Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe

July 18, 2023 by Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CN

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This cashew chicken lettuce wraps recipe is full of flavor, healthy fats and high in protein! It’s healthy, easy to make and a favorite of many!

Key Ingredients

You can’t make cashew chicken lettuce wraps without cashews, chicken and lettuce, of course, and that’s a great base for a healthy recipe like this.

Cashews nutrition provides a healthy dose of several vitamins and minerals, including copper, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin K, zinc, iron and B vitamins. It’s also high in healthy fats and protein.

As such, cashews can help combat heart disease, gallstones, weight gain, diabetes, migraines and potentially even certain cancers. Plus, they support bone, brain and skin health.

We all know chicken is great source of lean protein, and I really recommend opting for organic, free-range chicken to get the highest quality and support humane practices. After all, a healthier animal equals better nutrition. It also tends to taste better and is free of the potentially harmful hormones so many chickens are pumped full of.

Lettuce isn’t the most nutritious food, but it’s extremely hydrating and low in calories. This recipe calls for Boston or Bibb lettuce.

Those are the three main players in this homemade cashew chicken lettuce wraps recipe, but they aren’t the only ingredients. Here are some more of the foods included:

Coconut aminos or tamari: Both coconut aminos and tamari are better, healthier alternatives to soy sauce, offering better nutrition, less processing and fewer additives. Plus, they’re both vegan and gluten-free.
Honey: Honey, especially raw honey, provides that sweetness that makes takes this recipe up a notch, and it is an antioxidant powerhouse that can help provide energy, counter pollen allergies and more.
Garlic: Garlic is one of the most popular foods around, used to add flavor to all sorts of dishes. Plus, it’s remarkably good for you. Garlic can help stave off chronic disease, the common cold, hair loss, cognitive decline, diabetes and more.
Ginger: An anti-inflammatory, antioxidant spice, ginger can help calm the stomach, protect digestion, support the brain and so much more. It’s also a distinct flavor that makes these cashew chicken lettuce wraps pop.
Water chestnuts: An aquatic vegetable, water chestnuts are rich in manganese, potassium, copper, B vitamins and more. They’re also low in calories, making them great for weight management, and support digestion.

How to Make Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps

First, you want to combine the tamari (or coconut aminos) with the honey in a small bowl, and set aside.

Then, heat the coconut oil in a skillet over medium/high heat. Season the chicken with black pepper and sea salt, place in the skillet, and cook until the chicken begins to brown. This should take about three minutes — and make sure to stir occasionally.

Next, turn the heat down to medium, and stir in the ginger and garlic. Add the scallions, cooking for a minute, and then stir in the water chestnuts and tamari/coconut aminos mixture.

Cook about another four minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Then remove its from the heat, and sprinkle on the cashews.

Finally, spoon the chicken and sauce over lettuce leaves, and enjoy!