Da da da daaaaah! Happy New Year everyone. New year, new kitchen gadgets? Yep. Let's break open those Black Friday deals and steals you've been waiting to unwrap. We're plugging in the trendiest new gadget for Instant Pot Pad Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps.
It's time for a little pressure...except in my head I'm saying that without the R but with a AH, because New England yo.
This one time, a guy I worked with told my husband every time he buys a new kitchen gadget his girlfriend told him he had to part with an old one. Hahaha. Not a chance Henry. Love yas, but not happening. There's probably more equity in my kitchen than in the driveway, but then we live in the city so what's in the driveway isn't that important is it?
Anyway....let's talk about the Instant Pot bandwagon and making tasty, heathy Thai wraps.
Instant Pot Pad Thai Chicken
No lies here, the first time I tested out the Instant Pot, I was a little intimidated. Where do I put the lever, why isn't it making that noise my pressure cooker makes, did I put enough time, and on and on. Guys, the fear was totally unwarranted. Once you discover the Instant Pot, everything shall be cooked in the Instant Pot.
Kidding, mostly. So far we've done a few soups, sauces, these Instant Pot Pad Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps, and rice. Oh! And these pork carnitas from Gimme Some Oven that are ????.
My favorite parts about the Pad Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps are:
- They can be made with partially frozen chicken. In a perfect world, you remember to take the chicken out of the freezer the day before and defrost properly. My world? Not perfect. Half defrosted chicken? Happening.
- Leftovers? Endless possibilities. Over rice, sauté with veggies, serve with brown rice noodles, over salad, you name it.
- Reheats are very forgiving. The chicken is tender, juicy and reheats just as good as the first time.
If those aren't enough reasons, just go ahead and make em. Come up with a few of your own, I'm sure you will.
So we have our juicy, savory-sweet pad Thai chicken, in our sturdy Bibb or Boston lettuce cups, then have at it with the toppings. My favs include raw shredded carrots and julienned red pepper topped with Low Calorie Spicy Thai Peanut Dressing. This dressing is the best and I want to put it on everything because it uses peanut butter powder in place of regular peanut butter, it keeps the flavor but looses the calories. Healthy chicken, raw veggies, low calorie richly satisfying peanut sauce? Win win.
Maybe some chopped scallions, cilantro, perhaps even a little pineapple. Whatever strikes your fancy. Go and have fun with your Instant Pot Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps. Then bask in the glory that is a healthy meal, made in little time.
Instant Pot Pad Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
Instant Pot Pad Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- 3 chicken breast (2 ½ to 3 pounds, cut in large 2 to 3 inch pieces)
- 1 head Boston or Bibb Lettuce
- 1 small red pepper (julienne)
- 1 small carrot (peeled and shredded)
- 1 scallion (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon edamame (shelled)
- ¼ cup crushed peanuts
- Pad Thai Sauce
- Low Calorie Spicy Thai Peanut Dressing
Pad Thai Sauce
- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoons lime juice
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ⅛ teaspoons red pepper flakes
Low Calorie Spicy Thai Peanut Dressing
- 4 tablespoons powdered peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 each scallions (roughly chopped)
- 1 teaspoon ginger (paste or fresh grated)
- 1 to 2 teaspoons Sriracha
- ¼ teaspoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons peanuts
Instructions
- For the chicken: Cut chicken into large pieces, about 2 to 3 inches. Place in the instant pot and cover with Pad Thai Sauce. Close the lid to the instant pot and set vent to sealing.
- Press the 'Poultry' Button. The Instant Pot should default to 20 minutes of cooking time. Note: It won't start counting down until it's reached the proper level of heat and pressure. Let the pot naturally release pressure before venting to release the remaining pressure. Once the red bobber is down, you can open the lid.
- Remove chicken from the Instant Pot and shredded into small pieces. Pour ¾ cup juice from the pot over the pulled chicken. Optional: for crispy chicken (think carnitas style), place chicken in a baking dish and pour all the remain juice over. Broil for 10 minutes.
- Pad Thai Sauce: Combine all the ingredients for the Pad Thai Sauce in a bowl and whisk until brown sugar is dissolved. Pour over chicken in the instant pot.
- Remove the lettuce leaves from the core and prepare topping vegetables.
- Prepare the Low Calorie Spicy Thai Peanut Dressing: Combine all ingredients, excluding whole peanuts, in the food processor. Blend until smooth. Add peanuts and pulse 5 to 6 times until roughly chopped.
Casey Derk says
Is one tablespoon of shelled edamame correct?
Lauren says
It's just a little sprinkle for texture so you can use as much as you want, I found about 1 tablespoon to be the right fit but you can adjust that if you want more!
Julie says
I love this recipe! So many Instant Pot recipes are so heavy or comfort-food-ish. I love that this is flavorful, healthy option for a quick weeknight dinner.