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Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps With Mango Slaw come together in under 30 minutes, featuring juicy glazed chicken meatballs, crisp butter lettuce, and a tangy mango slaw that’s bursting with flavor. It’s the kind of meal that feels light but leaves you totally satisfied.

These lettuce wraps might look light and refreshing—and they are—but don’t let that fool you. They’re also incredibly satisfying and feel just indulgent enough to make any dinner feel special. The chicken filling, perfectly glazed and packed with fresh ingredients like garlic, ginger, and green onions, pairs beautifully with the vibrant, crunchy mango slaw.
I like to make meatballs instead of the typical chicken mixture you find in most lettuce wrap recipes because they’re packed with flavor and hold up well in a glaze. The sauce ingredients cling perfectly to each biter. Meatballs are also easy to prep ahead. Whether you’re setting them out for a group or using them for a healthy lunch during the week, these meatballs make this lettuce wrap recipe a flavorful and practical choice.

Why You Will Love Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Easy and Quick: Ready in less than 30 minutes from start to finish.
- Healthy and Delicious: Packed with lean protein and crunchy vegetables, offering amazing flavor without extra calories.
- Perfect for Entertaining: Easily customizable, allowing guests to build their own versions of these delicious lettuce wraps.
- Great for Meal Prep: Components store well in airtight containers, ideal for preparing ahead.

Key Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ground Chicken: A great substitute for traditional ground pork or ground beef, providing lean protein.
- Mango: Adds sweet freshness to balance the little heat from the chili garlic sauce.
- Butter Lettuce: Offers crisp lettuce leaves perfect for wrapping, though bibb lettuce or iceberg lettuce also work.
- Purple Cabbage, Cilantro, Green Onion and Limes: These fresh ingredients bring color, crunch, and brightness to the mango slaw.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: These help bind the chicken mixture so the meatballs hold their shape while cooking.
- Sesame Oil and Soy Sauce: Classic Asian ingredients enhancing the depth of flavor.
- Fresh Ginger and Garlic: Provides authentic flavor essential to Asian food recipes.
How to Make Asian Chicken Meatball Lettuce Wraps
- Make the Mango Slaw: In a mixing bowl, combine thinly sliced mango, shredded purple cabbage, cilantro, and sliced green onions. Whisk lime juice, honey, chili garlic sauce, and salt in a separate small bowl, then pour over the slaw mixture. Stir well and refrigerate.
- Prepare the Meatball Glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk honey, sesame oil, soy sauce (or coconut aminos), chili garlic sauce, minced garlic, grated ginger, and cornstarch. Set aside.
- Form the Meatballs: Gently combine ground chicken, soy sauce, panko breadcrumbs, garlic, ginger, and green onions in a large mixing bowl. Form into mini meatballs using about a tablespoon each.
- Cook and Glaze Meatballs: Heat olive oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Cook meatballs until browned and fully cooked. Reduce heat to medium-low, add glaze, and toss until meatballs are thoroughly coated and glaze thickens.
- Assemble and Serve: Serve chicken mixture on crisp lettuce leaves, topped with mango slaw. Garnish with sesame seeds, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges.

Tips for Success and Substitutions
- No Chicken? Substitute ground turkey or ground pork.
- Gluten-Free: Omit breadcrumbs or use gluten-free breadcrumbs; substitute soy sauce with coconut aminos.
- Adjust the Heat: Increase or reduce chili garlic sauce according to your preference for little or more spice.
- Add more veggies: Toss in extra shredded carrots, thinly sliced bell peppers, or water chestnuts to the slaw or meatball mixture for added crunch, color, and a boost of dietary fiber and vitamins.
- My meatballs are falling apart—what can you do? If meatballs crumble, add more panko breadcrumbs or a lightly beaten egg for extra binding. Avoid overmixing, and chill the meatballs for about 10–15 minutes before cooking to help them maintain their shape.
Storing and Making Ahead
- Fridge: Store meatballs and slaw separately in airtight containers up to 3 days.
- Meal Prep: Ideal for preparing in advance; easily reheated in a skillet.
- Freezing: Meatballs can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Similar Recipes
Craving more bold, fresh flavors? These recipes are perfect follow-ups to our Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps:

