- Teri Hatcher shared a lettuce wrap recipe starring air-fried chicken thighs and pickled veggies.
- The dish is gluten-free, protein-packed and ideal for hot weather since it requires no oven.
- You can customize the quick-pickled veggies and swap in your favorite protein to make it your own.
Teri Hatcher is best known for her roles on Desperate Housewives and Lois & Clark, but lately she’s been showing off her culinary side. The actress and self-described foodie has been sharing her kitchen creations on Instagram—and her latest is one we’ll be making on repeat.
The recipe title—Chicken Thigh Quick-Pickled Veggie Lettuce Wraps—may be a mouthful, but these wraps are fresh, flavorful and just right for the summer. Plus, they’re naturally gluten-free, a quality Teri says she appreciates. “That’s right,” she tells the camera, “no gluten!”
She also promises to share some of her cooking tips and tricks, starting with her go-to cooking appliance: a Philips Twin TurboStar Airfryer. “It’s my secret weapon,” Hatcher says.
To make the wraps, she starts by seasoning three large, skin-on chicken thighs with salt and pepper, drying the skin well for a crisp finish and air-frying them at 400° F for 22 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Another tip? Hatcher says she puts the air-fryer basket straight into her dishwasher, making cleanup fast and easy.
While the chicken cooks, Hatcher preps her tangy topping: a mix of quick-pickled vegetables. She slices cucumbers, red bell peppers, carrots and shallots, then pours a hot vinegar brine over them. The brine is made from apple cider vinegar, rice wine vinegar, water, salt and a blend of spices like mustard seed, fennel, peppercorns and star anise. After just 30 minutes in the fridge, the veggies are crisp, colorful and ready to go.
One of the best things about these lettuce wraps is how easily the pickled veggies can be customized to your tastes. You could swap in thinly sliced radishes, zucchini ribbons or shredded cabbage based on what you have on hand—or what’s fresh at the farmers market. The same goes for the protein: Hatcher opts for chicken thighs, which are juicy and flavorful, but you could air-fry tofu, shrimp or even salmon for a pescatarian twist.
To assemble the wraps, Hatcher layers the chopped chicken and pickled veggies into crisp Bibb lettuce leaves, creating a hand-held dish that’s light, satisfying and full of texture. “Aren’t those beautiful?” she asks, admiring the final plate.
With its balance of protein, fiber and freshness, this recipe checks all the boxes. It’s nutrient-rich, incredibly simple and ideal for meal prepping—you can keep the pickled veggies in the fridge for up to a week and mix and match as the mood strikes. You could also bring this wrap to work—just leave the pickled veggies in a separate container and add them to your wrap when you’re ready to eat.
While whipping up her simple summer wraps, Hatcher even shares a few personal reflections about her family and words of encouragement for those who are taking care of relatives as they get older. “Let’s keep reminding each other—you’re not alone,” she says. “I know this is hard. We’ve got this.”
And when it comes to getting dinner on the table in under 30 minutes? Teri’s definitely got that, too.
