
Thai Meatballs:
- 1 lb ground chicken or turkey
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp fresh grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 scallions, sliced thin
- ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 tsp brown sugar (or honey)
- 2 tsp sriracha (optional)
Mango Slaw:
- 2 mangos, diced
- 1, 8 oz bag coleslaw mix
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 bell pepper, sliced thin
- 3 scallions, sliced thin
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
To Assemble/Serve:
- 1 head lettuce (butter lettuce, iceberg lettuce, romaine)
- sesame seeds
- crushed peanuts
- scallions
- chopped cilantro
- lime wedges
Instructions
For the Peanut Ginger Dressing:
- Combine all ingredients in a Mason jar or small bowl. Stir well to combine until smooth and creamy. If dressing is too thick, add 1-2 tbsp of water to thin). Set aside
For the Thai Meatballs:
- Preheat your oven to 400F.
- Combine all meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Mix to combine (hands are the best tool for this!).
- Take about 1 tbsp of mixture and roll into a ball. Place on a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining meat mixture.
- Bake for 10 minutes per side until lightly browned on both sides. Remove from and set aside.
For the Mango Slaw:
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside.
To Assemble/Serve:
- Gently break off lettuce pieces and place them on a plate.
- Take a piece of lettuce and add about 2 tbsp of the mango slaw. Then add 1-2 meatballs (depending on size of your meatballs) on top of that. Drizzle generously with peanut dressing.
- Top with sesame seeds, crushed peanuts, scallions, cilantro and lime wedges if desired.
Notes
*Peanut dressing recipe was adapted from Gimme Some Oven and can be made up to 1 week in advance and stored in your refrigerator.
*Mango slaw is best served day of to avoid getting soggy.
*Thai meatballs can be made up to 2 days in advance.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 20 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 179Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 488mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 3gSugar: 8gProtein: 11g
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