Smoked Chicken Lettuce Wraps
When you think of bbq, I’m sure there are certain things that pop into you mind, your standard burgers and hot dogs and then the low and slow, sauced up bbq like ribs, pulled pork and smoked brisket. But, I’m here to tell you that bbq doesn't have to mean heavy, stick-to-your-ribs food. It can, and that's delicious, but, you can also cook a nice light meal on the bbq. I never thought I’d be talking about a nice light bbq option, given that most of my recipes are chock full of butter and cheese, but let’s face it, sometimes you need something a little lighter on a hot summer’s day. That's where these Smoked Chicken Lettuce Wraps come in. I skewered cubed chicken breast and seasoned it with sesame oil, salt, pepper and coated it with sesame seeds and then smoked it in the Alchemy smoker for about an hour. It then gets tossed onto the grill to sear, chopped up and stuffed into fresh iceberg lettuce, with smashed cucumber and carrot slaw and topped with crispy crumbled fried rice paper. The final dish is a bit smoky, savoury, but also cool and refreshing. The perfect app to share with friends or make it your main dish with some sides. Keep reading to find out how to make my Smoked Chicken Lettuce Wraps or jump to the full recipe.
Set smoker to 275F-300F. Cut chicken into smaller chunks, about 10 per breast. Dress chicken with 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, mix and skewer.
Sprinkle the chicken skewer with sesame seeds until coated.
Place in the smoker and cook for 25 minutes.
Cut the cucumbers into 1 to 2 inch thick rounds, then smash with a knife or small plate. Scoop out the seeds and add cucumbers to a bowl.
Shave the red onion and thinly cut the carrot, add to a bowl. Chop the garlic and add it to the onion, carrot and cucumber, and add 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger.
To make the dressing, sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, lime juice hoisin, chili paste, fresh ginger, sesame seeds, cilantro.
Use ¾ of the dressing to dress and marinate salad. Toss to coat and set aside.
Once chicken is fully cooked, remove from smoker and place on the grill to char on all sides.
Break or cut the rice paper sheets into quarters. Add to the plancha and drizzle with oil. Allow to cook and crisp up, flipping once. Remove from the plancha and set aside.
Once seared, remove the chicken from the skewer and chop it up.
To plate, place the iceberg lettuce onto a platter, add the chicken to the lettuce wraps and use the rest of the dressing to drizzle over the chicken.
Add the salad on top of the chicken and garnish with crushed crispy fried rice paper and fresh cilantro.
And now for the full recipe...
Smoked chicken lettuce wraps
Serves 2-3 people
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts
8-10 leaves of iceberg lettuce
3 small cucumbers
1/3 red onion
½ large carrot
4 tbsp sesame seeds
3 tbsp sesame oil, divided
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp hoisin
1 tsp chili paste
2 tbsp freshly grated ginger, divided
4 cloves garlic
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 lime
2 tbsp white vinegar or rice wine vinegar
1-2 rice paper sheets
How to Make Smoked Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Set smoker to 275F-300F.
Cut chicken into smaller chunks, about 10 per breast. Dress chicken with 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, mix and skewer, top with 2 tbsp sesames seeds. Smoke for 25 minutes.
Cut the cucumbers into 1 to 2 inch thick rounds, then smash with a knife or small plate. Scoop out the seeds and add cucumbers to a bowl. Shave the red onion and thinly cut the carrot, add to a bowl. Chop the garlic and add it to the onion, carrot and cucumber, and add 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger.
To make the dressing, sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, lime juice hoisin, chili paste, fresh ginger, sesame seeds, cilantro. Use ¾ of dressing to dress and marinate salad.
Once chicken is fully cooked, remove from smoker and place on the grill to char on all sides.
Break or cut the rice paper sheets into quarters. Add to the plancha and drizzle with oil. Allow to cook and crisp up, flipping once. Remove from the plancha and set aside.
Once seared, remove the chicken from the skewer and chop it.
To plate, place the iceberg lettuce onto a platter, add the chicken to the lettuce wraps and use the rest of the dressing to drizzle over the chicken. Add the salad on top of the chicken and garnish with crushed crispy fried rice paper and fresh cilantro.
