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    Home » Instant Pot Recipes

    Sweet & Tangy Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

    Published: Jan 23, 2020 · Modified: May 22, 2021 by Archana · This post may contain affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 1 Comment

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    Served over butter lettuce, these light, and bright Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps are loaded with tender chicken, cooked in a sweet and sour sauce along with fresh ginger, garlic, celery, and carrots. A gluten-free and dairy-free meal starting from freezer to dinner table that is cooked in under 45 minutes using the Instant Pot Pressure cooker.

    sweet and tangy asian chicken lettuce wraps on 2 plates and asian chicken in white bowl

    I am so excited to add these healthy Asian Chicken lettuce wraps along with chicken lettuce wraps with tandoori chicken and vegetarian lettuce wraps with spicy tofu in our weekly meal plans. They are perfect for family meals and can also be made ahead for easy entertaining. You can adjust the sweetness and make them Keto or low-carb friendly by omitting or reducing the honey.

    sweet and tangy asian chicken in white bowl with spoon

    This delicious Chicken Lettuce recipe is from the "No-Thaw Paleo Cooking in Your Instant Pot Cookbook" written by Dr. Karen S Lee who is also the author of two more successful cookbooks:

    • Paleo Cooking with Your Air Fryer
    •  Keto Cooking with Your Instant Pot
    No Thaw Paleo Cooking Cookbook Cover

    About the author:

    When her two children were younger and she had a full-time chiropractic practice, Dr. Karen S. Lee, founder of wellness website drkarenslee.com, sometimes found it difficult to make time for healthy and well-rounded meals. Especially when she would realize that she had forgotten to take meat out of the freezer earlier in the day.

    With the help of the Instant Pot, however, Karen learned that there is now no need to take the time to thaw ingredients. In her third cookbook, NO-THAW PALEO COOKING IN YOUR INSTANT POT®: Fast, Flavorful Meals Straight from the Freezer, Karen provides all the tools, including a No-Thaw Cooking Tips section, to help readers create 75 delicious, from-frozen, Paleo recipes quickly and with ease.

    “This cookbook is all about using the Instant Pot to help you put healthy meals on the table despite your busy life,” writes Karen in her introduction.

    How to make Sweet and Tangy Chicken Lettuce Wraps:

    Step 1: Cook the frozen chicken in flavorful sauce

    Turn on the Instant Pot by pressing the “Pressure Cook/Manual” button and set the timer for 6 minutes on HIGH pressure. Insert the inner pot and add the orange juice, tamari (or coconut aminos), raw honey, and mirin. Stir. Add the frozen chicken thighs and spoon some of it on top of the chicken. Close the lid tightly and move the steam release handle to “Sealing.”

    When the timer ends and the Instant Pot beeps, carefully turn the steam release handle to “Venting,” press “Cancel,” and allow the Instant Pot to depressurize quickly until the float valve drops down. Open the lid carefully. Using tongs, carefully take out the chicken, place them on a cutting board and dice the meat into small pieces. The chicken pieces might be stuck together, but you should be able to cut through them easily. Set the chicken aside. Reserve the cooked liquid in a small bowl.

    steps one through four showing cooking chicken in the Instant Pot

    Step 2: Sauté fresh veggies and cook with the chicken

    Add the avocado oil in the inner pot and coat the bottom evenly. Press “Sauté” and when the oil is hot, add the onion and sauté for 1 minute or until it is soft. Add the garlic, celery, carrots, ginger, sea salt, black pepper and orange zest. Stir well.

    Add the diced chicken pieces and the reserved cooked liquid back into the inner pot and stir. Press the “Pressure Cook/Manual” button and set the timer for 10 minutes on HIGH pressure.

    steps five and six showing adding the vegetables to Instant Pot

    Step 3: Finish the filling

    Meanwhile, mix the tapioca flour and water in a small bowl to make a slurry and set aside. When the timer ends and the Instant Pot beeps, press “Cancel” and allow the Instant Pot to cool down naturally for 10 minutes. Then, carefully turn the steam release handle to the “Venting” position for the steam to escape and the float valve to drop down. Press “Cancel,” and then “Sauté.”

