Asian Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps

These quick ground beef lettuce wraps are loaded with savory ground beef and nutritious veggies doused in an umami-rich Asian-style soy ginger sauce! All of this gets nestled in crunchy lettuce that you can serve as appetizers, snacks, or a light dinner. A fast ground beef dinner idea to add to you meal repertoire, the lettuce wraps come together in just 25 minutes!

The juicy flavorful beef filling paired with the crunch of the crispy lettuce is downright dreamy. This easy ground beef dinner is light but still satisfying in the way only good Asian-inspired dishes can be, bursting at the seams with flavor.

The meat and veggies get tossed in a flavorful sauce made with sesame oil, gochujang, and mirin to give it a nice umami tangy flavor with just enough spice. Using gochujang may make these seem like Korean beef lettuce wraps but they really are an Asian fusion recipe since mirin is from Japan and other ingredients are borrowed from all over the continent. While it might not be the most authentic recipe on the planet, they’re still absolutely delicious!

I specialize in easy and quick dinners and this one is a goodie. I have lots more 30 minute meal ideas to explore to help you save time in the kitchen, yet I still keep coming back to this one. Having a quick dinner idea with ground beef on the meal plan keeps weeknight dinners simple yet SO flavorful.

Once prepped, you can cook the ground beef filling in just 15 minutes. It’s similar to my juicy ground beef bulgogi recipe so if you like cooking with beef and want more inspiration, definitely check that one out too.

You can also try filling your lettuce wraps with coconut rice instead of plain steamed rice to double up on flavor. I like stacking mine with kimchi and cucumbers but you can choose whatever you want to accompany yours or simply serve them as is.

What you’ll need

Here are a few notes on the key ingredients:

• Vegetables– feel free to swap for your favorite quick cooking veggies here.
• Ground beef– I used 85% lean ground beef. It has the ideal fat-to-meat ratio for a juicy and flavorful filling. You can use ground chicken, bison, turkey or even pork if you prefer but may need to add more or less soy sauce or tamari if using a different kind of meat.
• Lettuce– I’ve tested multiple types and recommend 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.
• The sauce – As far as seasonings go, you can use jarred minced ginger and garlic to keep it simple. Use a gluten-free gochujang and tamari instead of soy sauce if you need to make the recipe gluten free. The rest of the ingredients are self explanatory and as always, if you have any questions, leave a comment so I can help you out!

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. You don’t have to go to PF Chang’s to enjoy lettuce wraps when you can make this easy dinner at home though!

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 Peppers and Onions. 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 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 and absorb the flavor.
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 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, kimchi, or whatever else your heart desires.

Helpful tips

Make-ahead and storing notes

You can do all of the chopping ahead of time and store it 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.

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 up to 4 to 5 days. All you need to do is microwave or heat the meat stovetop and assemble the wraps when you’re ready. This dish is ideal for meal prepping and leftovers would be great to bring to work for lunch!