This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure.
Lettuce wraps might have been made famous by P.F. Chang's, but these Greek chicken lettuce wraps are a great Mediterranean twist. Even better this are actually a healthy dinner.
Mediterranean style food is one of those cuisines we just don't have very often. Part of the reason is my wife is not a fan of olives so it's hard to make something Mediterranean without olives, but I digress.
Recently, as usual, I was browsing Half Baked Harvest and saw her chicken lettuce wraps recipe. It was easy and had relatively few ingredients. The best part was I could put olives on my wrap, but not Lauren's! Like usual, I changed a few things around but the original recipe can be found here.
What really makes this recipe is the basil pistachio sauce, which is basically a pesto without the cheese. So if you like pesto, you'll definitely like this!
I've used it on quite a few other dishes as well. The slight heat from the jalapeño makes it outstanding. If you're looking something that's a little out of your comfort zone, but still tastes amazing then these lettuce wraps are for you.
Jump to:
Recipe Ingredients
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts - chicken thighs works as well.
- Olive oil - helps cook the chicken
- Garlic - added flavor.
- Smoked paprika, cumin, salt, pepper - enhances the flavor.
- Fresh oregano - can also use thyme.
- Lemons - adds some acidity.
- Red onion - white or sweet onion works as well.
- Green bell pepper and red bell pepper - can use whatever peppers you like.
- Lettuce - use a sturdy lettuce.
- Fresh basil - the base for the basil pistachio sauce.
- Pistachios - adds crunch and flavor.
- Jalapeno - adds a little heat.
- Avocado, cucumbers, olives, microgreens, feta cheese - all toppings that work great.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- In a large ziplock bag or bowl, combine 3 tbsp olive oil, chicken, garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, lemons, salt and pepper. Marinate in fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Dump the entire bag of chicken onto a 9×13 baking dish. Mix in peppers and onion. Roast in oven for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.
- While chicken is cooking prepare basil pistachio sauce. Add all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until combined. Add extra water if sauce needs to be thinned. Taste and add more salt if needed.
- Remove chicken and assemble wraps.
Basil Pistachio Sauce
While you don't have to make this, I highly recommend it. I've realized over the years how important sauces are to recipes and while this basil pistachio sauce is amazing on its own, it really compliments the lettuce wraps perfectly.
However if you don't want to make the sauce, a store-bought basil pesto could be a nice substitute.
How to Cut Lettuce
First you need to cut out the core of the lettuce using a knife. Place the lettuce on a cutting board with the core facing down for stability. Cut the lettuce in half and then into quarters. Remove the outer leaves since they could be dirty. Use the remaining lettuce for the wraps.
Best Lettuce for Lettuce Wraps
I personally like butter lettuce the best but iceberg lettuce works great as well. In a pinch you can use romaine lettuce if needed.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Use quality lettuce that is fresh like iceberg or butter lettuce. You will no lettuce is bad if is discolored, has a rotten smell or a moist texture.
- Adapt the recipe to what is in your fridge. You could use veggies like carrots, celery, shredded Brussels sprouts, zucchini, summer squash to top the lettuce wraps.
- Leftovers of the chicken mixture will store well in the fridge for 2-3 days in an air-tight container or be frozen for 3 months.
Similar Recipes
- Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Greek Falafel Naan Sandwich
- Buffalo Falafel
- Chicken Shawarma Bowls
If you’ve tried these Greek chicken lettuce wraps or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Greek Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- ⅓ cup fresh oregano, chopped
- 1 ½ lemons, sliced
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 2 cucumbers, cut into matchsticks
- 1 head butter or romaine lettuce
- feta cheese, microgreens and kalamata olives for topping
Basil Pistachio Sauce
- 1 cup fresh basil
- ½ cup roasted pistachios
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 jalapeno, halved and seeds removed
- 1 lemon, juiced
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- In a large ziplock bag, combine 3 tbsp olive oil, chicken, garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, lemons, salt and pepper. Marinate in fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Dump the entire bag of chicken onto a 9x13 baking dish. Mix in peppers and onion. Roast in oven for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.
- While chicken is cooking prepare the sauce. Add all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until combined. Add extra water if sauce needs to be thinned. Taste and add more salt if needed.
- To assemble wraps, get a piece of lettuce and add chicken. Top with peppers, onion, cucumbers, avocado, olives, microgreens and cheese. Generously top with the basil pistachio sauce.
Leave a Reply