Instant Pot Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps

by Heidi Published: Feb 20, 2018 Updated: Jan 28, 2022

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These better-than-P.F. Chang’s orange chicken lettuce wraps recipe is incredibly easy to make thanks to the Instant Pot pressure cooker that does double duty as a self-serve, low-carb appetizer or as a healthy main meal that’s quick to make and even more fun to eat.

In This Post

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Just ask any three-year-old—or my 13-year-old daughter’s best friend, Elise, who has yet to conform to the norm—eating with your hands is supremely gratifying.

Her parent’s say she’s “expressive and artistic.” I think she’s just laser-focus hungry and doesn’t want to play by anyone else’s rules. Either which way, lettuce wraps are a fun way to “nosh-on-it” and this Asian chicken lettuce wrap recipe proves it.

Because who says eating with a knife and fork should be the norm anyway? Cultures all around the world have eaten without utensils for centuries, and even more. Indian. Ethiopian. From Asia to Africa to the Middle East. As quoted in this New York Times article, cookbook author Julie Sahni emphatically states, “Eating with the hands evokes great emotion,” she says. “It kindles something very warm and gentle and caressing. Using a fork is unthinkable in traditional Indian eating. It is almost like a weapon.”

Okay. It looks like I need to give Elise a break. But I will NOT ease up on reminding her to wipe her hands and her face, even if I get that teenage “look” in return nearly every single time.

When Williams Sonoma Test Kitchens sent me their new The Instant Pot Cookbook to review, I was more than happy to say, heck to the yes, let’s do this. Their cookbooks are some of my very favorites and I regularly refer to their entire Dish of the Day series and every single Williams Sonoma cookbook authored by Kate McMillan who is one of my favorite recipe developers because of the series.

But this cookbook is different, just like the Instant Pot itself.

It’s fast. It’s concise. It’s efficient. In fact, this cookbook is slim, compact, and sports just 25+ recipes and cooking tips.

So while this cookbook isn’t your typical encyclopedia of recipes, it looks like every one of The Instant Pot Cookbook recipes are some you won’t want to skip-to-flip-the-page over. From Sesame-Green Onion Short Ribs, to Coq au Vin, to Truffle Gruyere Mac and Cheese. These are recipes you’re going to want to make instead of just look over, because yep, simple IS and less IS MORE.

What’s in Instant Pot Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps?

These healthy chicken lettuce wraps deliver tons of flavor with minimal ingredients. For the Instant Pot orange chicken, you’ll need:

Chicken breasts
Cornstarch
Canola oil
Rice vinegar
Water
Soy sauce
Brown sugar
Sesame oil
Chile-garlic sauce
Orange juice and zest

How to Make Instant Pot Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I really don’t need to come up with a new, witty reason for making this recipe in the Instant Pot. Instead I’ll take it straight from the cookbook recipe’s headnote itself: “The Instant Pot shows off its versatility in this version of spicy chicken lettuce wraps, acting first as a sauté pan, then as a pressure cooker, and then again as a sauté pan for thickening the sauce.”

I’d say that’s reason enough to smell what the Instant Pot Rock is cooking.

But here’s a few key points that will also help you on your way:

1. It doesn’t matter what flavor of chicken you choose, they all work. Whether you want to use chicken breast, ground chicken, or chunks of chicken thigh, go with what’s easiest and fits in your budget. My husband usually grinds his own chicken thigh meat in the food processor for a more larb-like consistency.

2. Choose a leafy green lettuce for your wrap. Either Bibb, green, red leaf, baby romaine, or butter lettuce provide a nice, broad base for your wrap.

3. The Williams Sonoma recipe didn’t originally include rice, but we love adding it and so it’s here. If you’d like, you could use brown or red rice, vermicelli noodles, quinoa, or any grain you’re into right now. Or skip it all together and go full-on carb-free.

4. First we talked about eating with our hands. Next it’s all about considering the ingredient options and composing the perfect bite. Just like the perfect spring roll, or burrito (!) choosing your favorite veg to amplify the flavors and crunch is essential. Here’s a few to consider:

cucumber
red bell pepper
green onion
carrot
cabbage
minced water chestnut
radish
all the herbs: mint, basil, cilantro and even watercress

And finally…everyone’s favorite part: Dipping in the sauce and licking the fingers. Elise will tell you, it’s the only way.

Tips for Making Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps

For the best flavor, I recommend using freshly squeezed orange juice in these Asian chicken lettuce wraps. You have to grate an orange anyways, so buy an extra if needed so you have enough juice.

Don’t omit the cornstarch in this chicken lettuce wraps recipe, otherwise the orange sauce will never thicken up properly.

Serve the lettuce leaves, chicken, rice, and garnishes at the table and encourage everyone to concoct their own lettuce leave creations with extra chile-garlic sauce for dipping and lime wedges on the side.

More Asian-flavored Recipes To Make This a Meal — Or a Party!

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Bookmark this recipe and leave a comment below, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

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