Drain and finely chop the water chestnuts. Finely dice the onion, carrot, and celery. Mince the garlic and ginger. Chop cilantro and set aside some for garnish.

Mix sauce slurry

In a small bowl whisk together soy sauce, hoisin, rice vinegar, sesame oil, chicken broth (or water) and cornstarch until smooth. Set aside.

Cook aromatics

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and vegetables begin to soften, about 4–5 minutes. Add minced garlic and ginger and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

Brown chicken

Add the ground chicken to the skillet, breaking it up with a spatula. Cook until no longer pink, about 5–7 minutes. Use the spatula to crumble the meat into small pieces as it cooks.

Combine with chestnuts and sauce

Stir in the chopped water chestnuts and the prepared sauce. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook 1–2 minutes until sauce thickens slightly and coats the filling. If it seems dry, add an extra tablespoon of broth or water.

Season and finish

Stir in chopped cilantro, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes (if using). Taste and adjust seasoning with additional soy sauce or salt if needed. Remove from heat and let cool 2–3 minutes so it’s warm but not steaming when placed in lettuce.

To Serve

Arrange washed lettuce leaves on a platter. Spoon about 2–3 tablespoons of the warm chicken mixture into the center of each leaf (use more for larger leaves).

Garnish each wrap with extra chopped cilantro and a sprinkle of chopped peanuts or sesame seeds if desired. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze over the wraps.

To eat, fold lettuce around filling like a taco and enjoy immediately.