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Get ready to devour some homemade Thai lettuce wraps—a must-have appetizer that you won’t be able to resist! These wraps are loaded with tasty lean ground beef, minced red onion, garlic, ginger, and chili flakes, all tossed in a delicious dressing made from soy sauce and sesame oil.
Lettuce wraps are such a simple but delicious appetizer. If you love them as much as I do, you’ll have to give these chicken lettuce wraps or Asian turkey lettuce wraps a try next.
Thai Lettuce Wraps Recipe
I know lettuce wraps alone may sound boring, but these Thai lettuce wraps are anything but! They’re seriously the perfect appetizer. (Or light meal!) The ground beef filling is cooked to tender perfection and seasoned with tasty spices and herbs. You’ll be coming back for wrap after wrap!
These Thai lettuce wraps are so fresh and tasty. The beef mince is loaded up with sliced veggies and sesame seeds for extra flavor and texture. Speaking of flavor, let’s not forget the sauce! The beef is coated in a mouthwatering glaze made of soy sauce, a squeeze of lime, and brown sugar for some sweetness! My family devoured these tasty wraps in an instant. I’m sure yours will too!
Ingredients Needed
Now that you’re convinced of their deliciousness, let’s get into everything you’ll need to make these Thai lettuce wraps. One tip I have is to use fresh, high-quality ingredients. They will make all the difference in flavor!
- Lean Ground Beef: This is the base of the filling, giving it a deliciously meaty flavor and a good protein boost that makes these Thai lettuce wraps satisfying and filling. You can also use ground turkey for something leaner.
- Minced Red Onion: These little pieces of onion add a sweet and crunchy bite to the filling.
- Minced Garlic: Adds a savory and robust taste that kicks the filling up a notch and makes it seriously mouthwatering.
- Fresh Grated Ginger: Grating ginger brings a zesty and slightly spicy kick to the filling, giving it that special Thai flair.
- Chili Flakes: For those who like a bit of heat, these red pepper flakes add just the right amount of spiciness that blends perfectly with the other flavors.
- Salt and Pepper: Basic seasonings that add an extra layer of flavor to the filling.
- Julienned Carrots: These thinly sliced carrots not only add a vibrant pop of color but also a satisfying crunch!
- Chopped Green Onions: For some extra savory goodness.
- Chopped Cilantro: This herb adds a burst of freshness. Omit it if you’re not a fan!
- Sesame Seeds: These little seeds are a fun addition, giving the filling a nutty flavor.
For the Sauce and Assembly:
- Soy Sauce: Works as the base of the Thai lettuce wrap sauce. For more authentic flavor, try using Thai black soy sauce. You can find it online or at your local Asian grocer!
- Sesame Oil: Makes the sauce rich and nutty.
- Lime Juice: Adds a tangy flavor that balances out the other ingredients.
- Brown Sugar: For the perfect touch of sweet, caramelized flavor!
- Butter Lettuce: These crispy and tender lettuce leaves are the perfect vessels for holding the filling. You won’t be able to get enough of these Thai lettuce wraps, they’re SO good!
How to Make Thai Lettuce Wraps
It’s actually pretty easy, and you end up with Thai lettuce wraps that are so delicious! Because of this, these wraps have become a new favorite appetizer of mine. I swear, I could eat a whole plate by myself with how scrumptious they are.
- Beef Mixture: In a medium bowl, add your ground beef, onion, garlic, ginger, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Mix until combined.
- Sauce Mixture: In a small bowl, combine your soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, and brown sugar. Then set aside.
- Cook Beef: Heat a large skillet up to medium-high heat. Then add your meat mixture to the skillet and cook, stirring continually for about 6-8 minutes. The beef should mostly be browned and cooked by now.
- Add Vegetables and Sauce: Add in your carrots, green onions, cilantro, sesame seeds, and sauce. Then continue to stir fry everything together for about 3-4 minutes. Stir well to ensure a thorough combination, and allow the sauce to begin reducing.
- Remove From Heat: Remove your filing from heat. Then set aside.
- Prepare Lettuce: Prepare your butter lettuce and set the lettuce leaves on a plate. Fill each lettuce leaf with your filling and then serve. You can also serve the filling and lettuce separate and have your guests fill their own lettuce wraps!
Sauces for Dipping
Thai lettuce wraps are great on their own, but I like serving them with homemade sauces for a little extra flavor. Thai appetizers are usually served with peanut sauce, but here are some other great options to try!
Storing Leftovers
Whether you’re making your Thai lettuce wraps ahead of time or storing leftovers, it’s best to store the lettuce and beef filling separately. The beef filling will stay good for 3-4 days in an airtight container or Ziploc bag.
To Reheat: Transfer the beef mixture to a skillet and cook on medium heat until warmed though, stirring frequently. You can also use the microwave, heating the beef in 30-second intervals.
Other Thai Favorites
Thai food is easily one of my favorite cuisines. I love trying to recreate all of the delicious dishes that I’ve tried at home! If you love Thai food as much as I do, here are a few more amazing recipes to try out. I know you’ll love them all, they’re so flavorful and satisfying!
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Thai Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
Filling
- ¾ pound lean ground beef
- ½ red onion minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger grated
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup carrots julienned
- ¼ cup green onions chopped
- 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 head butter lettuce cleaned and separated
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine your ground beef, onion, garlic, ginger, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Mix well.
- In a small bowl, combine your soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, and brown sugar. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet up to medium high heat. Add your meat mixture to the skillet and cook, stirring continually for about 6-8 minutes. The beef should mostly be browned and cooked by now.
- Add in your carrots, green onions, cilantro, sesame seeds, and sauce. Continue to stir fry everything together for about 3-4 minutes. Ensuring everything is well combined and the sauce begins to reduce.
- Remove your filing from heat. And set aside.
- Prepare your butter lettuce and set the lettuce leaves on a plate. Fill each lettuce leaf with your filling and serve.
- You can also serve the filling and lettuce separate and have your guests fill their own lettuce wraps!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love it, thank you for sharing!!
The sauce ingredients do not look like what is pictured. One commented said she made the peanut sauce… is it supposed to be something else than what is listed?
Some sauce options were listed in the bloggy part of the post 🙂 Scroll up if you’re interested but here is the specific link to the peanut sauce:
https://therecipecritic.com/peanut-sauce/
OMG, so easy and super delish. I made the Peanut Sauce and brushed it on the lettuce leaves then put the wraps together. Oh don’t worry about how to store the leftovers, the 2 of us ate ALL. 100% you need to make these
This was fabulous. We served it with rice and lettuce cups and doubled the sauce. Very tasty and filling. Will make this one again!
I made this dish, which my husband called laab. He loved this. He said it wasn’t as ‘vinegary’ as traditional laab.
Overall this was easy to make. Having all ingredients pre assembled definitely makes this dish easier and fast to make.
I may try this with ground chicken or turkey next time.
Haven’t tried your recipe yet but it seems like a simplified version of one I’ve made that was a copycat of PF Changs. Had a LOT of ingredient so I’ll definitely be using yours. The only thing I might add to this one would be chopped water chestnuts.