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5 from 5 reviews

Cooked Lettuce in Chicken Broth (Any Lettuce Type!)

20 minutes
garliclettuce
By: Pamela Reed
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This Cooked Lettuce (in Chicken Broth) recipe transforms regular raw lettuce into a deeply flavorful side dish! The leaves soak up tons of flavor as they saute in garlic and broth, leaving you with an addictive, savory, and smoky meal.

cooked lettuce in chicken broth in pan

Braised lettuce in chicken broth recipe

Lettuce isn’t just for salads—this cooked lettuce dish proves it. Braised in chicken broth and garlic, this simple recipe transforms lettuce into something warm, savory, and ready in 30 minutes.

If sautéed or braised lettuce sounds unusual, one bite will change your mind. Simmering it in broth brings out a mellow, comforting flavor that’s even better than eating it raw.

With just 4 ingredients, this braised lettuce still delivers big flavor. It’s perfect when you’re looking for recipes for using up lettuce (just like my lettuce soup!) or when you need an easy side for dinner.

tongs on white plate next to braised lettuce with salt and pepper.

What kind of lettuce is best?

Honestly, any kind! I used buttercrunch because that’s what we grow, but Bibb, romaine, iceberg, or whatever you love will work beautifully. Want to switch it up? Try making this with cabbage, bok choy or your favorite leafy green.

How to cook lettuce in chicken broth

Stir fried lettuce is easy to cook in one pan with a little garlic and chicken broth. Here’s how it’s done:

Wash and dry the lettuce leaves, then cut them into quarters.

lettuce cut into quarters.

Pour the olive oil into a skillet over medium heat. Brown garlic and then add the quartered lettuce.

raw lettuce pieces in pan.

Saute until the lettuce begins to brown.

browned lettuce in frying pan.

Flip, then add the chicken broth.

cooked lettuce in brown broth in pan.

When the broth begins to boil, turn the heat to low, cover with a lid, and cook for 15 minutes. 

Add salt and pepper to taste, then serve!

cooked lettuce with salt and pepper on it, ready to serve.

How to serve braised lettuce

Braised lettuce is best served warm, right out of the pan, with a little of the broth spooned on top. It makes a lovely side dish alongside chicken, pork, or fish, or you can keep it simple and serve it with crusty bread to soak up the juices. For a finishing touch, sprinkle with fresh herbs, grated cheese, or a squeeze of lemon to brighten everything up.

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This Cooked Lettuce (in Chicken Broth) recipe transforms regular raw lettuce into a deeply flavorful side dish! The leaves soak up tons of flavor as they saute in garlic and broth, leaving you with an addictive, savory, and smoky meal.
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5 from 5 reviews

Cooked Lettuce in Chicken Broth (Any Lettuce Type!)

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This Cooked Lettuce (in Chicken Broth) recipe transforms regular raw lettuce into a deeply flavorful side dish! The leaves soak up tons of flavor as they saute in garlic and broth, leaving you with an addictive, savory, and smoky meal.
By: Pamela Reed
Prep Time: 0 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1 head of lettuce washed, cut up into quarters
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • salt + pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Heat olive oil and minced garlic in a large pan over medium high heat.
  • Once garlic is lightly browned, add the quarters of lettuce into the pan, cut side down. Sauté until the bottom side is browned, this takes about 5-7 minutes.
  • Flip the lettuce over, add chicken broth and bring to a light boil.
  • Reduce heat, cover pan and simmer for 15 minutes.
  • Sprinkle salt and pepper on lettuce to taste, serve and enjoy!

Video:

Course: Side Dish
Keyword: butter-braised lettuce, cooked lettuce, sautéed greens, warm lettuce side dish
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5 from 5 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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  2. Jim Angell says

    I’m a bit late to the party but Wow……. absolutely delicious, braised lettuce with everything from now on…… thank you kindly

    Reply

  4. leisa says

    Thanks for this recipe. I have been meaning to try braised lettuce for sometime. I had some romaine that were going to go bad before we used them, so I fixed them (finding this recipe quickly in my search). I simply them cut them crosswise in about 1.5″ widths.

    We all enjoyed it immensely! A very satisfying, tasty, quick, easy side dish. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  5. Sophie33 says

    A wonderful & tasty recipe, Pamela! I also love it without the stock! I also love to ad a pinch or 2 of dried Chili flakes or red hot Chili pepper. Also very Yummy! X

    Reply

  6. gotasté says

    Look so good! Though I won’t be able to get them as fresh, I will try this recipe. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply

  9. Anne ~ Uni Homemaker says

    I have never tried braising lettuce and I love the idea of it! Thanks for the sharing Pamela and happy Friday! 🙂

    Reply

  10. Reba - Not So Perfect Life says

    I really want to try this. Most recipes called for a “real grill” love that I can make this inside my Manhattan apartment. If you ever have any leftover veggies I’m a buyer!

    Reply

  11. Koko says

    Ah, this is really cool! I am a fan of braised cabbage but have yet to try lettuce….will definitely be doing this this Summer!

    Reply

  12. Amy Tong says

    Such a delightful dish. I do prepare something really similar but with bok choy instead of lettuce. I can’t wait to try this next time. Oh by the way, have you tried grilled lettuce? OMG, it’s so good. I simple dress it with a drizzle of olive oil, smoke salt and pepper and put the wedges on the grill. They came out a little charred on the edges and soooo good.

    Reply

  14. Kelly @ Life made Sweeter says

    I never thought to braise lettuce but what a great idea Pamela! Your lettuce from your garden is gorgeous and I can imagine how fresh and flavorful it would taste in this dish!:)

    Reply

  15. Francine says

    Yeah I pretty much scored when I found this blog. I never would have thought to do that with lettuce. It was always just “bottom of salad” in my eyes. But this looks like it works! Very bok choy-ish.

    Reply

  16. Nora @ Buttercream Fanatic says

    What an awesome idea!! I am overrun with lettuce from my CSA this week, and have been for a few weeks so I am reeeeeeeeally sick of salads. This is an absolutely perfect change of pace.

    Reply

      • Nora @ Buttercream Fanatic says

        I finally tried this last night and LOVED IT. Instead of adding chicken stock, I used a generous amount of olive oil, salt and garlic upfront and once the lettuce cooked down and released its water (which mixed with the olive oil and spices), I just let that be the braising liquid. Man was this a hit.

        Reply