Mexican Lettuce Wraps

A delicious mix of smoky, sweet and spicy, these healthy Mexican Lettuce Wraps are quick, easy and packed with flavor! Loaded with tender chicken, charred corn, crumbled cheese and finished with a creamy chili spiked sauce, this fun twist on elote is perfect as an appetizer, lunch, or light weeknight dinner!

Continue to read on for tips! And, don’t miss the step by step photos showing you how to make this Mexican cabbage slaw recipe!

Updated: This post was originally published in June 2018. I’ve updated the post below to include more information about ground chicken lettuce wraps. Plus, I’ve included a recipe video to show you how easy these Mexican Chicken Lettuce Cups are to make! 

Hey, friends! Before we get corny up in here, I have a question. Have had Mexican Street Corn, also known as Elote, before?

If you just shook your head ‘no’, you have been missing out!! After you are done reading here, make this Elote on a stick. (Full disclosure – those photos are older than I am, so please don’t judge!) Trust and believe, you will be back for more street corn goodness in the form of these lettuce wraps.

For those of you who have had Mexican Street Corn before, well, you already know the deliciousness that is about to happen here!

Mexican Lettuce Wraps

These tasty corn and chicken lettuce cups are ALL about the layers of flavors, friends. We are talking – smoky, tangy, spicy, sweet and savory. Essentially, ALL the incredible flavors!

First up to bat, tender crumbles of mildly spicy, Mexican seasoned lean ground chicken. Then, we have the star of the show, a savory Mexican street corn salad made from a tasty mix of juicy kernels of corn, salty cotija, herbaceous cilantro and tart lime. Next up, cool, crisp, fresh leaves of bibb (or Boston) lettuce. Last, but not least, everything gets finished off with a generous drizzle or dollop of smooth, impossibly creamy, ultra-dreamy, chili spiced sauce.

Basically, these Mexican Lettuce Wraps are going to be your new food obsession!

They are light and healthy, yet super flavorful and perfectly filling. Plus, since they are packed with protein and veggies, they are also something you can feel good about eating!

What are chicken lettuce wraps?

What is Mexican corn?

Mexican street corn, also called Elote, is a classic street food in Mexico. It is made of cooked sweet corn slathered with a spicy mixture of crema or mayonnaise and chili powder, and then dusted with cotija cheese.

Elote is a delicious blend of spicy and sweet, and after one bite, it’s not hard to see why this street food classic is all the rage!

What is Mexican street corn salad? 

Mexican street corn salad, also known as esquites, is simply an off-the-cob version of elote, as described above.

Corn salad is incredibly easy to customize! There are a tons of various tasty add-ins and garnishes that you can used!

For the street corn salad used in these lettuce wraps, I added fresh cilantro, smoked paprika and garlic powder to really amp up the flavor. As well, I took the crema that is normally slathered onto the corn and turned it into a delicious sauce for dolloping, or drizzling onto the lettuce wraps.

If you want to double, triple, or quadruple (no judgment here!) the Mexican street corn salad and the sauce to have on hand for quick lunches or snacks, go for it!

Can it be served cold?

This Mexican corn salad can be served warm or cold! Simply drizzle the sauce over the corn salad when you are ready to eat!

What goes with Mexican lettuce wraps?

Are lettuce wraps healthy?

How to make Mexican Lettuce Wraps?

These Mexican Chicken and Corn Lettuce Wraps and so simple to make! They only require 15 minutes of prep and a few easy steps!

• Cook chicken.  Place ground chicken in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season with cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt and pepper. Cook until the chicken is starting to brown. Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add in the lime juice and salsa verde. Saute until chicken is cooked through.
• Make the Mexican corn. In a medium sized bowl, stir together cooked corn, cilantro, cheese, lime juice and zest, paprika, chili powder and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Make the sauce.  In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, chili powder, cumin, paprika and lime juice.
• Assemble the lettuce wraps.  Spoon the chicken mixture into individual leaves of lettuce. Top with Mexican corn and drizzle with sauce. Enjoy!

Step-by-step photos how to make Mexican Lettuce Wraps

Tips for the best Mexican Chicken Lettuce Wraps:

1. I highly recommend using either bibb, butter, or boston lettuce for these street corn salad wraps. Their broad leaves are perfect for holding a generous amount of filling. You can read more about different types of lettuce to use for wraps.
2. The recipe as written below calls for ground chicken. You can use all lean, white meat ground chicken if you would like. However, the plain packaged combination of white and dark meat ground chicken packs the most flavor. If ground chicken isn’t your thing, you can easily substitute ground turkey!
3. I used homemade salsa verde for the chicken, however you can used canned salsa, or you can use green enchilada sauce if you prefer!
4. The recipe calls for cotija cheese, which is a hard, crumbly Mexican cheese made of cow’s milk. If you can’t find cotija, you can either substitute queso fresco or feta cheese.

