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Friday, February 17, 2012

Latin Spiced Chicken Lettuce Wraps

 
We LOVE lettuce wraps!

Ok, so that is sort of an odd way to start a post, I will admit, but hey, I'm odd sometimes.

Seriously, though, lettuce wraps are one of our favorite meals.  It's light, it's fresh, and it's a chance to play with your food...what more could you want?  Plus, you can add just about anything to them.  Lettuce is a nice way to change things up - to me, it's better than a tortilla because it's got that cold crispiness to it.  It just seems to blend well with anything you put in it!

Oh, and let's quickly talk about the chicken... YUM!!  Probably could rank it up there as one of my favorites.  The Latin spices really brought a nice little OOMPH! to the meal.  It could definitely be a stand alone chicken recipe too, but I highly recommend trying it with the lettuce wraps.  And the sauce... oh yes, the sauce... you will not like me for this one - you see, long story short, Chris brought home some "set your mouth on fire three times" salsa (and I'm NOT exaggerating) and I mixed that with some low fat mayonnaise and a drop or two of lemon juice and that was it.  You can easily do this with Sambal Oelek if you have it (or with Sriracha) - Heck, make up your own little concoction - but you gotta tell me all about it if you do!!

Latin Spiced Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Adapted from Food & Wine
- Serves 2 -
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon orange juice
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 jalapeno, seeded and sliced
handful or more of fresh mint leaves
1/2 English cucumber, sliced
1 cups cooked sticky rice or Basmati rice
1 head green leaf lettuce

Directions:
Mix together the salt, pepper, chili powder, oregano, garlic powder, orange juice, lime juice and olive oil until well combined.  Place the chicken in a resealable bag and pour the marinade over it.  Seal and place in refrigerator for 4 hours.

Preheat grill to 375 degrees F and oil the grill grates.  Remove the chicken from the bag and discard the marinade.  Place the chicken over the fire and allow to cook about 8-10 per side or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160-165.  Remove from grill and allow to rest at least 5 minutes before slicing or chopping into bite size pieces.

To build the wraps:  Top a leaf of green leaf lettuce with a spoonful or more of rice.  Top the rice with a couple cucumber, a slice of jalapeno, and some mint.  Top with pieces of chicken and drizzle on any kind of sauce.  Fold or wrap up like a cigar and enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Pecan Lime Chicken
Two Years Ago:  Baked Asian Style Pork Chops

16 comments:

Jana ★ said...

Una receta muy rica, me encanta el pollo!
Un besito y feliz fin de semana ^^
http://janakitchen.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Oh yes I totally get the lettuce wrap thing. Heavenly. Why don't you live closer?

Beth said...

The spices sound wonderful. If you like the wraps that much, they must be terrific!

Andrea the Kitchen Witch said...

Lettuce wraps are GOOD! Haven't made them in ages, either. Bad me! These look delicious Jenn. I love the color on the chicken. You just know it's going to be flavor filled.

Mary said...

Oh, sweet! I have everything I need to try this next week. That chicken looks delicious!

StephenC said...

I think you've inspired me to use some interesting spices on my roast chicken tonight.

Pam said...

I love lettuce wraps too and the Latin flavor in these sound amazing.

Jean | Delightful Repast said...

Love anything Latin Spiced! These sound delicious, but being a breadaholic I'd love my chicken lettuce wrap even more if I wrapped a piece of bread around it! I really need to knock that off, though, and get used to eating a LITTLE less bread. This would be a good way to start!

Cranberry Morning said...

As I read this, I thought, 'I wonder if I were there if Jenn would make this for me. Sigh.' LOL That chicken does look so good, but I suppose now that you've given me the recipe I could get up and make it myself. :-) Have a great weekend, Jenn!

Georgia | The Comfort of Cooking said...

Jenn, I swear you are the queen of creative marinades! Love this idea for grilled chicken and love it even more that you made it into a lettuce wrap. Healthy and flavorful! Thanks for sharing. Have a great weekend!

Candace said...

Yes, please! I am loving this recipe. This will be perfect in my quest to slim down from my food blogging adventures. Lettuce has ZERO points. That's always a winner with me. :)

Have a great weekend!

Debbie said...

I do love lettuce wraps...another great recipe!http://healthycomfort.blogspot.com/

Mary Bergfeld said...

These flavors sound amazing and I love using lettuce rather than bread as wraps.I really have to try this. I hope you have a great weekend. Blessings...Mary

Lea Ann (Highlands Ranch Foodie) said...

I'm a lettuce wrap fan also and I'm loving this version. Thanks for posting the recipe. Bookmarked!

Dining Alone said...

Lettuce wraps are so perfect here in AZ when it is just HOT out. Thanks for this idea.

Chris said...

These sound yummy, Jenn. I like your sauce idea and I bet these wraps were off the charts good.