Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps
Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps are hearty and nutritious, ready in just 25 minutes! Load each crisp lettuce leaf with Asian-style ground beef, fresh toppings, and an extra drizzle of sesame ginger garlic sauce.
Ingredients
Beef Mixture:
- 2 heads butter lettuce, about 18 leaves
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 tbsp sesame seed oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 onion finely diced
- 8 oz. can water chestnuts roughly chopped, drained
- 1 red bell pepper, remove core and seeds, chop
- 2 carrots grated
- ¼ cup coconut aminos, or soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp coconut sugar or brown sugar
- ½ tsp crushed red peppers, optional
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
Garnish:
- ½ cup cashews, chopped (optional to use peanuts)
- ⅓ cup chopped cilantro
- ⅓ cup sliced green onion
- 2 limes, quartered (or cut into small wedges)
Instructions
- Carefully rinse each butter lettuce leaf and pat dry.
- In a large skillet, heat sesame seed oil over medium high heat and add in finely diced onion; saute for 3-4 minutes. Add the minced garlic along with the ground beef, breaking it up with a spatula into small pieces as it cooks.
- Allow to cook until the beef becomes crumbly and browned. Around 7 minutes.
- Once cooked, remove and drain and discard the grease. Transfer the beef mixture to a bowl and set to the side.
- To the hot skillet, add the chopped red bell pepper, finely diced water chestnuts, and grated carrots. Cook for 3 minutes until the red peppers become soft and tender, but still crisp.
- Transfer the beef back to the pan and combine together with the peppers and water chestnuts.
- To the beef mixture, add the coconut aminos, rice vinegar, sugar, red pepper flakes and ground ginger. Combine all ingredients with a spoon and allow to cook together, another 2 minutes or so.
- ON THE PLATTER: Arrange the lettuce leaves on a large platter. Set the beef mixture in a bowl on the platter. In small bowls, add chopped cashews, cilantro, and green onions. Optional to add a small bowl of extra sauce. Garnish the platter with lime wedges.
- MAKE THE WRAPS: To make a lettuce wrap, add a heaping spoonful of the beef mixture into each butter lettuce cup. Garnish each lettuce cup with chopped cashews, cilantro, and green onions. To eat, fold in the edges and eat it like a taco.
- Make extra sauce for the platter: Mix together 1/4 cup coconut aminos, 1 tbsp of rice vinegar, 1 tsp brown sugar or coconut sugar, and 1/8 tsp of ground ginger.
Notes
Sandy’s tips:
- Storage: Keep the beef filling, lettuce leaves, chopped garnishes, and sauce in separate containers in the fridge. Assemble only when ready to eat. The lettuce will last 2-3 days if stored in a paper towel-lined container. The beef mixture will last for up to 1 week in the fridge.
- Freezing: The beef mixture freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat. Do not freeze the lettuce or fresh garnishes.
- Make-ahead: The beef mixture can be made completely up to 3 days in advance. Reheat gently on the stovetop or microwave. The flavors often meld and improve overnight.
- Use a sturdy lettuce: Butter lettuce leaves hold savory fillings well. If you don’t have butter lettuce, be sure to use another sturdy type of lettuce with large enough leaves to act as a “cup”.
- To prevent sogginess: Do not fill the lettuce wraps until just before eating. The moisture from the warm filling will wilt the lettuce within 5-10 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 410kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 28g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 13g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 81mg, Sodium: 270mg, Potassium: 613mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 4416IU, Vitamin C: 27mg, Calcium: 53mg, Iron: 4mg