Spicy Chicken Wraps (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Sauce Ingredients

01 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
02 - 1-2 tablespoons sriracha sauce (adjust to your spice liking)
03 - ½ cup sweet Thai chili sauce
04 - 1-2 tablespoons honey (tweak for more or less sweetness)
05 - ¾ cup mayo

→ Chicken Mix

06 - 4 cloves garlic, minced finely
07 - 1 teaspoon cornstarch
08 - 1½ pounds of chicken (breasts or thighs, no bones or skin), diced to ½-inch chunks
09 - 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, reduced sodium
10 - 1 medium lime—juiced (yields 2 tablespoons)
11 - 1 tablespoon cooking oil (vegetable or canola)

→ Toppings and Wraps

12 - 1-2 jalapeños, finely chopped, deseeded, if preferred (optional)
13 - Lime wedges for squeezing on top
14 - 1 head of butter lettuce or romaine (washed and leaves separated)
15 - 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
16 - 2 cups of warm jasmine rice (cooked)
17 - ¼ cup cilantro leaves, coarsely cut

# Instructions:

01 - Grab a medium-sized bowl and throw in the mayo, sweet Thai chili sauce, rice vinegar, and start with just 1 tablespoon of both honey and sriracha. Stir till smooth and taste as you go. If you like it hotter, add more sriracha (up to 2 tablespoons). For extra sweetness, a little more honey should do it. It's all about what tastes good to you—mix until you're happy with the balance.
02 - Once you're good with the sauce flavor, scoop out about ⅓ cup and set it aside—this bit will be for the chicken later. Cover the rest and chill it in the fridge for now. That'll be the finishing touch for the wraps, and this way, it keeps separate from any raw chicken for food safety.
03 - Dump the chopped chicken into a medium bowl. In a separate small dish, stir together the cornstarch, soy sauce, and lime juice until the cornstarch dissolves. Pour the mixture over the chicken chunks and toss until everything’s covered. This coating helps the sauce stick later. Let the chicken sit at room temp for 10 minutes while you prep your other stuff.
04 - If your rice isn’t cooked yet, now’s the time! Check the packaging, but jasmine rice works well with 1 cup rice to 1½ cups water. To end up with 2 cups of cooked rice, you’ll need about ¾ cup uncooked rice. It should be ready around the same time as your cooked chicken if you start now.
05 - Splash 1 tablespoon of oil into a big frying pan and heat it up over medium-high. Toss in the chopped garlic and give it about 15-20 seconds, stirring, until it smells awesome (don’t let it burn). Using tongs or a spoon with slots, move the chicken into the pan, but leave the leftover marinade behind. Spread it out flat and give it a couple of minutes without touching for a nice sear, then stir and cook another 2-3 minutes until the chicken’s just cooked through. Small pieces cook fast, so don’t overdo it!
06 - Take your pan off the heat and let the cooked chicken cool slightly for about 2 minutes. Dump in the ⅓ cup of sauce you saved earlier and give the chicken a good toss so it’s well coated. It’ll soak up the flavors. If it looks a little too thick, splash in some water or a dash of lime juice to thin it out.
07 - Place your clean, dry lettuce leaves on a big plate or serving platter. Lay out the warm rice, chicken, cilantro, sesame seeds, lime wedges, jalapeños, and the rest of that chilled sauce in their own small dishes. This makes it easy for everyone to mix and match their own wraps.
08 - Grab a lettuce leaf and add about a couple of spoonfuls of warm rice to the center. Top it with the saucy chicken, sprinkle with cilantro and sesame seeds, and toss on jalapeños if you like heat. Drizzle a bit of the extra sauce and squeeze some lime on top. Wrap it up taco-style with the lettuce leaf holding it all together, and dig in! Plan on 2-3 wraps per person for a full meal.

# Notes:

01 - You can make the sauce ahead of time—up to 5 days in the fridge if stored airtight.
02 - For fewer carbs, skip the rice or use cauliflower rice instead.
03 - The cornstarch in the marinade helps give the chicken a silky, saucy texture.
04 - This dish puts a fresh twist on the well-loved bang bang shrimp classic, swapping shrimp for chicken!

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