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If you’re looking for a deliciously fun twist on elote chicken, look no further than these boat lettuce wraps! Featuring tender chicken, charred corn, crumbled cotija cheese, and a creamy chili sauce, these Mexican wraps are the perfect mix of smoky, sweet, and spicy flavors. 

Overhead shot of Mexican Lettuce Wraps on a white platter with a ramekin of chili spiked sauce and lime wedges; with a purple linen, wine glasses, small bowl of elote salad and ramekins of crumbled cotija and sliced scallions surrounding the platter.

Updated: This post was originally published in June 2018. I’ve made updates to the post below to include more information about lettuce boats. Plus, I’ve included a recipe video to show you *just* how easy these Mexican lettuce wraps are to make! 

Table of Contents

About these lettuce boats

These tasty corn and chicken lettuce wraps are ALL about the layers of flavors. We’re talking – smoky, tangy, spicy, sweet and savory – essentially, ALL the incredible flavors. Here’s whats happening in this loaded lettuce recipe:

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 butter lettuce (or romaine lettuce if you prefer a more traditional route). Last, but not least, these Mexican wraps get finished off with a generous drizzle of smooth, impossibly creamy, ultra-dreamy, chili spiced sauce.

This boat lettuce with Mexican chicken elote is going to be your new meal obsession. Light and healthy, yet super flavorful and perfectly filling, these protein and veggie-centric lettuce wraps are something you can feel good about eating!

Why you’ll love this recipe

These chicken lettuce boats with ground chicken and corn are quick and easy to make, loaded with healthy and delicious ingredients, and offer a low-carb alternative to traditional wraps. Here’s why you’ll love this recipe for mexican wraps:

  • Versatile. Enjoy this Mexican chicken lettuce boat as a party appetizer, healthy snack, or light lunch or dinner.
  • Nutritious and delicious. These lettuce boats are packed with nutritious ingredients and mouth-watering flavors. It’s both light and filling!
  • Super easy. You only need 15 minutes to prepare these chicken boats with lettuce – perfect for those busy midweek schedules.
Overhead shot of a cast iron skillet filled with Mexican sautéed ground chicken topped with sliced jalapenos and scallions; with a brown ramekin of salt and purple linen surrounding the cast iron skillet. Photo of step 3 in the recipe for Mexican Lettuce Wraps.

What is a lettuce boat?

Chicken lettuce boats, also known as lettuce wraps or loaded lettuce, wraps are a quick and healthy dish made of chicken (or turkey) with vegetables stir-fried in a savory sauce and served in a cool, crisp individual lettuce leaves. Essentially, the lettuce forms a boat for the chicken mixture to rest on.

Ingredients for chicken lettuce boats

Combine lean browned ground chicken, street corn, and spicy sauce for a mouth-watering Mexican corn wrap. Here’s everything you’ll need: 

  • Lettuce – Butter lettuce (such as Bibb or Boston lettuce) is my favorite choice for these lettuce boats. Separate the leaves, rinse, and gently pat dry. Substitution: Use Iceberg lettuce, Romaine lettuce, Little Gem lettuce, or Radicchio lettuce. 
  • Oil – Use a neutral oil to brown the ground chicken. Vegetable oil and canola oil are good options. 
  • Ground chicken – Use the plain packaged combination of white and dark meat ground chicken for these Mexican style wraps or all lean white meat ground chicken instead if you prefer. Substitution: Use lean, low-fat ground turkey.
  • Seasoning – I use a combination of smoked paprika, chili powder, and ground cumin to season the chicken. 
  • Garlic – Mince from garlic cloves for a greater depth of flavor. 
  • Lime juice – Freshly squeezed lime juice is best. Substitution: Use bottled lime juice in a pinch. 
  • Salsa verde – I use my own homemade salsa verde for this elote chicken recipe. You can use canned salsa verde instead. Substitution: Green enchilada sauce works well too! 
  • Kosher salt and pepper – To taste. 
  • Street corn – You need 2 ears of cooked sweet corn on the cob, chopped cilantro, crumbled Cotjia cheese, lime juice and zest, smoked paprika, chili powder, and garlic powder. Substitution: Use a can of Fire Roasted Corn instead. Use feta cheese or queso fresco instead of Cotija cheese, if you prefer. 
  • Spiced sauce – The sauce for these Mexican chicken lettuce wraps consists of mayonnaise, sour cream, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and lime juice. Substitution: Use yogurt instead of sour cream.  

Recipe variations

  • Ground chicken. A good alternative to ground chicken is lean ground turkey. 
  • Vegetarian Mexican wraps. Omit the ground chicken and use vegan ground meat or add other ingredients, such as chickpeas and black beans. 
  • Lettuce. I love sturdy and crispy Butter lettuce for these chicken boats, but you can use Iceberg lettuce, Romaine lettuce, Little Gem lettuce, or Radicchio lettuce. 
  • Wrap. Load the elote chicken mixture into tortillas, taco shells, bread rolls, or sandwich bread if the added carbs don’t worry you. 
  • Dip. Turn this spicy elotes chicken salad mixture into a delicious dip to enjoy with your favorite crackers and/or chips. 
  • Veggies. Add finely chopped red onion and celery for added crunch in these lettuce boats. 
Up close, angled shot of a Mexican Lettuce Wrap garnished with creamy sauce and sliced scallions on a white platter.

FAQs: frequently asked questions

Got questions? I’ve got answers! If you ever run into an issue, have a question, or need any clarification – please feel free to drop them in the comments section. I’m happy to help when I can! 

