I recently saw someone comment “Enough with the ground meat recipes!” But you know what? … Never. There’s never enough. And that’s because ground meat (whether it’s beef or chicken or turkey or pork) is an economical option that’s easy to make into something delicious and it cooks up super quick. But because it’s such a great staple that also means that you might need a brand new way to use it every once in a while, so here’s one tasty idea — Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps. Inspired by Asian flavor and clocking in at just 15 minutes of cooking time, this is a no-brainer of a dinner.
What Do I Need To Make Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps?
This is basically a quick stir fry with a simple sauce, so you can swap out some of the produce for whatever you have on hand, but we’re calling for:
- Ground beef: lean is preferred.
- Bell pepper: I like red, but color is up to you!
- Carrots: shredded, for quick cooking.
- Garlic: fresh and minced, but powder would be fine in a pinch.
- Fresh ginger: grated. I like to keep mine in the freezer since I don’t use it all that often.
- Water chestnuts
- Green onion
And for the sauce:
- Brown Sugar: light is preferred.
- Soy sauce
- Rice vinegar: natural, unseasoned.
- Sesame oil
- Red pepper flake
- Cornstarch
How Do I Make Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps?
This is a situation where you want to make sure to have all of your ingredients chopped and prepped, because the cooking is going to go very fast. It’s basically a stir fry. Because of that, use a pan that can handle higher heat, like a wok or a cast iron skillet. First, whisk together your sauce ingredients and set them to the side.
Then, brown the ground beef before adding in the bell pepper and carrots, followed by the garlic and ginger. The veggies need just a couple of minutes in the pan as long as they’re shredded and diced small. The water chestnuts and sauce go in next, though you’ll want to give the sauce another stir to re-incorporate the cornstarch. Once that thickens, stir in your green onions and you’re ready to serve!
How Do I Serve Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps?
The ideal way is to spoon the filling into a soft, cupped lettuce leaf. Something like Bibb Lettuce works very well. But! You can also definitely skip the lettuce leaves and serve this right over white rice. It’s equally delicious that way. Either way, I like to serve it topped with a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps
For the sauce:
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flake
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
For the filling:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1/2 cup carrots, shredded
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
- 1 (8 oz) can water chestnuts, drained and roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- Sesame seeds, for serving
- Butter lettuce or bibb lettuce, for serving
Preparation
- First, make the sauce:
- In a measuring cup, whisk together the brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and red pepper flake. Add the cornstarch and whisk again to combine.
- In a large skillet or wok, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, add the ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook until no longer pink, breaking apart the meat as it cooks.
- Add bell pepper and carrots and cook, stirring frequently, until just tender, 3-4 minutes.
- Add garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute more.
- Stir in water chestnuts, followed by the sauce. Bring to a simmer, stirring continuously, and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes.
- Adjust seasoning to taste, then stir in green onions.
- Serve spooned into lettuce leaves and garnish with sesame seeds, if desired. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Our Salty Kitchen.