These low carb chicken lettuce wraps fix the one thing that sinks the restaurant version: the sauce. A from-scratch mock hoisin built on no-sugar peanut butter and soy stands in for the sugar-loaded jarred kind, so the whole dish lands around 5 grams of net carb, with chicken, smoked tofu, and pine nuts folded into butter lettuce.
A restaurant in my area inspired me to create these Chicken Lettuce Wraps. I always used to order these when we went there to eat because I assumed the wraps were Low in Carbs. Little did I know that the main ingredient in the sauce was hoisin sauce that is full of sugar!
This led me to make a mock version of this great dish with a mock hoisin sauce that is Low Carb. I am not really one for making many Asian inspired meals, but I have to admit that I love these wraps. I also love that this dish is a mix of chicken, pine nuts, and tofu. These are great for lunch or dinner, and your family will love them.
The mock hoisin that keeps it low carb
Hoisin is what gives these wraps their sweet, savory depth, and it is also where the sugar hides; jarred hoisin runs heavy on it. The fix is to build it yourself from no-sugar-added peanut butter, dark soy sauce, a spoon of sweetener, white vinegar, sesame oil, garlic powder, and a few drops of hot sauce. It tastes like the real thing for a fraction of the carbs. Mix the whole batch, use three tablespoons in the wraps, and keep the rest as a dipping sauce on the side.
Build the wraps
The filling comes together fast in a hot wok: green onions, then diced chicken cooked through to 165°F, then smoked tofu and pine nuts for texture, finished with the mock hoisin off the heat. Spoon it into butter lettuce cups and eat them with your hands. They make a quick lunch or a light dinner, and the leftover filling keeps well for meal prep. For more ideas, the keto chicken recipes guide rounds up the rest, and the crispy garlic parmesan wings are another hands-on chicken bite.
Sources:
USDA FoodData Central, nutrient reference for chicken, tofu, pine nuts, and peanut butter
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, safe minimum internal temperature for poultry
Sugarfreechic test kitchen, mock hoisin and lettuce wrap notes
