Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons water, divided
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 1/2 cup diced red onions
• 1 pound ground chicken
• Kosher salt
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 head butter lettuce, leaves separated and rinsed
• Roasted peanuts, chopped
• Chopped cilantro
• Thinly sliced scallions

Directions

1. For the teriyaki sauce, pour the soy sauce into a saucepan with 2 tablespoons water; stir in the mirin, honey, minced garlic, and grated ginger. Warm it over medium heat until it reaches a boil.
2. Whisk the cornstarch into the remaining 1 tablespoon water, then stir that mixture into the sauce. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer just until the sauce begins to thicken, about 30 seconds to a minute.
3. Take the pan off the heat and let the sauce cool; it will continue to thicken a bit as it sits. The yield should be about 1/2 to 3/4 cup.
4. For the chicken, place a sauté pan over high heat and warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add half the diced red onions; after about 2 minutes, they should be starting to soften. Add the ground chicken and a pinch of kosher salt, then use your spatula to break the chicken into small pieces. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring here and there, until no raw chicken remains. Move the chicken onto a clean plate.
5. Give the pan a quick wipe, then set it over medium heat with another 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the remaining diced red onions and cook for about 2 minutes, until softened. Add the zucchini and red pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the peppers begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Fold the sliced scallions and cooked chicken back into the vegetables.
6. Pour 6 tablespoons of the prepared teriyaki sauce and ½ teaspoon sesame oil into the pan, then stir everything together. Keep the remaining teriyaki sauce for spooning over the wraps. Remove the pan from the heat, taste the filling, and adjust the seasoning if needed.
7. To serve, spoon several scoops of filling into a lettuce leaf. Top with cilantro, scallions, chopped peanuts, and, if you like, another drizzle of teriyaki sauce. Leftover teriyaki sauce will keep for about 1 week in the refrigerator.