Make Ahead Lettuce Wraps Recipes

Steps:

• Cook and stir ground chicken in a large skillet until the meat is crumbly and no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Drain excess grease. Stir red bell pepper into chicken; cook and stir until pepper is slightly softened, about 5 more minutes.
• Whisk 1/2 cup soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger, 5 dashes hot pepper sauce, and sesame oil in a bowl; pour over chicken mixture. Cook and stir chicken mixture with sauce over low heat until flavors have blended, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Mash peanut butter with hot water in a small bowl until smooth; stir 3 tablespoons soy sauce and 5 dashes hot pepper sauce into the mixture. Set dipping sauce aside.
• Form lettuce leaves into cup shapes and fill with chicken mixture. Top lettuce wraps with shredded carrots, sprinkle with green onion and cilantro, and a spoonful of peanut dipping sauce.

Steps:

• 1 to 2 days ahead: Prep the lettuce and make the filling Prep the lettuce: Separate the head of lettuce into individual leaves. Rinse and dry, either with a salad spinner or by hand, using clean kitchen towels or paper towels to pat the leaves dry. Refrigerate the lettuce leaves until ready to assemble and serve, either inside the salad spinner or between layers of clean, dry kitchen towels or paper towels in an airtight container to wick away excess moisture. (Lettuce leaves can also be stored in individual serving sizes for lunches on the go.) Cook the meat: Whisk the broth, soy sauce, sugar and cornstarch together in a small bowl and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half the ground meat in handfuls, distributing it in a single layer in the pan. Cook without stirring until the meat starts to brown, then stir and start breaking up the meat into smaller pieces. When the meat is no longer pink, transfer it to a bowl. Add the remaining oil and meat to the pan and cook in the same manner. Finish the filling: Return all the meat to the pan and add the bell pepper, carrot, garlic and ginger. Cook for 5 minutes until the vegetables start to soften. Whisk in the reserved broth and cook for a few more minutes to thicken the broth into a sauce. Remove from the heat and stir in the scallions. Store the filling: Transfer to a lidded container (or multiple containers, if you're sending the wraps off to school or work for meals) and refrigerate until ready to eat. The cooked filling can be made up to 2 days in advance.