Asian Chicken Meatball Lettuce Wraps with Mango Slaw
Ingredients
For the Mango Slaw
- 1 ripe mango,, thinly sliced
- 2 cups thinly shredded purple cabbage
- ½ cup packed cilantro,, roughly chopped
- 2 green onions,, whites and tender green parts thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce, (like sriracha)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Meatball Glaze
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce, (like sriracha)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
For the Meatballs
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 3 tablespoons panko bread crumbs, (you can omit, but the balls might be a little more difficult to roll)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 2 green onions,, whites and tender green parts thinly sliced
To Assemble
- 5 ounces butter lettuce
- sesame seeds for garnish, (optional)
- chopped cilantro, (optional)
Instructions
- To make the slaw, combine the mango, cabbage, cilantro and green onions together in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, honey, chili garlic sauce and salt. Pour the dressing over the slaw and stir until well combined. Cover and refrigerate to let marinate until ready to serve.
- To prep the meatball glaze, in a medium bowl whisk all of the ingredients for the glaze together and set aside.
- To prep the meatballs, in a large mixing bowl combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs and gently mix with clean hands until well combined. Using about a tablespoon of the meat mixture each, roll into mini meatballs.
- Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium/high heat. Cook the meatballs until they are browned on all sides and are cooked through. Turn the heat down to medium/low heat and add the glaze to the pan. Toss to coat the meatballs. Continue heating and tossing until the glaze has thickened and is clinging to the meatballs.
- Serve the meatballs with the butter lettuce and mango slaw. Garnish with sesame seeds, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Store meatballs and slaw separately; keeps for up to 3 days.
- Substitute ground chicken with ground turkey or pork if preferred.
- Reheat leftovers briefly in a skillet or microwave.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.










Made these as glazed meatballs for Super Bowl. I doubled the recipe and added 1 can of chopped water chestnuts.
I didn’t use as much chili garlic sauce when doubled and it was plenty hot. The sauce “needed something” so I ended up adding rice wine vinegar to taste. That was what it needed. These were a hit and I will continue to make them.
Thank you!
So glad you loved them and I’m happy that you were able to adapt them to suit your taste. Thanks so much for your feedback!
Could you cook these in the oven instead of skillet? If so, how long & at what temp? Thanks!
Hi Anna! Yes, you can try baking them at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.
This s great! Definitely follow the recipe and use the reduced sodium soy sauce. If you’re using a nonstick pan, I think you can reduce the amount of oil.
Since this isn’t going into a lettuce wrap, I’m thinking of making again and just sautéing the meat and not making it into meatballs.
Thank you….great recipe.
So glad to hear you loved these, Alisa! Thanks so much for your feedback.
This was insanely good! My first time making a mango slaw… I think I’m hooked now! Thanks for the awesome recipe ?
Hi, Melanie! I’m so glad to hear you loved this recipe. It always receives rave reviews. Thanks so much for your feedback!
Looking forward to making these tomorrow for dinner! I am wondering what the serving size is? I always love finding recipes with nutritional information but is the 260 calories for 2 meatballs? 4? I see it makes 4 servings but 4 servings of how many? Thank you!!
Hi, Annie! This recipe makes about 24 small meatballs (about 1 to 1/2 inch size) or about 12 large meatballs (1 1/2 inch to 2 inch size). Enjoy!
Thank you for such a fast response!
Made this last night. So good! Even my little guy ate the meatballs!
Hi Kristen! I’m so glad to hear you loved these meatballs. My little one loves them too. I hope you have an opportunity to make them again. Thanks so much for your feedback!
Can you make the meatballs ahead and freeze? Like cook them off and then freeze?
Hi, Jennifer! While I haven’t tried freezing them myself, I don’t see why you couldn’t freeze the meatballs. I wouldn’t recommend freezing the slaw though.
I really enjoyed this recipe.
I made these and my whole family LOVED them! They are truly delicious! I’ll be making them again tomorrow! Thank you for sharing.
These look like delectable little buggers! So tasty looking and the kind of thing I would zero in on at a party where appetizers are served. I’m that guy. I would eat them all.
Hi, Ben! Don’t worry, I don’t judge. I would eat them all too. 🙂