Healthy Recipes: Fresh and Simple Satay Lettuce Cups

Searching for a fresh and simple dinner that still packs a flavourful punch to round out a hot, Australian day? Look no further than our deliciously easy satay lettuce cups.

Packed with marinated chicken breast, this bright and light meal is a lean source of protein and strikes a satisfying balance between its rainbow of crunchy veggies and smooth satay sauce.

Replacing dinnertime-staples such as pasta, bread and traditional wheat wraps for vermicelli noodles and crisp cos lettuce shell, it’s also gluten-free!

The kids will love constructing their own culinary creations. Better still, the salad, noodles, satay, and marinade can all be prepped ahead of time, so all that’s left to do come dinnertime is cook up the chicken and assemble.

Servings: 4

Total Time: 1 hour

• 1 tbsp rice malt syrup
• ¼ cup + 4 tbsp tamari sauce
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
• 400 g chicken breast*, chopped into cubes or tenderloins
• ½ cup crunchy peanut butter
• 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 2 tsp chilli sauce
• 4 tbsp water (or more as needed)
• 125 g dried vermicelli noodles
• 1 carrot, thinly sliced
• 1 Lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced
• ½ red capsicum, thinly sliced
• ¼ red onion, thinly slices
• 1 head of cos lettuce, rinsed

1. Combine rice malt syrup, ¼ cup tamari sauce, rice wine vinegar and chilli flakes in a medium bowl to form a marinade.

2. Add chicken pieces and refrigerate for at least 30 mins (preferably overnight).

3. Meanwhile, whisk together peanut butter, hoisin sauce, 4 tbsp tamari sauce, and chilli sauce until well combined.

4. To loosen, add water 1 tbsp at a time, whisking after each addition, until a thick but pourable consistency is achieved.

5. Lightly spray a medium pan with olive oil cooking spray and cook chicken in small batches** for 3 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.

6. To assemble, place a forkful of vermicelli noodles in a cos lettuce leaf, add chicken, carrot, cucumber, capsicum and red onion, drizzle with satay sauce, wrap and enjoy!

* For a vegetarian alternative, replace chicken with 400 g tofu

** Cook chicken in batches to allow each piece to fry evenly an avoid stewing the meat in its juices.

Servings: 4

Amount per serving

Calories: 462

Total Fat: 13.3 g

• Saturated: 7 g
• Unsaturated: 6 g

Total Carbohydrate: 41.9 g

• Dietary fibre: 9 g
• Sugars: 2 g

Protein: 43.6 g

Sodium: 832 mg

This recipe has been developed by Brauer’s National Trainer Caitlin Daly. Caitlin is an avid foodie and certified nutrition professional, with a Bachelor of Nutrition and Food Science from the University of South Australia.

If you’ve enjoyed cooking up a storm with our Fresh and Simple Satay Lettuce Cups, why not continue the cooking streak with one of our other healthy recipes:

Healthy Recipes: Loaded Nachos (That Are Actually Good For You)

Healthy Recipes: How To Make Delicious Gluten-Free Banana Bread