• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Recipe Index

Feasting not Fasting

Because life's too short to be hungry

  • Home
  • About
    • Collaboration
    • Contact
  • Recipe Index
    • 30-Minute Meals
    • Appetizers
    • Baked Goods
    • Breakfast
    • Desserts
    • Drinks and Smoothies
    • Lunches
    • Main Dishes
    • Salads
    • Sauces and Condiments
    • Side Dishes
    • Snacks
    • Soups & Stews
  • By Method
    • Air Fryer
    • Blender
    • Crock Pot/Slow Cooker
    • Freezer
    • Instant Pot
    • Oven
  • By Diet
    • Dairy-Free
    • Gluten-Free
    • Keto
    • Low-Carb
    • Vegan
    • Vegetarian
  • Appetizers
  • Baked Goods
  • Breakfast
  • Desserts
  • Main Dishes
  • Salads
  • Side Dishes
  • Snacks
Home » Recipes » Main Dishes » Asian Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps

Asian Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps

January 17, 2023 by Christy Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

Pin Jump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

Pin
Share
Tweet
Yum

These quick and easy ground beef lettuce wraps are loaded with savory ground beef and nutritious veggies doused in an umami-rich Asian-style soy-ginger sauce! You can enjoy them with the beef filling nestled in crunchy lettuce as appetizers or snacks, or make them substantial enough for lunch or dinner by adding rice or grains. These delicious, protein-packed wraps are super versatile, can be prepared ahead of time, and are made easily gluten-free too!

Table of Contents

  • Easy ground beef lettuce wraps
  • Are they healthy?
  • What you’ll need
    • For the ground beef filling:
    • For the sauce:
  • How to Make Asian Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps
  • Helpful tips
  • Make-ahead and storing notes
  • Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps
    • Ingredients US CustomaryMetric
      • Sauce
    • Instructions
    • Notes
  •  
    • Nutrition
      • did you make this recipe?
hand holding ground beef lettuce wrap from overhead

The juicy flavorful beef filling paired with the crunch of the crispy lettuce is downright dreamy. This recipe is light and healthy but still comforting in the way only good Asian-inspired dishes can be. Serve these as a tasty appetizer or a full on meal, the choice is up to you.

If you are looking for a vegetarian version of lettuce wraps, you can try my taco vegetarian lettuce wraps recipe instead. You can also try filling them with Thai Fried Brown Rice instead of plain steamed rice to double up on flavor. I like stacking mine with kimchi and cucumbers but you can also try pairing with egg rolls, curry carrot fries with peanut sauce, roasted sugar snap peas, or fried rice noodles!

Easy ground beef lettuce wraps

These homemade Asian ground beef lettuce wraps are so easy and delicious! You don’t have to go to PF Chang’s to enjoy lettuce wraps when you can make this easy dinner at home. The ground beef filling is cooked using one pan and will only take you 15 minutes to make. It’s very similar to my ground beef bulgogi recipe so if you like the sound of this or are just looking for more ground beef recipes, you’ll love that one too.

It’s tossed in a flavorful sauce made with real Asian condiments like sesame oil, gochujang, and mirin to give it a nice umami tangy flavor with just enough spice. While using gochujang may make these seem like Korean beef lettuce wraps, they really are a mash up since mirin is from Japan and other ingredients are borrowed from all over the continent.

Are they healthy?

While it might not be the most authentic recipe on the planet, this Asian fusion style recipe is as healthy as it is delicious. These Asian beef lettuce wraps are a great way to get your kids to eat healthy meals without all the fuss. Mixed in the savory beef filling are red bell peppers, carrots, green onions, cilantro, water chestnuts, and onions – not to mention the crisp lettuce cups it’s all served in!

They’ll get tons of vitamins and nutrients from the veggies, protein from the beef, and energy-giving carbs from the rice (if you are including it). Or use cauliflower rice to keep the whole meal low-carb but make it more filling. It’s an all-in-one, family-friendly main dish that can make even the fussiest veggie eater go for seconds. Who knows, it might even be a new family favorite recipe.

hand holding ground beef lettuce wrap

What you’ll need

If you cannot find the Asian condiments needed to make the sauce, don’t worry. I included alternatives that you can use to make these Asian lettuce wraps. I always stock sesame oil, mirin, gochujang, and other Asian seasonings and condiments because they are easy to store for long periods and it makes it more convenient. This is also the perfect recipe to use up leftover vegetables in your fridge! Here’s what you’ll need:

For the ground beef filling:

  • Oil– you can use avocado, sesame oil, or any high smoke point oil.
  • Vegetables– I used diced onion and red bell pepper, grated carrots and chopped water chestnuts, cilantro, and green onions. The combination of textures, taste, and colors are amazing! You can use other vegetables like shallots, ginger, mushrooms, bean sprouts, parsley, and peas.
  • Ground beef– I used 85% lean. It has the ideal fat-to-meat ratio for a juicy and flavorful filling. Ground chicken, bison, turkey or even pork can be used in place of ground beef if desired but you may need to add more or less soy sauce or tamari if using a different kind of meat.
  • Sesame seeds – a sprinkling of these will add more crunch and nutty flavor to the wraps.
  • Lettuce– the best lettuce to use are butter lettuce (aka Boston or bib) or red or green leaf. Romaine lettuce is ok but kind of oversized and iceberg lettuce breaks too easily and makes a mess.

