Description
Savory beef lettuce wraps with Asian-inspired sauce. Quick, healthy, and customizable for lunch or dinner!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound ground beef (lean)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and diced
- 1/4 cup soy sauce (low sodium preferred)
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions, for garnish
- 1 head of butter lettuce, leaves separated and washed
- Optional toppings: sesame seeds, sriracha, chopped peanuts
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the ground beef to the skillet and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned. Drain off any excess grease.
- Add the chopped onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and diced red bell pepper and cook for another 2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Stir in the diced water chestnuts.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ground ginger, and red pepper flakes (if using).
- Pour the sauce over the beef mixture in the skillet. Stir well to coat everything evenly.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Stir occasionally.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in half of the chopped green onions.
- Wash and thoroughly dry the butter lettuce leaves.
- Arrange the lettuce leaves on a serving platter.
- Spoon the beef mixture into each lettuce leaf.
- Garnish with the remaining chopped green onions, sesame seeds (optional), sriracha (optional), and chopped peanuts (optional).
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Spice it up: Add more red pepper flakes or hot sauce for extra heat.
- Add vegetables: Shredded carrots, mushrooms, or bean sprouts are great additions.
- Use different protein: Ground turkey or chicken can be substituted.
- Make it vegetarian: Use crumbled tofu or plant-based ground meat.
- Adjust the sweetness: Add honey or brown sugar to the sauce if desired.
- Make it ahead: The beef mixture can be made ahead and reheated. Assemble wraps just before serving.
- Serving suggestions: Serve as an appetizer, light lunch, or quick dinner. Serve with rice or noodles.
- Beef mixture is too dry: Add a little water or chicken broth to the skillet and stir until the mixture reaches the desired consistency.
- Beef mixture is too salty: Add a little sugar or honey to the skillet to balance out the saltiness.
- Lettuce leaves are wilting: Make sure the lettuce leaves are completely dry before assembling the wraps. You can also store the lettuce leaves in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Lettuce wraps are falling apart: Don’t overfill the lettuce leaves. Use a smaller amount of beef mixture per leaf.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes