Pressure Cooker Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Need a fast meal that doesn't heat up the kitchen? These pressure cooker chicken lettuce wraps are what you need! They're also a great party appetizer — just set out a stack of lettuce leaves and let guests dig in.

Coco Morante
Coco began developing recipes for Simply Recipes in 2016 and is the author of five cookbooks. She is an industry expert on Instant Pot cooking.
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Coco Morante
Published June 18, 2018
Coco Morante
Instant Pot Lettuce Cup Recipe
Coco Morante

Here's a light dinner that's easy to make last-minute and doesn’t heat up your kitchen! Pressure cook the savory chicken filling, then spoon it into lettuce wraps for an easy meal.

Even better, you can make the filling any time of day and it will stay nice and hot in the electric pressure cooker until dinnertime. (I love using my Instant Pot! If you're new to the Instant Pot, check out our post How To Use an Instant Pot: A First-Timer’s Guide.)

A Versatile Pressure Cooker Recipe

This is a versatile, adaptable recipe—a riff on the stovetop Teriyaki Lettuce Wraps here on Simply Recipes. I've made it with ground chicken, but you could also use pork. Switch up the vegetables if you like, too. I’ve made versions with zucchini, with mushrooms (about eight ounces), and a mixture of both.

I’ve also doubled or tripled the amount of vegetables called for here, which helps to stretch the servings a bit.

Lettuce Cup recipe in the Instant Pot
Coco Morante

Which Lettuce to Use?

While the filling is cooking, you can wash and dry the lettuce. Butter lettuce is my favorite, since they’re easy to fold up and eat. The leaves are soft and tender, yet large and sturdy, so they hold plenty of filling. You can also use iceberg, romaine, or even large spinach leaves if you like.

Serve the lettuce wraps on their own as an appetizer or main dish, or with some steamed rice alongside. Oh, and a bottle of sriracha sauce is mandatory in our house, too!

More Great Pressure Cooker Recipes

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Pressure Cooker Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Servings 4 servings

Ground pork will also work in place of the ground chicken, or chopped mushrooms (about 8 ounces) in place of the zucchini.

If you are making this recipe in a larger (8-quart) pressure cooker, you will need to either double the whole recipe or add another 1/2 cup of water, which can be boiled or strained off at the end.

If you're using a stovetop pressure cooker, reduce the pressure cooking time to 8 minutes.

Ingredients

  • For the cooking liquid:
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1/4 cup water
  • For the chicken:
  • 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil (I use avocado oil)
  • 1/2 small red onion, or two shallots, diced small
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
  • 2 medium zucchini, diced small
  • 1 pound ground chicken or turkey
  • 1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • To serve:
  • 8 whole leaves butter lettuce
  • 2 green onions, sliced thinly
  • 1/4 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped coarsely
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Method

  1. Make the sauce:

    Combine the soy sauce, rice wine, oyster sauce, and water for the sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.

  2. Begin cooking the chicken mixture:

    Select the “Sauté” function on your electric pressure cooker and heat the oil. Sauté the onion, garlic, and ginger for about 2 minutes, just long enough to take the raw bite out of the garlic.

    Add the zucchini, ground meat, water chestnuts, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to break up the meat and sauté for 3 minutes. It’s fine if the meat is not yet fully cooked through—you just want to make sure it is broken up into small pieces and mixed in with the diced vegetables.

    Instant Pot Lettuce Cup Recipe turn on saute function
    Coco Morante
    Instant Pot Lettuce Cup Recipe saute the onion, garlic and ginger
    Coco Morante
    Instant Pot Chicken Lettuce Cup Recipe add the chicken, zucchini and water chestnuts
    Coco Morante
  3. Add the liquid and seal the pot:

    Stir in the soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice wine, and water. Quickly close the pot and lock the lid into position. Since this recipe uses a minimal amount of liquid, you want to make sure to trap as much steam as possible.

    Lettuce Cup Recipe in the pressure cooker seal the pot
    Coco Morante
    Instant Pot Chicken Lettuce Cup Recipe add the liquid
    Coco Morante
  4. Pressure cook the chicken:

    Cancel the “Sauté” program on the pressure cooker, then select the “Manual” setting and set the cooking time to 10 minutes at high pressure. Make sure the pressure release valve is set to "sealing."

    When the cooking program has ended, you may either perform a quick release by moving the pressure release valve to “venting,” or just letting the pressure release on its own.

    Lettuce Cup Recipe in the Instant Pot manually cook the chicken
    Coco Morante
  5. Serve the chicken with lettuce wraps and toppings:

    Use a slotted spoon scoop out some of the chicken mixture and place into the lettuce cups. Top each cup with some of the green onions, chopped peanuts, and cilantro. Serve right away.

    Instant Pot Chicken Lettuce Cup Recipe serve the lettuce cups
    Coco Morante