Thai Chicken Collard Rolls
Ever since I realized you could steam collard greens and use them as wraps, I’ve been scheming about what ingredients to stuff in my next roll. Our honeymoon to Bali provided me with many ideas.
Being situated in Southeast Asia, I saw a lot of Thai and Vietnamese influences on the Balinese menus, specifically Thai Spring Rolls.
I absolutely love these raw, crunchy wraps and their their sweet — yet tangy — peanut sauce. However, being stuffed with glass noodles and veggies, they’re not usually very filling.
The peanut sauce, however, is quite full — full of sugar.
I’m also not too keen on the use of rice paper for the rolls (empty calories if you ask me). Now, collard greens on the other hand — talk about nutrient density!
My new favorite tortilla replacement is chalk full of Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and fiber — with very little calories.
Using lean protein (chicken), vitamin-packed greens, and a low-sugar (super simple) peanut sauce, I came up with a more nutritious, yet still delicious, version of my favorite Asian dish.
These healthy Thai Chicken Collard Rolls are quick and easy, and make a great lunch, dinner, or appetizer.
- 2 Large Collard Greens Leaves
- 6 oz Chicken Breast
- 1 Carrot, julienned
- ¼ Red Pepper, julienned
- ¼ Yellow Pepper, julienned
- 1 T. Natural Peanut Butter
- 1½ T. Soy Sauce or Gluten-Free Tamari
- ½ T. Lime Juice
- ½ T. Honey
- Crushed Peanuts
- Wash collard greens leaves and slice down the middle, removing the large stem.
- Place leaves in a shallow, covered pan with a ¼ inch of water and steam for about 3 minutes.
- Shred the chicken breast, using two forks to pull apart into strands.
- In a small bowl, mix together the peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, and honey.
- Mix the chicken with the sauce.
- Pat the leaves dry with a paper towel and place about ¼ of the chicken mixture on one end of the leaf. Add a few sticks of each of the veggies.
- Roll it up, securing with a little extra sauce if necessary - it should just stick on its own though.
- Garnish with pepper and crushed peanuts.
You can really use any raw veggies you like inside these rolls but carrots do go well with the Thai flavors.
They taste great with soy sauce or tamari for dipping, or you can double the sauce in the recipe to make a dip. However, the nutritional info does not reflect the effect of drenching your rolls.
If you’re serving these as an app, cut them into bite-sized sushi-style rolls.
Not only will it make them easier to share, it also makes them look really cute — and cute food always tastes better :)
Jana @ Happy Wife Healthy Life says:
these look so fresh and delicious! I absolutely love using collard greens as wraps! I make a Mexican version with black beans, ground turkey and corn and salsa, and also like rolling up turkey and cheese in the greens. I have never thought to steam the collards before rolling though. Great idea! I am sure it would help them not to rip as easily.
Whitney English says:
Ohhh love it! I’m totally making that next time! Mexican is my fav :)
Ashley @ Fit Mitten Kitchen says:
Hi Whitney! Popped on over from Cotter Crunch ;-) These wraps look insanely delicious. And I love all of the ingredients!
Whitney English says:
Thanks for visiting! Let me know if you try the wraps! xo
Patti Cakes says:
I must try these! They are so colorful and look delicious!
Whitney English says:
Thanks! They do make a pretty snack right?!
Giselle says:
Those look so good! I’ve used collard wraps for turkey rolls before but didn’t steam them. Such a great idea since they are a little stiff to work with when raw.
Whitney English says:
Yeah, I haven’t tried using them raw but I can see that. Steaming is super easy – only takes a minute and really makes them pliable and a little sticky so they stay rolled better!
Bethann says:
Could these look any more appetizing? I pick up something similar at Whole Foods from time to time and you’ve inspired me to try making them on my own. Thanks for sharing this! xoxo
Whitney English says:
Thanks girl! Always looking out – gotta find ways to reduce that Whole Paycheck :)
Krissy @ Pretty Wee Things says:
YUMMM! I still haven’t tried the last collard greens wraps you posted about and they are definitely on my must-make list. I have found it a little tricky to find the collard greens here (in Australia thought). I wonder if they are called something else? On the hunt this week for sure!
Whitney English says:
Hmmm, if you can’t find collards, you could also use cabbage or another large green leafy veggie – maybe swiss chard? Let me know how it goes!
Tara | Treble in the Kitchen says:
I love Thai anything! These sound fantastic!
flavoursofworld says:
Dishes witch chicken are the best :)