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These crave-worthy 30-minute Instant Pot Ginger Chicken Lettuce Wraps are light, crisp, and make for an easy weeknight dinner.
I’m all about cool and crisp dinners lately. And that doesn’t mean we’re living on a rotation of salads and cold cut sandwiches here—these lettuce wraps totally fit the bill. And! With fresh veggies and tender pulled ginger chicken, this 30-minute Instant Pot meal is a thumbs up on weeknights. Which is a necessity for us right now, because this newborn baby business is no joke! Evenings are no longer our own. Though we’ve been enjoying the convenience of HelloFresh every few nights, I just can’t deprive myself of creative time in the kitchen. No matter how tired and zombie-like I am ;)
This week, for the sake of convenience AND battling these scorch-y temps, I came up with this quick and convenient meal.
Put your own spin on these Instant Pot Ginger Chicken Lettuce Wraps.
I try my best to create recipes that are open to adaptations. I don’t know about you, but when I read a recipe online, I use it as a guide and put my own touches on it. These wraps welcome a variety of veggies—like carrots, red cabbage, etc. Personally, I’m a sucker for cool cucumbers and zippy scallions when it comes to building on ginger and sesame-infused dishes.
Additionally, if using a leaf of lettuce for a wrap isn’t your thing, you could swap them for warm pillowy tortillas.
I served these wraps as seen in the photos—no sauce. But I’ve included a lip-smacking sauce recipe in the recipe card in case you want to amp things up a bit. I was just in the mood for clean and simple when I first made these. Both options are delicious :)
If lettuce wraps ARE your jam, you might want to add these Instant Pot Chicken Shawarma Lettuce Cups to your “to-eat” list.
Anyway. I hope you have a great rest of week!
If you try this recipe or create your own variation, let me know in the comments! I love connecting with you. Then snap a photo and tag me on the Insta @killing__thyme to be featured in our newsletter.
Instant Pot Ginger Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
- 3 lbs chicken, boneless and skinless, Can be thighs or breasts; look for cruelty-free ethically-raised
- 2 heads of romaine or bibb lettuce
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup sesame oil
- 1 lime, juiced
- 3 cloves of garlic, grated or minced
- 2 TBSP fresh ginger, grated or minced
- 4 TBSP hoisin sauce
- 1 TBSP rice vinegar
- 2 TBSP raw honey
- 2 TBSP soy sauce
- 1 serrano pepper or chili pepper, grated/minced
Toppings.
- 2 cups cooked jasmine rice
- 3 Kirby cucumbers, sliced into spears, *See notes
- 3 scallions, sliced into bite-sized chunks
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin spears
- 1/2 cup crushed or chopped peanuts
- 2 limes, cut into wedges for serving
Hoisin Drizzle. (Optional)
- 4 TBSP hoisin sauce
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
Instructions
- Cook the jasmine rice as per the directions on the package. While the rice cooks, move onto the other things.
- Whisk the oils, lime juice, garlic, ginger, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, honey, soy sauce, and hot pepper together in a large bowl until well combined; set aside.
- Place the chicken into the Instant Pot, then transfer the sauce mixture into the Instant Pot over the chicken. Close the lid (follow the manufacturer's guide for instructions if needed). Set the Instant Pot to the Manual setting, and set the timer to 12 minutes on high pressure. Ensure that the steam valve is set to 'sealing'.
- In the meantime, wash and prep the lettuce, cucumbers, scallions, and bell pepper; set aside onto a serving platter.
- When the Instant Pot cycle is done, carefully turn the steam valve and let all of the steam release. Once the steam is done releasing, carefully unlock and remove the lid from the Instant Pot. Once the steam rises, take two forks and shred the chicken until you have pulled chicken. Stir the chicken around to coat it in the sauce and let it sit for a few minutes to soak up the flavors.
- Transfer the chicken to a large serving bowl. Do the same with the rice, and serve along with the lettuce, veggies, crushed peanuts, and lime wedges.
Hoisin Drizzle. (Optional)
- Mix the hoisin and vinegar in a small bowl until well combined.
Do you put the chicken on the wire rack and then use the sauce mixture over the top? Do I need to add any water before I pressure cook the chicken?
Hi Kristen,
You’re not going to use the wire rack. Just pop the chicken into the pot with the sauce, which should be enough liquid to come to pressure. Good luck!