These Mexican lettuce wraps are fantastically fresh and loaded with tons of flavor! Plus, they are incredibly versatile! You can serve them as an appetizer, snack, healthy lunch or light dinner!  They are simple to prepare, yet bold on flavor and will definitely have everyone wanting more!

Until next time, friends, cheers – to fresh corn and summer’s bounty!

XOXO

Cheyanne

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The best Mexican Lettuce Wraps recipe plus step-by-step video👇

Print Recipe

5 from 12 votes

Mexican Lettuce Wraps

A delicious mix of smoky, sweet and spicy, these quick and easy Mexican Street Corn Lettuce Wraps are deliciously healthy and packed with flavor!  Loaded with tender chicken, charred corn, crumbled cheese and finished with a creamy chili spiked sauce, this fun twist on elote is perfect as an appetizer, lunch, or light weeknight dinner!

Recipe can be scaled up or down by using the slider if you hover your mouse over the number of Servings.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Appetizer, entree, Lunch

Cuisine: American, Mexican, Tex-Mex

Keyword: chicken, Elote, Esquites, lettuce wraps, Street Corn

Servings: 6

Calories: 237kcal

Author: Cheyanne Holzworth

Equipment

• Large Skillet or Wok
• Mixing bowls (2)

Ingredients

• 1 head Bibb Lettuce – leaves separated*

For the Chicken:

• 1 TBS Neutral Oil
• 1 Pound Ground Chicken
• 1 ½ tsp Ground Cumin
• ½ tsp Smoked Paprika
• 1 tsp Chili Powder
• 2 Cloves Garlic – minced
• 1 TBS Lime Juice
• ¾ Cup Salsa Verde *(or Green Enchilada Sauce)
• Kosher Salt & Ground Black Pepper

For the Street Corn:

• 2 Ears Sweet Corn on the Cob - Cooked* (or a 15 ounce can of Fire Roasted Corn)
• 2 TBS Cilantro – chopped, or more to taste
• 1/3 heapingCup Cotija Cheese * – crumbled, or more to taste
• ½ large Lime – juice and zest
• ¼ tsp Smoked Paprika
• ¼ tsp Chili Powder
• 1/8 tsp Garlic Powder

Sauce:

• ¼ Cup Mayonnaise
• ¼ Cup Sour Cream or yogurt
• ¼ tsp Chili Powder
• ¼ tsp Cumin
• ¼ tsp Smoked Paprika
• 2-3 TBS Lime Juice to taste

Optional: Diced Avocado, Microgreens, Sliced Green Onions, Sliced/Diced Jalapeno, Lime Wedges

Instructions

• Cook the Chicken: Heat oil in a large wok, or fry pan, over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, cumin, paprika, chili powder and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring to break up any clumps, until the chicken is starting to brown, about 3-4 minutes. (Depending on the type of ground chicken you use, drain off any excess fat from the pan if necessary)
• Add vegetables: Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds-1 minute. Add in the lime juice and salsa verde. Lower the heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from heat and transfer to a serving bowl.
• Make the Street Corn: Place the corn, cilantro, cheese, lime juice, lime zest, paprika, chili powder and garlic powder in a medium sized bowl. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt and a pinch of black pepper. Gently stir to combine. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt, pepper, lime juice, cilantro and/or more cheese. Set aside.
• Make the sauce: In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the sauce. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt. Whisk until smooth and well combined. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
• To assemble: Spoon the chicken mixture into individual lettuce ‘cups’. Top with street corn and drizzle with sauce. Garnish with optional toppings if desired. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

1. I highly recommend using either bibb, butter, or boston lettuce for these street corn salad wraps. Their broad leaves are perfect for holding a generous amount of filling. 
2. The recipe as written calls for ground chicken. You can use all lean, white meat ground chicken if you would like. However, the plain packaged combination of white and dark meat ground chicken packs the most flavor. If ground chicken isn’t your thing, you can easily substitute ground turkey!
3. I used homemade salsa verde for the chicken, however you can use canned salsa, or you can use green enchilada sauce if you prefer!  Click HERE for homemade salsa verde recipe.
4. The recipe calls for cotija cheese, which is a hard, crumbly Mexican cheese made of cow’s milk. If you can’t find cotija, you can either substitute queso fresco or feta cheese.

How To Cook Corn on the Cob:

1. Spray or coat corn on the cob with oil and generously season with salt and pepper. Place corn under a broiler and rotate every 1-2 minutes, or until each side of corn is blistered and charred. OR, heat an outdoor grill, or indoor grill pan, to medium-high heat. Oil the grates of the grill and add corn. Grill for a few minutes per side, or until each side of corn is blistered and charred.
2. When corn is done cooking, remove it to a clean work surface and allow to cool slightly. Slice kernels off of the cob and transfer to a large bowl. Set aside.

Nutritional information is an approximation based upon 6 servings.  Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.

Nutrition

Calories: 237kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 436mg | Potassium: 635mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1570IU | Vitamin C: 6.7mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 1.7mg

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