Crispy noodles give lettuce wraps stuffed with meat a pleasing textural element. Vermicelli rice noodles can be made ahead of time or while assembling the lettuce wraps; they cook quickly in hot oil. Keep an eye on each batch so you can remove the noodles from the oil before they burn.
Drop the noodles into the hot oil in batches. Wait for 5 seconds, then flip the noodles with tongs. When they expand and turn white, or after a few more seconds, remove them with a slotted spoon.
Pour 3/4 cup of canola oil into a wok. Warm the oil for 1 minute in the wok over medium-high heat.
Angela LaFollette graduated from Marshall University with a Bachelor of Arts in advertising and a minor in political science. During a 2007 internship as a reporter for “The West Virginia Standard,” LaFollette discovered her love for writing. She has been writing for more than six years, and her areas of expertise are gardening and animals.
Put the ends of two to three long strands of noodles in the oil. Keep an eye out for the noodles’ ends quickly puffing up. Wait another minute if they dont.
When my husband and I were on our honeymoon, we spent a couple of days in Calgary. After visiting Joey Tomato’s and ordering their Asian lettuce wraps a couple of times, I completely fell in love. My quest had been to re-create the ones we had there, and when I found this recipe, I knew it was the one! These are really messy, which I don’t mind, but hubby ends up using tortillas to wrap them instead. That’s kinda more Mexican-y, but it makes him happy and not complaining, so I let it go. The sacrifices you make…
P. S. You all know how much I detest cilantro, so my recipe doesn’t include it. However, for all of you weirdo cilantro lovers, feel free to add a few tablespoons of freshly chopped cilantro.
If you have leftovers, we prefer to keep the noodles and peanuts separate from the stir fry to prevent them from becoming soggy, but hey, whatever floats your boat. ;).
Try a variety of peppers, don’t worry about the type of mushrooms you have (shiitake, cremini, even plain old white button mushrooms are delicious), and don’t stress if you don’t have all the specified ingredients. For example, chili paste can be swapped out for Sriracha or any other hot sauce.
These Chicken Lettuce Wraps are the best PF Chang’s copycat! They are so simple to make and are perfect for serving up as an appetizer!
These Chicken Lettuce Wraps are incredibly simple to make, surprisingly. Basically, you toss everything into a skillet, add sauce, and stir it for a few minutes before spooning it into lettuce and topping it with crispy, light-as-air noodles.
You might be surprised to learn that until I was in my mid-20s, I had never eaten at PF Chang’s. I never even really had the opportunity until I had lived in Northeast Ohio for a few years because there wasn’t one where I was raised or where I attended college.
Once after work, David and I went there for dinner, and as an appetizer, he got these chicken lettuce wraps. Obviously, I had never seen or heard of these before, but after one bite, I was hooked.
I am making them at home now that we are back to not being close to PF Changs, or at least not within a 20-minute drive, which is about as much effort as I am willing to make these days. I’ve created a sauce recipe that, in my opinion, is very similar to theirs and, even better, that I can quickly pull from my pantry.
And let’s actually move onto the crispy noodles on top. These are called Mei Fun. I would say that my knowledge of Asian cuisine and ingredients is very limited, so I’ll just tell you that they are listed as rice noodles on the package that I purchased. Although they are fried in this instance, they may be the coolest thing to fry ever. I’m not sure how else you would use them.
Except funnel cakes. Funnel cakes are miraculous in their own right.
When you add these to hot vegetable oil, there is a brief moment of sizzling before they all immediately absorb the oil and puff up in your pan. Jonathan helped me make these and he thought it was the most interesting part of the entire process. It’s worth making the wraps just to watch it.
For these, it’s crucial to use a good, sturdy lettuce so it can support the filling without collapsing. I’ve used butter lettuce before, but the head I bought for this was incredibly soft, and as I tried to eat, the lettuce tore, creating a huge mess. Iceberg is always sturdy.
Additionally, I’m considering using endive to make these for my upcoming annual cocktail party. You could definitely serve these cold and prepare everything in advance, which is essentially the holy grail of party hors d’oeuvres, so I think they’d be fantastic for a cocktail party. I have a funny story for you: I really wanted to capture the moment when the noodles were sprinkled on top. I am usually able to hold the shutter down while taking my action pictures, such as of wine pouring syrup. This was different because it required both hands. Jonathan was enthusiastic the first time I showed him how to take a series of continuous photos, but he didn’t learn how to do it again.
FAQ
What are the crunchy things on top of lettuce wraps?
To add yet another crunch to the dish, I like to top them with crispy rice noodles. I used butter lettuce for this recipe, but any lettuce will do. I am aware that some restaurants near my home use iceberg lettuce. You can use it to make a meal or serve it as an appetizer.
What are the crunchy Chinese noodles called?
Mein gon, also known as crunchy noodles or crunchy chow mein, is a type of cracker (or dried biscuit) that resembles noodles that is used in American Chinese cuisine.
What are the crispy rice noodles called?
You can serve the chicken or dipping sauce with the crispy vermicelli rice noodles. You should properly prepare the vermicelli in advance if you want to prepare these delicious rice noodles for dinner. To make them softer, you can use some water or oil. Be sure not to overcook them though.
What kind of noodles puff up in oil?
Because the rice vermicelli noodles are so thin, they don’t really need to be cooked; to soften them, just cover them with hot water in a bowl, and drain them after 10 to 15 minutes, when they are ready. The noodles expand when deep-fried in hot oil to create a tangled, delicate, crisp nest that is frequently used as a garnish.