master

I am one lettuce-wrapping son of a gun. Ninety percent of my brain capacity is filled with Rain Man-esque food equations on how I can make something low-carb, or as I prefer to call it, lower-carb. Using seaweed sheets, portobello mushroom "buns," and thinly sliced zucchini actually do the job quite nicely, but lettuce-wrapping is of course the easiest way.Every single time I make this dish, I find myself burying my head in the fridge all night, scooping and scraping for every chicken bit possible with my bare hands. Filling and healthy and freaking yummy No bacon. No cheese. No starch. I am almost embarrassed to say love it.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Thai sweet chili sauce

hoisin sauce

light soy sauce

Sriracha

vegetable oil

sesame oil

unseasoned rice vinegar

minced garlic (about 4 cloves)

minced fresh ginger

for the Sauce

ground chicken

scallions

minced garlic (about 2 cloves)

white mushrooms

finely diced canned water chestnuts

small red bell pepper

heads butter lettuce

for the Filling

In a bowl, combine the chili sauce, hoisin, soy sauce, Sriracha, vegetable oil, sesame oil, vinegar, garlic, and ginger.

Make the Sauce

In a bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of the sauce into the ground chicken.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. When shimmering-hot, add the chicken and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned. 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer the meat to a plate and set aside.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet, then add the scallion whites, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until they release their liquid, 3 to 4 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan, then add the water chestnuts, bell pepper, and the rest of the sauce and cook, stirring, until cooked through and the liquid has reduced and thickened slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the scallion greens.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set out with the lettuce leaves