    Open the lid carefully and stir in the scallions (reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish), toasted sesame oil, and white pepper. Add the tapioca slurry into the inner pot while stirring for 1 minute or until the sauce thickens.

    steps seven and eight showing adding slurry to instant pot

    Press “Cancel,” ladle about 1 cup of sauce into a bowl, and reserve for serving. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken into the lettuce wraps, add the garnishes and serve immediately. You can drizzle the reserved sauce if needed.

    asian chicken on lettuce wrap on white plate

    How to serve Asian Chicken wraps:

    Butter Lettuce also known as Boston or Bibb Lettuce as recommended by Karen, are best to serve these asian chicken wraps. They are soft, melt-in-your-mouth and pliable with a mild buttery taste. They are available in most grocery stores such as stop & shop, whole foods etc.

    You can also use small romaine lettuce or crunchy iceberg lettuce to serve the chicken. For a more filling meal, serve the sweet and tangy chicken over steamed rice.

    2 sweet and tangy asian chicken lettuce wraps on white plate

    Tips and substitutions on making Asian Chicken Wraps

    • If using fresh chicken instead of frozen, cut the chicken into bite sizes pieces. Sauté fresh veggies and cook the chicken along with the orange juice, tamari (or coconut aminos), raw honey, and mirin for 6 minutes followed by 10 minutes natural pressure release
    • Tamari or coconut aminos can be substituted with Soy Sauce if you are ok with gluten
    • You can adjust the sweetness and make them Keto or low-carb friendly by omitting or reducing the honey
    • Corn starch can be used instead of tapioca flour if you are not on a paleo diet

    No-Thaw Cooking Tips from Dr.Karen S. Lee

    Here are a few of the important tips from the No-Thaw Paleo Cooking in your Instant Pot Cookbook:

    • Meat Size - Cooking frozen meat that is 2 pounds or smaller results in more even cooking and a more tender texture.
    • Inner Pot Size - Before you freeze any meats, make sure the full width of all the pieces is less than 8 ⅝th inches wide. This is the diameter of the inner pot of the Instant Pot. You also want to pay attention to the height of the pot (6 ⅓ inches) and be sure not to fill the pot more than ⅔ full. Take the meat out of the original package and freeze it in the shape and size of the inner pot, so it's easy to cook it without defrosting.
    • Before Freezing - Take the chicken out of the original packaging and wrap it well with freezer paper or place it in a container or ziplock freezer bag. Don't forget to remove the paper that lines the tray that the meat was packaged in. Be sure to label the container or the bag clearly. Frozen meats are harder to recognize, so clearly label the type of meat, weight, and date.

    For more awesome tips on how to cook delicious meals using frozen meats, seafood and veggies order a copy of The No-Thaw Paleo Cooking with your Instant Pot Cookbook today!

    asian chicken on lettuce wrap on white plate

    Recipe reprinted with permission from No Thaw PaleoCooking in your Instant Pot by Dr. Karen S. Lee, Page Street Publishing Co. 2019. Photo Credit: Donna Crous.

    More family favorite meals that are easy and delicious:

    • Easy Vegan Tacos - loaded with turmeric roasted tacos and tangy slaw
    • Pulled Chicken Sandwiches - with tender cooked butter chicken in a warm sauce
    • Simple Chicken Burgers - Spicy Masala Burgers with the juiciest patties
    • Chicken Tinga Tacos - Smokey flavorful chicken cooked in chipotle chicken in adobo sauce
    • Spinach Quesadillas - Crispy quesadillas with sweet caramelized onions, mushrooms, spinach
    • Black Bean Quesadillas - Kid-friendly recipe with sweet corn and pepper jack cheese

    ★ Have you tried this recipe? We love your feedback, Please click on the stars in the recipe card below to rate.

