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Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Water Chestnuts

Minced chicken stir-fried with garlic, ginger, carrot and crunchy water chestnuts in a savoury hoisin and soy glaze, spooned into crisp lettuce leaves and topped with peanuts. 46g of protein a serving in 25 minutes.

Lunch

25

Serves 2 (4 wraps each)

A romaine lettuce leaf filled with savoury minced chicken next to a second wrap topped with chopped peanuts and chives, on a metal plate

Ingredients

  • 400g/14oz lean chicken mince (ground chicken)
  • 2 tsp (10ml) rapeseed (canola) oil
  • 2 cloves garlic (about 8g), finely chopped
  • 3cm/1¼in piece ginger (about 15g), finely grated
  • 1 small carrot (about 60g/2oz), coarsely grated
  • 1 x 225g (8oz) tin (can) sliced water chestnuts, drained (about 140g/5oz) and roughly chopped
  • 3 spring onions (scallions, about 45g/1½oz), thinly sliced
  • 8 large crisp lettuce leaves (about 120g/4oz), such as romaine (cos) or Little Gem (Bibb)
  • 20g/¾oz/2 tbsp unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped
  • A few chives or the green tops of the spring onions, to serve
  • For the sauce
  • 2 tbsp (30ml) reduced-salt soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp (16g) hoisin sauce
  • 1 tsp (5ml) toasted sesame oil

Method

  1. Mix the soy sauce, hoisin and sesame oil in a cup. Wash the lettuce leaves and pat dry.
  2. Heat the rapeseed oil in a large frying pan or wok over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken mince and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, with no pink left. Mince should reach 75C/167F.
  3. Add the garlic, ginger and carrot and stir-fry for 1 minute, then add the water chestnuts and most of the spring onions and cook for 1 minute more.
  4. Pour in the sauce and toss for 1 to 2 minutes, until the chicken is glossy and the liquid has mostly gone.
  5. Spoon the filling into the lettuce leaves, scatter with the peanuts, chives and remaining spring onion, and eat with your hands, 4 wraps each.
  6. Leftover filling keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days; reheat until piping hot and spoon into fresh lettuce.

Why it works

Four wraps give you about 46g of protein and only 18g of carbohydrate for 481 calories. Lettuce leaves replace the rice or noodles, which keeps the carbohydrate low.

Why water chestnuts. Despite the name, water chestnuts are not nuts but the crunchy corms of a water plant. They stay crisp even after cooking, which gives the wraps their texture, and they are low in fat.

Lean mince. Chicken mince made from breast is one of the leanest minces you can buy. Check the label: mince made with skin and thigh can contain much more fat.

Why it is tagged for blood sugar. With about 18g of carbohydrate and lots of protein, these wraps are a lunch unlikely to cause a sharp rise in blood sugar. Ginger and garlic add plenty of flavour without extra salt.

Not gluten-free, as soy and hoisin sauces usually contain wheat. Contains peanuts, soy, sesame and wheat. For another Asian-style chicken dish, try the chicken and broccoli stir-fry with ginger or the Thai basil chicken.