20 Minute Chicken Satay Lettuce Wraps

20 Minute Chicken Satay Lettuce Wraps have all the flavor of Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce but are ready in just 20 minutes!

Hey you – happy Monday! How was your weekend? Did you do anything fun? Saturday was a beautiful, crisp fall day, so we took our own mini pumpkin to the pumpkin patch!

We were already out and about that morning having family pictures taken by my talented friend Lindsey Koch (if you live in the Twin Cities or central Iowa area – she’s your girl!) so we hopped over to Howell’s Pumpkin Patch afterwards for pumpkin picking and open-arm twirling in the sunshine. Did I mention how gorgeous it was outside?

Howell’s is incredibly picturesque and felt like a fall wonderland. They have tons of activities for kids – swings, tractors, animals, a big area with games and slides (which you had to pay for and we skipped,) plus spots for awkward photo ops. Lincoln used up all his good “cheesing” during the photo shoot and had no patience for more posing with Mom!

Howell’s has some fun for the adults, too. Despite Ben’s face, he requested this picture…meanwhile Lincoln requested that we not address him until this…this…whatever it was, was over. Dad, you’re embarrassing me! ;)

We left with a barrel full of pumpkins, and sweet 2 year old, too! Central Iowan’s – if you have yet to get your pumpkins this year definitely head to Howell’s. Lincoln had a great time plus there’s tons of mums for sale and a cute gift shop to browse too. Wish I wasn’t allergic to everything that grows because we’d definitely come back for our Christmas tree in a few months (Howell’s is also a tree farm!)

Thoughts of Christmas trees (eek!) aside – I’m so excited to share the recipe for 20 Minute Chicken Satay Lettuce Wraps with you today – the perfect busy Monday night meal!

Satay is a skewered and grilled meat dish, and Chicken Satay is marinated chicken threaded onto skewers then grilled and served with a peanut sauce. Translation: ain’t nobody got time for that. Not if you’re wanting to enjoy the flavors of Chicken Satay in under 20 minutes, anyway!

I’ve wanted to share a recipe for Chicken Satay on the blog for years now, but the fact that there’s exactly ONE recipe for skewered and cooked food here on IGE (oh hey, Sausage and Shrimp Skewers!) tells you that I have zero patience when it comes to gingerly threading food onto sticks for dinner. Especially when there’s a whole marinating step before it.

Chicken Satay Lettuce Wraps to the rescue! Ground chicken is cooked then sizzled with a delicious peanut sauce laced with coconut milk, curry, fresh lime juice, ginger, garlic, and a little bit of chili then scooped onto lettuce wraps and eaten taco style. NO marinating, 20 minutes, 1 skillet, fresh, healthy, and AB-solutely delicious.

I really, really loved the slightly exotic taste of this dish and, while the ingredient list might look a little long, all I had to buy was ground chicken, a can of coconut milk, and the lettuce wraps. The rest I already had on hand. No need to shell out a ton of time and money to order this dish at a restaurant – whip it up tonight at home!

Start by heating 1 Tablespoon grapeseed or other neutral tasting oil in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2lbs ground chicken, 1 large chopped shallot, salt, and pepper then break the chicken up as it cooks.

I used this Smart Chicken ground chicken breast. Super easy! If you can’t find ground chicken in your grocery store, ask the butcher to grind up 2lbs chicken breasts for you.

Meanwhile make the tasty peanut sauce. First microwave 1/4 cup lite coconut milk and 1/4 cup peanut butter in a bowl for 25 seconds then stir until smooth.

I prefer using lite coconut milk, as I can’t taste any difference in the final dish vs using full-fat. I also love this Earth Balance Creamy Peanut Butter because it’s gluten-free. It can be difficult to find GF peanut butter so I always have this brand on hand!

Next add fridge and pantry staples including 1/4 cup chicken broth, 2 Tablespoons gluten-free Tamari (or soy sauce, but dish will not be GF,) 1 Tablespoon each fresh lime juice and sugar, 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce, 1-1/2 teaspoons sesame oil, 1 teaspoon curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (optional, but I loved the tiny kick of heat!) Stir everything together until smooth. Don’t you love that vibrant curry powder color??

Once the chicken is cooked through, add the sauce then cook until thickened and nearly absorbed by the chicken – 2-3 minutes.

Take the skillet off the heat then stir in 1/4 cup chopped cilantro. That’s it!

Let the chicken cool slightly then scoop onto lettuce leave (I love butter lettuce for lettuce wraps,) then sprinkle with chopped peanuts and fresh cilantro, and dig in!

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To recap – cook chicken, make sauce, add chicken to sauce, and serve! 20 minutes (or less) and you’ve got a fresh and healthy dish on the table. Enjoy!!