For the sauce:

  • Fresh ginger– gives the sauce a sharp, pungent flavor and you can easily use jarred ginger to make prep even faster. You can use ground ginger if you must but keeping jarred ginger in the fridge will give you the same convenience with much better results.
  • Garlic – makes everything better
  • Coconut sugar– to give the sauce a deep caramel-y sweetness. You can swap this with brown sugar or honey.
  • Soy sauce- reduced sodium will give you a great-tasting sauce without all the unnecessary salt! If you are making this gluten-free, you can use tamari instead or coconut aminos.
  • Sesame oil– aside from providing lots of nutty goodness and earthy flavor, it also gives the sauce a silkier consistency. Avocado, olive oil, or another mild-flavored oil can be substituted for sesame oil in the sauce.
  • Gochujang– this is a fermented Korean chili paste that has a robust spicy, savory, and sweet taste. This will give the sauce layers of flavor that you will not get with anything else! If you cannot find this in grocery stores and don’t have an Asian store nearby, you can easily order it online. Use a gluten-free gochujang If needed.
  • Mirin – this cooking wine is a staple in Japanese cooking and gives food a subtle tangy sweetness. You can substitute it with another cooking wine or sherry if needed but I recommend getting mirin.
  • Lime juice– adds a bright zestiness that balances the spicy, salty, and sweet flavors well. Use lemon juice, rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar as alternatives.

Optional: rice, cauliflower rice or quinoa and kimchi

overhead picture of ingredients

How to Make Asian Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps

If you have an Asian food obsession like me, you know the pull restaurants can have on you. No need to get take out to enjoy lettuce wraps at home. It is so easy and fuss-free!

Preparations:

  • Separate lettuce leaves, rinse and pat the leaves dry or use a salad spinner. Set aside.
  • Dice, chop and grate the veggies.

Steps:

  1. Make the Sauce. Add all sauce ingredients into a medium-sized bowl and whisk together.
  2. Sauté the Aromatics. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add avocado oil. When oil is warm, add chopped pepper and onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until starting to sear.
  3. Cook the Ground Beef. Add beef and brown, breaking it up with a spatula into small pieces as it cooks.
  4. Add the Sauce. Once the beef is browned, add about half of the sauce to the ground beef mixture and stir in letting the beef cook another 2 minutes while you continue to break it into small pieces.
  5. Add the vegetables. Add the grated carrot, water chestnuts, and remaining sauce to the meat mixture. Let cook 2 to 3 minutes longer, stirring to mix sauce evenly in.
  6. Garnish and Serve. Stir in green onion and cilantro and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with lettuce on its own or with white rice, brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice as a low carb option to make it more filling. You can also serve with kimchi or any other toppings you’d like. To eat, spoon beef filling into a lettuce leaf. Add any other filling desired, fold in the edges and eat it like a taco.

Helpful tips

  • You can adjust the amount of gochujang, lime juice, and sugar to your liking. Make it kid-friendly by reducing the gochujang in the recipe. Alternatively, you can spice it up by adding more gochujang, chili garlic sauce, red pepper flakes, or even just go heavy on black pepper.
  • Allow the ground beef to cook undisturbed for a few minutes after breaking into pieces when cooking. This allows the pieces to brown nicely and have crisp edges. If you move the meat around in the pan too much, it will steam rather than sear.
  • You can add various fillings to the wrap, then fold in the edges and eat it like a taco.
  • Double the spicy sauce recipe and use half as a dip or serve it with peanut sauce, hoisin sauce or plum sauce. Yum!
  • Make this recipe gluten-free by substituting low-sodium soy sauce with tamari or coconut aminos and using gluten-free gochujang.
  • For a fun flavor twist, try substituting the gochujang with thai red curry paste and 1 Tbsp. of the soy sauce with fish sauce.

Make-ahead and storing notes

All chopping can be done ahead of time and stored in airtight containers in the fridge. You can also make the Asian-style sauce in advance and store it in the fridge for a few days. It may even taste better stored overnight to allow the flavors to mellow and blend together. 

