Fill Up Guilt-Free with Spicy Chicken Lettuce Cups

Crisp cups of lettuce filled with savory, sweet and spicy chicken make for fun party bites, but theyre also great for a quick low-carb meal thats more filling than a salad. Its a common weeknight meal at my house because its easy to prepare and you can get creative with the filling. This time, I used a blend of hoisin sauce, soy sauce and Sriracha, for a nice balance between sweet, savory and spicy. The fried shallots that go on top add some texture and pack a wallop of flavor. Try seasoning the meat using chili powder, garlic and salt for lettuce tacos, or fish sauce garlic and basil for something with a Southeast Asian flair. Likewise, I used chicken for this dish, but you could just as easily use ground beef, pork, or even crumbled firm tofu to make this dish. Fresh herbs or nuts make a great topping, and of course you can use any leaf vegetable that will hold a filling. If youre entertaining, just fry the shallots and cook the chicken mixture ahead of time, and store the trimmed lettuce cups in the fridge. When your guests start arriving, pop the chicken in the microwave to reheat for a quick canapé.

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Marc Matsumoto is a culinary consultant and recipe repairman who shares his passion for good food through his website norecipes.com. For Marc, food is a life long journey of exploration, discovery and experimentation and he shares his escapades through his blog in the hopes that he inspires others to find their own culinary adventures. Marcs been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today, and has made multiple appearances on NPR and the Food Network.