Spicy Chicken Lettuce Wraps � Not Exactly P.F. Chang�s, But Close Enough for the Internet

I don�t do a lot of copycat recipes; mostly because I don�t eat at the restaurants people are requesting the recipes from. I mean, unless they're going to throw in a couple bottles of wine, I�m not going to Olive Garden to figure out how they do their breadsticks. These chicken lettuce wraps however, are a delicious exception.

When I go back to visit my mom, we usually make it to P.F. Chang�s at least once, and always start the meal with their very popular chicken lettuce wraps. Off the record, they do a good job with most of the dishes I�ve had, but the wraps are clearly my favorite.

There�s an addictive quality to the contrasting combination of flavors and textures, and since this recipe has been requested many times, I decided I�d give it a go. Fair warning, I did almost no serious corporate espionage to find out what�s actually in these, but regardless, I loved how this came out, and it seems close enough.

One key here is to use a very large, non-stick pan, so the braising liquid/glaze sticks to the bits of food, rather than the bottom of the pan. Other than that, the technique is pretty simple, and not a lot can go wrong�unless you try to use chicken breast. Even if you think you don�t like them, use thighs, because in this you will. I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 8 large or 16 smaller lettuce wraps:

Chicken mixture:

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped

1/2 cup yellow onion, minced

1/3 cup green onion

1 can (8-oz ) water chestnuts, drained, minced

1 cup diced shiitake mushrooms

1 tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger

For the glaze:

1/4 cup chicken stock

1/2 tsp mustard powder

2 tsp toasted sesame oil

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

2 tsp brown sugar

1 tbsp ketchup

1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp red chili flakes, or to taste

4 garlic cloves, minced

about 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, basil leaves, and green onions to finish

iceberg lettuce leaves as needed