Spicy Coconut Grilled Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I have plenty of chicken wrap recipes on my website but these Spicy Coconut Grilled Chicken Lettuce Wraps are in a league of their own! So much flavor packed into such a delicious bite.

Grilled chicken is a go-to at my house during grilling season but I am always trying to think of new ways to keep it interesting! So for #DDGrillWeek 2024, I wanted to pack some delicious flavor into chicken thighs and then pile them into lettuce wraps.

The star of the show here is the combination of the green curry paste and coconut milk! Those two along with ginger, cilantro, and a few other ingredients come together to make a beautiful marinade for your chicken, plus you will reserve some of it to drizzle on top of your lettuce wraps when serving. Paired with some quick-pickled shallots, more cilantro, mint, and peanuts, you will be going back for seconds with these Spicy Coconut Grilled Chicken Lettuce Wraps!

Ingredients:

• Unsweetened Coconut Milk  
• Green Curry Paste: I like Mae Ploy brand
• Grated Ginger: From a jar
• Fresh Cilantro Leaves
• Fish Sauce 
• Coconut Aminos  
• Coconut Sugar 
• Lime Zest
• Kosher Salt
• Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
• Shallots
• Rice Vinegar
• Butter Lettuce
• Fresh Mint Leaves
• Crushed Unsalted Peanuts  

Step-by-Step:

Step One: Make the Chicken Marinade

In a high-speed blender or wide-mouth jar using an immersion blender, combine the coconut milk, green curry paste, garlic, ginger, cilantro, fish sauce, coconut aminos, coconut sugar, lime zest, and salt. Blend until smooth. Reserve ½ cup of the marinade and refrigerate until ready to use.

Step Two: Marinate the Chicken

Place the chicken thighs in a food storage container and pour the remaining marinade over the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and let marinade at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the fridge for up to 6 hours.

Step Three: Make the Quick-Pickled Shallots

Meanwhile, make the quick-pickled shallots by combining all of the ingredients in a small bowl and tossing to combine. These keep well in the fridge for about 4 days.

Step Four: Prepare the Grill

When ready to cook, heat the grill over medium-high heat (350 to 400℉) and oil the grill grates. To do this, dip a wadded paper towel in a little avocado oil and, using tongs, wipe the oil evenly over the grate. Be careful not to use too much oil, because that’s a sure-fire way to start a good flare-up— a little goes a long way here.

Step Five: Grill the Chicken

Cook the chicken over the heat for 4 minutes per side, until the pieces turn golden and grill marks appear. The lid should be closed throughout the cooking process. Flip the pieces once more and turn the heat to medium-low, about 300°F. Using some of the reserved coconut sauce (saving some for serving), use a grill brush and brush the chicken so that it is coated in more of the sauce. Continue to cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the chicken has cooked through and the internal temp is 165°F.

Step Six: Let the Chicken Rest

Remove from the grill and transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 to 8 minutes before slicing into 1-inch strips.

Step Seven: Serve and Enjoy!

To serve, place the sliced chicken in lettuce leaves and drizzle with some of the remaining sauce. Top with pickled shallots, crushed peanuts, fresh mint, cilantro, and a wedge of lime for squeezing.

Recipe FAQs:

I hope y’all enjoy these lettuce wraps all season long! Comment below once you make them!

For More chicken Lettuce Wrap Recipes:

Gochujang Grilled Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Honey-Garlic Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Easy Rotisserie Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce

Whole30 Chicken Lettuce Cups

5 from 11 votes

Spicy Coconut Grilled Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 30 minutes mins

Total: 50 minutes mins

Servings: 6

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Ingredients 

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For the Marinade:

• ▢ 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• ▢ 2 tablespoons green curry paste
• ▢ 4 garlic cloves
• ▢ 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• ▢ 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• ▢ 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
• ▢ 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
• ▢ zest of 1 lime
• ▢ 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ▢ 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat

For the Quick-Pickled Shallots:

• ▢ 2 large shallots, very thinly sliced
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
• ▢ 3 tablespoons rice vinegar

For the Lettuce Wraps:

• ▢ 2 heads of butter lettuce, leaves separated
• ▢ 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
• ▢ 1/2 cup mint leaves
• ▢ 1/2 cup crushed unsalted peanuts

Instructions 

Marinate the Chicken:

• In a high-speed blender or wide-mouth jar using an immersion blender, combine the coconut milk, green curry paste, garlic, ginger, cilantro, fish sauce, coconut aminos, coconut sugar, lime zest, and salt. Blend until smooth. Reserve ½ cup of the marinade and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Place the chicken thighs in a food storage container and pour the remaining marinade over the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and let marinade at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the fridge for up to 6 hours.

Make the Quick-Pickled Shallots:

• Meanwhile, make the quick-pickled shallots by combining all of the ingredients in a small bowl and tossing to combine. These keep well in the fridge for about 4 days.

Grill the Chicken:

• When ready to cook, heat grill over medium-high heat (400℉ to 450℉) and oil the grill grates. To do this, dip a wadded paper towel in a little avocado oil and, using tongs, wipe the oil evenly over the grate. Be careful not to use too much oil, because that's a sure-fire way to start a good flare-up—a little goes a long way here.
• Place the chicken on the grill, cover, and cook for 4 minutes per side, until the pieces turn golden and grill marks appear. Flip the pieces once more and turn the heat to medium-low, about 300°F. Using some of the reserved coconut sauce (saving some for serving), use a grill brush and brush the chicken so that it is coated in more of the sauce. Continue to cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the chicken has cooked through and the internal temp is 165°F.
• Remove from the grill and transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 to 8 minutes before slicing into 1-inch strips.

Serve:

• To serve, place the sliced chicken in lettuce leaves and drizzle with some of the remaining sauce. Top with pickled shallots, crushed peanuts, fresh mint, cilantro and a wedge of lime for squeezing.

Nutrition

Calories: 478kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 49g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.04g, Cholesterol: 215mg, Sodium: 1427mg, Potassium: 957mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 3072IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 81mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Author: Alex Snodgrass

Course: Main Course

Servings: 6

Calories: 478

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