While it’s best served fresh, the ground beef filling can also be made ahead of time and will keep well in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. All you need to do is microwave the meat and assemble the wraps when you’re ready. This dish is ideal for meal prepping and would be great to bring to work for lunch!

side view of ground beef lettuce wraps on a plate
Recipe
Recipe
5 from 1 vote
click the stars to rate!

Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps

Created by: Christy Gurin
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
6
These quick and easy Lettuce Wraps are loaded with savory ground beef and nutritious veggies doused in an umami-rich Asian-style soy-ginger sauce. These delicious, protein-packed wraps are super versatile, can be prepared ahead of time, and are easily made gluten-free too!

Ingredients
 

  • 1 Tablespoon avocado or sesame oil
  • 1 onion diced
  • 1 red pepper diced
  • 2 lb. lean ground beef 85% lean
  • 2 carrots grated
  • 8 oz. can water chestnuts roughly chopped
  • 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1/3 cup sliced green onion
  • 2 teaspoon sesame seeds
  • 2 heads butter, red or green leaf lettuce

Sauce

  • 2 teaspoon minced ginger
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/3 cup packed coconut sugar or brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 2 Tablespoon gochujang or more if you want it spicy
  • 2 Tablespoon mirin can substitute with another cooking wine or sherry if needed or leave it out
  • 2 Tablespoon lime juice

Instructions

  • Add all sauce ingredients into a medium sized bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
  • In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add avocado oil.
  • When oil is warm, add chopped pepper and onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until starting to sear.
  • Add beef and brown, breaking it up with a spatula into small pieces as it cooks.
  • Once beef is browned, add about half of the sauce and stir in letting the beef cook another 2 minutes while you continue to break into small pieces.
  • Add carrot, water chestnuts, and remaining sauce. Let cook 2-3 minutes longer, stirring to mix sauce evenly in.
  • Remove from heat, add cilantro, green onion and stir lightly. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with lettuce on it’s own or with rice, quinoa or cauliflower rice to make it more filling and with kimchee or any other toppings you’d like. To eat, spoon beef filling into a lettuce leaf. Add any other filling desired, fold in the edges and eat it like a taco.

Notes

  • Rice not included in nutrition facts but lettuce is
  • Adjust the amount of gochujang to your spice preference.
  •  

Nutrition

Calories: 373kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 937mg | Potassium: 1004mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 5946IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 6mg

did you make this recipe?

Make sure to follow on Pinterest @feastingnotfasting and on Instagram @feastingnotfasting

posted in: Beef, Dairy-Free, Dinner, Gluten-Free, Keto, Low-Carb, Lunches, Main Dishes, Meal Prep, Quick and Easy, Recipes, Side Dishes, Stovetop

Previous
Ground Beef Bulgogi
Next
Sautéed Spinach with Garlic

Reader Interactions

Leave A Reply! Cancel reply

Share your thoughts!
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Christy - Author of Feasting Not Fasting.

Hi, Im Christy

The foodie, photographer and recipe developer behind Feasting Not Fasting, a site centered on making it easier to eat healthy.

More About Me

Simple healthy recipes straight to your inbox!

Subscribe for the newsletter for all the latest recipes delivered straight to you.

Featured Recipes

  • overhead picture of Mediterranean eggplant salad in a white bowl
    Mediterranean Eggplant Salad
  • Close up picture of chicken taco seasoning blend in a white bowl
    Chicken Taco Seasoning
  • close up picture of kale salad on a white plate
    Lemon Kale Salad
  • Prosciutto Melon Skewers
  • These baked pears with honey and almonds are the perfect healthy dessert for the holidays with cranberries and a nutty crunch all for 200 calories!
    Baked Pears with Honey and Almonds
  • I'm in love with this beet smoothie! Its delicious, high in protein and has the perfect amount of sweetness to balance out the earthiness of the beets.
    Beet Smoothie with Strawberries and Kale
Allure Logo.
Boston Mag Logo.
Buzzfeed Logo.
Glamour Logo.
Healthline Logo.
The Huffington Post Logo.
MSN Logo.
sheknows Logo.

Simple healthy recipes straight to your inbox!

Feasting Not Fasting

About

  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Disclosure Policy
  • Collaboration

By Method

  • Air Fryer
  • Blender
  • Slow Cooker
  • Freezer
  • Instant Pot
  • Oven
  • Stovetop

By Diet

  • Dairy-Free
  • Gluten-Free
  • Keto
  • Low-Carb
  • Meal Prep
  • Paleo
  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian

By Course

  • Appetizers
  • Baked Goods
  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
  • Lunches
  • Main Dishes
  • Salads
  • Side Dishes
©2023, Feasting not Fasting. About Contact Privacy Policy Back To Top
Design by Pixel Me Designs
×

Simple healthy recipes straight to your inbox!

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
Save & Accept