Jerk Chicken Lettuce Cups (Print Version)

Spiced jerk chicken paired with fresh mango salsa and coconut crema in crisp lettuce cups.

# What You'll Need:

→ Jerk Chicken

01 - 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
02 - 2 tbsp jerk seasoning
03 - 1 tbsp olive oil
04 - 1 tbsp lime juice
05 - 1/2 tsp salt

→ Mango Salsa

06 - 1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
07 - 1/2 small red onion, finely diced
08 - 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
09 - 1 small jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
10 - 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
11 - Juice of 1 lime
12 - Pinch of salt

→ Coconut Crema

13 - 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or coconut yogurt
14 - 2 tbsp coconut milk
15 - 1 tbsp lime juice
16 - 1/2 tsp honey, optional
17 - Pinch of salt

→ To Serve

18 - 8 large butter lettuce leaves or romaine hearts
19 - Fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
20 - Lime wedges

# How to Make It:

01 - In a medium bowl, combine chicken pieces, jerk seasoning, olive oil, lime juice, and salt. Toss thoroughly to coat all pieces evenly. Marinate for a minimum of 15 minutes to allow flavors to infuse.
02 - While chicken marinates, combine diced mango, red onion, bell pepper, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, and salt in a separate bowl. Mix gently until evenly combined. Set aside until ready to assemble.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, coconut milk, lime juice, honey if using, and salt until the mixture reaches a smooth, pourable consistency. Refrigerate until service.
04 - Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add marinated chicken and cook, stirring frequently, for 6 to 8 minutes until fully cooked through with light charring on the edges. Transfer to a clean plate.
05 - Arrange lettuce leaves on a serving platter. Distribute cooked jerk chicken evenly among the leaves, top each with mango salsa, and drizzle with coconut crema. Garnish with additional cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The whole thing comes together in under 45 minutes, leaving you actual time to enjoy people instead of being stuck in the kitchen.
  • It's naturally gluten-free and can be dairy-free, so you're not scrambling when someone mentions their dietary needs.
  • Each bite tastes like you spent hours preparing it, when really you just marinated chicken and chopped some fruit.
02 -
  • Don't marinate the chicken longer than 30 minutes or the lime juice will start cooking it raw-style, which is delicious but not what we're going for here.
  • The lettuce cup integrity depends on not oversaturating—spoon the salsa gently and let the crema do the binding, not drown everything.
03 -
  • Toast your jerk seasoning in a dry skillet for 30 seconds before mixing it with the chicken to wake up all those spices and make the flavor pop even harder.
  • If your mango isn't quite as ripe as you'd like, a tiny pinch of extra sugar in the salsa rounds out the tartness without anyone noticing what you did.
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