Chicken Sisig Lettuce Wraps
A fun and fresh appetizer that takes everything you love about traditional sisig and wraps it in crunchy lettuce leaves for easy serving.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 350kcal
Ingredients
For the Sisig Filling
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh calamansi or lemon juice
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon sugar or honey
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon oil for searing
- 1 small chicken liver, finely minced (optional) Classic addition for flavor
- 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
- 2-3 pieces bird’s eye chiles, thinly sliced Adjust to taste
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter (optional for extra sizzle)
- 1 large head iceberg or romaine lettuce, leaves separated and washed
- 1 small fresh calamansi or lemon wedges for serving
- to taste salt
Instructions
Preparation
- In a bowl, combine soy sauce, calamansi or lemon juice, garlic, sugar, and black pepper. Toss in the chicken and coat well. Let it sit for at least 20 minutes or up to 3 hours in the fridge.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with oil. Shake off excess marinade from the chicken and sear skin-side down until brown, about 5 to 6 minutes. Flip and cook another 4 to 6 minutes until the thickest part reaches 165°F.
- Transfer to a cutting board to rest. In the same pan, if using, add butter and quickly cook the minced chicken liver for 1-2 minutes until just done. Chop the rested chicken into small, sisig-style pieces.
- Return the chopped chicken to the skillet with the cooked liver. Add chopped red onion and sliced chiles. Stir for 1-2 minutes until the onion softens slightly.
- Off the heat, mix in mayonnaise until it lightly coats the sisig. Taste and adjust with salt, calamansi or lemon, or extra chilies if desired.
Assembly
- Separate and wash lettuce leaves, drying them well to maintain crunch.
- Spoon warm sisig into each leaf, avoiding overfilling.
- Serve with calamansi or lemon wedges for squeezing.
Toppings
- Set out bowls of toppings for guests to customize their wraps: extra sliced chiles, chopped red onion, thin cucumber slices, mayo or yogurt, crushed chicharrón or toasted panko, scallions or cilantro, lime or calamansi wedges.
Notes
These wraps taste best fresh with warm sisig and cold, crispy lettuce. To make ahead, store the sisig in the fridge and reheat before serving. Leftovers keep for up to two days; simply reheat and use new lettuce leaves.