Slow-Cooker Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps
In this updated lettuce-wrapped version of Buffalo chicken wings, you have all of the flavorful goodness of the original and none of the guilt that comes with deep-frying. Here, chicken is gently slow-cooked in a beer-based sauce, then shredded, stuffed into crisp lettuce leaves and topped with salty blue cheese for a fresh-tasting, party-worthy dish.
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Ingredients:
- 2 lb. (1 kg) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 Tbs. olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 10 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, chopped
- 6 Tbs. (3 oz./90 g) tomato paste
- 1/3 cup (3 fl. oz./80 ml) medium-hot hot-pepper sauce such as Frank’s RedHot, plus more for serving
- 1/3 cup (3 fl. oz./80 ml) beer
- 2 Tbs. rice vinegar
- 1 Tbs. firmly packed light brown sugar
- 12 butter or iceberg lettuce leaves
- About 3/4 cup (3 oz./90 g) crumbled blue cheese
- 1/4 cup (1/2 oz./15 g) chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley
Directions:
Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper and transfer to a slow cooker.
In a fry pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion, celery and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, chipotle chiles and tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute longer. Add the hot-pepper sauce, beer, vinegar and sugar, and bring to a boil, stirring often. Remove from the heat.
Transfer the contents of the pan to the slow cooker, turning the chicken to coat evenly. Cover and cook on the low setting for 5 hours. The chicken should be very tender.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate. Let the sauce stand for a few minutes, then, using a large spoon, skim any fat from the surface. Transfer the sauce to a blender or food processor and process until smooth.
Using 2 forks, shred the chicken into bite-size pieces and transfer to a bowl. Drizzle the chicken with about 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) of the sauce and toss gently to coat evenly. (Store any leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.) Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and hot-pepper sauce if needed.
To assemble the wraps, arrange the lettuce leaves in a single layer on 1 or 2 large platters and spoon the shredded chicken onto the center of each leaf, dividing it evenly. Top the chicken with a sprinkle of cheese and parsley and serve. Pass additional hot-pepper sauce at the table. Makes 12 wraps; serves 6.
Adapted from Williams Sonoma Everyday Slow Cooking (Weldon Owen 2018)
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