Chef John’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

• Chicken Mixture:
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, coarsely chopped
• 1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and minced
• 1 cup diced shiitake mushroom caps
• 1/2 cup minced yellow onion
• 1/3 cup chopped green onion
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• Glaze:
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, or to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, or to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped green onion, or to taste
• 16 leaves iceberg lettuce, or as needed

Directions

Stir chicken, water chestnuts, mushrooms, yellow onion, 1/3 cup green onion, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ginger, and 2 teaspoons brown sugar together in a bowl. Pat mixture down, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use.

Whisk chicken stock, rice wine vinegar, garlic, ketchup, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sesame oil, 2 teaspoons brown sugar, red pepper flakes, and dry mustard together in a bowl until glaze is well-mixed.

Heat vegetable oil in a heavy nonstick skillet over high heat. Cook and stir chicken mixture in hot oil until chicken no longer looks raw, about 2 minutes. Pour 1/2 of the glaze mixture into chicken mixture; cook and stir over high heat until chicken begins to caramelize and brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-low, pour remaining glaze into chicken mixture, and cook until heated through and slightly reduced, about 3 minutes more. Stir in cilantro, basil, and 1 1/2 tablespoons green onion. Transfer chicken mixture to a bowl and serve with lettuce leaves to wrap.