Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps
Korean BBQ flavors without the grill, the marinade time, or the expensive meat. Seasoned ground beef gets a sweet-savory-spicy sauce, then scooped into crisp lettuce cups with rice and quick-pickled cucumbers. It’s handheld, it’s fun, and it’s done in 12 minutes.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ground beef is budget-friendly and cooks in 5 minutes
- Sweet-savory Korean sauce from pantry staples
- Lettuce cups are low-carb and refreshing
- Fun, interactive meal — everyone builds their own
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Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tablespoon gochujang or sriracha
- 1 head butter lettuce, leaves separated
- Cooked rice, sesame seeds, sliced green onions
- Quick pickled cucumber: 1 mini cucumber sliced + 2 tbsp rice vinegar + pinch of sugar and salt
Instructions
- Quick pickle: slice cucumber thin, toss with rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Set aside.
- Cook ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up, for 5-6 minutes until browned. Drain excess fat.
- Add garlic and ginger, cook 30 seconds. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and gochujang. Stir and cook 2 minutes until the sauce coats the meat.
- Arrange butter lettuce leaves as cups on a platter.
- Set out the beef, rice, pickled cucumber, sesame seeds, and green onions. Let everyone build their own wraps.
Recipe Tips
- Butter lettuce gives the best cup shape. Iceberg works but tears more easily.
- Gochujang (Korean chili paste) adds authentic flavor — find it in the Asian aisle.
- Make it a spread: add kimchi, shredded carrots, and sliced jalapeños to the topping bar.
- Swap ground beef for ground turkey or pork.
Calories: 350 | Protein: 26g | Fat: 20g | Carbs: 14g
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Nutritional information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients used.
