Korean-Inspired Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I feel that after a summer lull I've definitely gotten back into the cooking routine, so earlier this week I decided to peruse one of my most favorite cookbooks, Skinnytaste Fast & Slow, to find something yummy to make for dinner.  I settled on these Korean-Inspired Chicken Lettuce Wraps that I've been eyeing ever since I got this cookbook and they were a cinch to put together.  A few notes - you'll have lots of leftover rice {for fried rice the next day!}, make extra sauce as the chicken can get a little dry {we added extra soy sauce when building the wraps}, and a round Bibb lettuce would probably work better than the Green Leaf ones I used {but it all tastes the same even though it can be a bit messy}.  I've definitely decided to add this to my weekday repertoire as something delicious and healthyish for those busy days.

Korean-Inspired Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Cooking Spray
1 lb ground chicken
1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp fresh chopped or grated ginger
12 large outer lettuce leaves
2 1/4 cup cooked brown rice
2 Tblsp gochujang {Korean hot sauce - sub with sriracha or favorite sweet/spicy sauce}
1/2 Tblsp sesame seeds
2 green onions, sliced

Instructions
1. In small bowl, combine soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, and pepper flakes.
2. Heat large deep skillet over high heat and coat with cooking spray.  Add chicken and cook, using wooden spoon to break up the meat into pieces as it browns, about 5 minutes. 
3. Add onion, garlic, and ginger and cook 1 minute.  Pour soy sauce mixture over chicken, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 5 minutes.
4. To serve, top each piece of lettuce with rice, chicken mixture, gochujang sauce, sesame seeds, and green onions. 

Serves 4

adapted from skinnytaste

xoxo,
stephanie marie