    Tried this recipe? We love your feedback.Please click on the stars in the recipe card below
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    Sweet and Tangy Chicken Lettuce Wraps

    Plain chicken is well, too plain. But not when you add all sorts of goodies on top and wrap it up in buttery lettuce with sweet and tangy sauce. You can adjust the sweetness by omitting or reducing the honey amount to make them Keto or low-carb friendly.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time45 mins
    Total Time55 mins
    Course: dinner, Lunch
    Cuisine: Chinese
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 337kcal
    Author: Archana Mundhe

    Ingredients

    • ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
    • ¼ cup tamari or coconut aminos
    • 2 tablespoon raw honey
    • 1 tablespoon mirin or rice vinegar
    • 1 lb frozen boneless skinless chicken thighs
    • 2 tablespoon avocado oil
    • 1 cup diced onion
    • 1 tablespoon finely minced or pressed garlic
    • 2 celery diced
    • 2 carrots diced
    • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt
    • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
    • 1 tablespoon tapioca flour
    • 2 tablespoon water
    • 3 scallions chopped ½ cup, divided
    • ½ tablespoon toasted sesame oil
    • 1 teaspoon white pepper
    • 1 or 2 small heads of bib butter or baby romaine lettuce leaves
    • 1 cucumber julienned
    • ½ cup sliced radishes
    • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
    • 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds

    Instructions

    • Turn on the Instant Pot by pressing the “Pressure Cooker/Manual” button and set the timer for 6 minutes on HIGH pressure. Insert the inner pot and add the orange juice, tamari (or coconut aminos), raw honey, and mirin. Stir. Add the frozen chicken thighs and spoon some of it on top of the chicken.
    • Close the lid tightly and move the steam release handle to “Sealing.”
    • When the timer ends and the Instant Pot beeps, carefully turn the steam release handle to “Venting,” press “Cancel,” and allow the Instant Pot to depressurize quickly until the float valve drops down. Open the lid carefully.
    • Using tongs, carefully take out the chicken, place them on a cutting board and dice the meat into small pieces. The chicken pieces might be stuck together, but you should be able to cut through them easily. Set the chicken aside. Reserve the cooked liquid in a small bowl.
    • Add the avocado oil to the inner pot and coat the bottom evenly. Press “Sauté” and when the oil is hot, add the onion and sauté for 1 minute or until it is soft. Add the garlic, celery, carrots, ginger, sea salt, black pepper, and orange zest. Stir well.
    • Add the diced chicken pieces and the reserved cooked liquid back into the inner pot and stir. Press the “Pressure Cooker/Manual” button and set the timer for 10 minutes on HIGH pressure.
    • Meanwhile, mix the tapioca flour and water in a small bowl to make a slurry and set aside.
    • When the timer ends and the Instant Pot beeps, press “Cancel” and allow the Instant Pot to cool down naturally for 10 minutes. Then, carefully turn the steam release handle to the “Venting” position for the steam to escape and the float valve to dropdown. Press “Cancel,” and then “Sauté.”
    • Open the lid carefully and stir in the scallions (reserve 1 tablespoon [3 g] for garnish), toasted sesame oil, and white pepper. Add the tapioca slurry into the inner pot while stirring for 1 minute or until the sauce thickens. Press “Cancel,” ladle about 1 cup (240 ml) of sauce into a bowl and reserve for serving.
    • Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken into the lettuce wraps, add the garnishes and serve immediately. You can drizzle the reserved sauce if needed.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 337kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 782mg | Potassium: 774mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 6737IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 2mg
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    Author: Archana

    Hey there! I am a techie turned recipe developer, cooking instructor, and food blogger. I love food and enjoy developing easy and healthy recipes for busy lifestyles. I live in New Jersey with my husband and two sons.
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    1. Karen Lee says

      January 23, 2020 at 10:25 am

      Thank you so much for sharing one of my favorite recipes from the book! Your photos look gorgeous! Glad your family enjoys it!5 stars

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Archana: a former software engineer, now a full-time blogger. I am a mother of two boys who share my love for food and cooking. Words I love to hear are, “Mom, what’s for dinner?” The same words I say to my mom every time we speak. I live in the greater New York City Area with my husband and sons.

    Learn More About Me!

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