Best lettuce for lettuce boats?

The best lettuces to use when making wraps is any variety with broad and sturdy leaves. When selecting lettuce for wraps, you’ll want to consider a few things – the size and shape, texture, and flavor.

  • Butter Lettuce: Personally, this is my favorite variety to use when making these lettuce boats. With large, soft, pliable leaves and a mild buttery flavor, they’re a natural for holding a variety of fillings.
  • Little Gem Lettuce: Runner up would be little gem lettuces. Think of these as a miniature version of romaine lettuce, but with a more tender texture.
  • Romaine Lettuce: With sturdy leaves and crisp texture, romaine lettuce will provide a ton of structure for your lettuce wraps and boats. However, just be aware that romaine has a slightly higher water content than butter.
  • Iceberg Lettuce: While it may not be my personal favorite, iceberg lettuce is a pretty famous in the lettuce wrap world. Iceberg has large leaves that can hold plenty of filling; however, I find it to be lacking in flavor and provide a little too much watery crunch.
  • Radicchio: Okay, so not a traditional lettuce to use for boats and wraps; however, radicchio’s sturdy structure and beautiful purple-reddish hue lends plenty of appeal. Just be aware that the leaves do have a pronounced bitterness.

Can I make these lettuce boats with chicken ahead of time?

Make the ground chicken mixture, street corn, and the spicy sauce a day or two in advance and store these elements of this Mexican wrap recipe in separate airtight containers in the fridge. 

Load the ground chicken mixture and street corn onto fresh lettuce leaves with a generous drizzle of the spicy sauce just before you serve this meal. 

Are lettuce boats healthy?

While I am not a dietician, lettuce wraps are a great way to enjoy a healthy Mexican meal without all the unwanted calories, fats, and carbohydrates. However, if you’re looking to make this recipe for ground chicken lettuce wraps as healthy as possible, be sure to use lean ground chicken or low fat ground turkey instead of regular ground chicken which contains a mix of both white and dark meat.

Angled shot of Mexican Lettuce Wraps on a white platter with a wine glass barely visible and blurred in the background.

How to make Mexican lettuce wraps

These Mexican chicken lettuce boats and so simple to make! They only require 15 minutes of prep and a few easy steps. Here’s how:

  1. 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 the ground chicken is cooked through.
  2. 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.
  3. Make the sauce.  In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, chili powder, cumin, paprika and lime juice.
  4. Assemble the lettuce wraps.  Spoon the chicken mixture into individual leaves of lettuce. Top with Mexican corn and drizzle with sauce. Enjoy!

Tips for the best lettuce wraps mexican

  • Lettuce: I highly recommend using either gem or butter lettuces (such as bibb or boston lettuce) because they’re buttery in flavor with a sturdy-yet-tender texture. However, anything lettuce with a broad leaf, such as romaine, works great too.  for these street corn salad wraps.
  • Chicken: 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!
  • Salsa: I used homemade salsa verde for the chicken, however you can used canned salsa, or you can use green enchilada sauce if you prefer!
  • Cheese: 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.

Step-by-step photos: making Mexican wraps at home 

(Please scroll down for the complete printable recipe card.)

Overhead collage step-by-step photos how to make Mexican lettuce wraps.

Serving loaded lettuce

I like to top my chicken elote mexican lettuce wraps with a generous sprinkling of fresh cilantro and a little dusting of smoky paprika. As well, I like to drizzle the lettuce boats with a little Mexican crema for richness and then serve the remaining on the side for dipping. However, there are a TON of ways you can customize these chicken boats, so you do YOU!

What goes with a Mexican wrap?

These lettuce boats Mexican-style are full of protein and vegetables which makes them pretty filling, making them a great appetizer or main meal. Below are a few side dishes to complement a loaded lettuce wrap:

Storing leftovers

Store leftover elote chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and the street corn mixture in a separate airtight container in the fridge for up to 1-2 days. Do not store fully assembled lettuce boat tacos as the lettuce will wilt. Reheat the leftover ground chicken mixture on the stovetop or in the microwave to assemble on fresh lettuce leaves with the street corn. 

Make this spicy elote chicken salad sauce a day or two in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge, ready to make this Mexican chicken wraps recipe with the ground elote chicken mixture. 

Can I freeze leftover wraps?

Yes. Store leftover chicken elote mixture in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the frozen mixture overnight in the fridge and reheat it to serve on fresh lettuce leaves. 

Overhead shot of Mexican Lettuce Wraps on a white platter with a hand lifting one of the lettuce wraps up off the platter; with a purple linen, wine glasses and ramekins of crumbled cotija and sliced scallions surrounding the platter.

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!

Cheyanne

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More lettuce boat recipes!

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

Overhead, landscape shot of Mexican Lettuce Wraps on a white platter with a ramekin of chili spiked sauce and lime wedges; with a purple linen, wine glasses, small bowl of elote salad and ramekin of sliced scallions surrounding the platter.

Mexican Lettuce Wraps

5 from 12 votes
Author: Cheyanne Holzworth
Total Time: 25 minutes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 6
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
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.

Equipment

  • Large Skillet or Wok
  • Mixing bowls (2)

Ingredients 

  • 1 head Bibb Lettuce – leaves separated*

For the Chicken:

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:

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
Course: Appetizer, entree, Lunch
Cuisine: American, Mexican, Tex-Mex

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Overhead, up close shot of a Mexican Lettuce Wrap drizzled with a creamy chili spiked sauce.