Kickin’ Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps (Sous Vide)

Who doesn't love buffalo chicken lettuce wraps? That's what I want to know. They're one of those, “these totally feel like cheating but they're totally not” dishes that taste so incredibly right without that chunk-a-lunk belly feeling after indulging in a guilty pleasure.

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Now, imagine that satisfaction when coupled with the JUICIEST most TENDER chicken you've ever had? Totally not exaggerating, guys. Hear me out. The Sous Vide method cooks chicken in all of the right ways. So well that I regret to inform my slow cooker that it just got demoted to being a lesser used kitchen item. Trust me when I tell you that you will never want to cook your chicken any other way.

Don't get me wrong, I am a huge, huge fan of the slow cooker. Always have been, always will be. But when we received a Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker as a wedding gift the way we cooked meat changed forever. I will always have a special place in my heart for my slow cooker, but I just can't begin to explain how much better meat can taste when cooked in a water bath! It retains all of the moisture, it doesn't dry your meat out and it seems to absorb all of the flavors of your seasonings that much more.

*Note, you can follow this same recipe using a slow cooker if you don't own a Sous Vide, but I'd still highly recommend getting one if you prefer juicy chicken.

Related:
Sous Vide French Onion Short Rib Sliders
Perfectly Crispy Buffalo Wings

Sous vide means “under vacuum” in French, which is where this cooking technique got it's name. The food is vacuum-sealed in a bag and cooked in a temperature-controlled water bath. This allows you to achieve precise results rather than accidentally over-cooking your food. For example, if you like your steak medium-rare but enjoy a nice, flavorful crisp on the outside, it can be extremely difficult to properly sear the outside while maintaining the right shade of pink on the inside. The Sous Vide Precision Cooker produces results that are impossible to achieve through any other cooking method, as boasted by the brand. And rightly so.

It's also super beneficial because it's a drop-and-go kitchen tool. It's like a slow cooker, in some ways, in that all you have to do is set it up and forget about it until your little mobile app tells you that the cooking time is up. The major difference is that your food won't over-cook or burn, which is possible with a slow cooker.

There are two ways you can seal the meat. The first is using a vacuum sealing device which sucks all of the air out of the bag. Or, you can using the water immersion technique with a zip seal bag. I chose the latter for this recipe because I didn't want too much sauce to be sucked out.

This is a super easy recipe! You don't need to be a pro in the kitchen to use the Sous Vide which is why I love it so much. Plus, you can use the shredded chicken for more than just wraps! Try using it on a homemade pizza, on top of a salad, on a plate of nachos, in a sandwich, and maybe even with your scrambled eggs!

If you're looking for other dishes like this, try my Sous Vide French Onion Short Rib Sliders or my Perfectly Crispy Buffalo Wings!

Print Recipe

Sous Vide Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Servings

Ingredients

For the chicken:

• 3 lbs Chicken Breast
• 1 cup Buffalo Sauce
• 1 tbsp Honey
• 1 tbsp Chili Lime Cholula
• 1 tsp Green Scotch Bonnet Pepper Sauce
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tbsp butter
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• Salt & Pepper to taste

For the wraps:

• 6 large Lettuce Leaves Bibb or Iceberg
• Gorgonzola Cheese
• Shredded Carrots
• Celery sliced into small pieces
• Blue Cheese or Ranch Dressing

Servings Ingredients For the chicken: 3 lbs Chicken Breast 1 cup Buffalo Sauce 1 tbsp Honey 1 tbsp Chili Lime Cholula 1 tsp Green Scotch Bonnet Pepper Sauce 3 cloves garlic minced 1 tbsp butter Juice of 1/2 lime Salt & Pepper to taste For the wraps: 6 large Lettuce Leaves Bibb or Iceberg Gorgonzola Cheese Shredded Carrots Celery sliced into small pieces Blue Cheese or Ranch Dressing

Instructions

1. Set the Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 150ºF.
2. Trim and season chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Place in a large Ziploc bag.
3. Whisk together 1/2 cup buffalo sauce (I use Frank's), honey, chili lime cholula, green scotch bonnet pepper sauce and garlic. Pour the sauce over the chicken.
4. Use the water immersion technique to seal the bag and place in the water bath. Set your timer for 1 hour.
5. Remove the chicken from Ziploc bag and reserve the liquid. Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces using two forks.
6. In a large sauce pan, melt 1 tbsp of butter. Add the liquid from the reserved cooking liquid, 1/2 cup of buffalo sauce and the juice of 1/2 lime. Bring to a boil then simmer.
7. Add the chicken to the simmering sauce and stir to coat evenly. Adjust flavor as needed.
8. For the lettuce wraps, place 1/2 cup of shredded buffalo chicken into each leaf. Top with carrots, celery, gorgonzola and your dressing of choice.

Recipe Notes

*Note, you can follow this same recipe using a slow cooker if you don't own a Sous Vide, but I'd still highly recommend getting one if you prefer juicy chicken.

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