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Asian-Style Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps

Asian lettuce wraps with saucy, fragrant ground beef piled into crisp lettuce cups. This easy ground beef lettuce wraps recipe is quick to cook and topped with crunchy water chestnuts, green onions, and a sriracha drizzle.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Cuisine: Asian-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Filling
  • 1 lb ground beef Use ground turkey as an alternative.
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 4 garlic Minced.
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger Grated.
  • 1 can (8 oz) water chestnuts Drained and chopped.
  • 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp sriracha
  • 0.5 cup shredded carrots
  • 3 green onions Sliced, divided.
  • 1 butter or romaine lettuce leaves For serving as cups.
  • 1 sesame seeds For garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook the beef
  1. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, then add the ground beef and cook breaking it apart until browned, about 8–12 minutes; drain any excess fat.
  2. Add the minced garlic and grated ginger, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Coat with the sauce
  1. Stir in the chopped water chestnuts, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and sriracha, then cook for 2–3 minutes until the sauce coats the beef.
  2. Add the shredded carrots and half of the sliced green onions, then toss to combine.
Assemble and serve
  1. Spoon the beef mixture into butter or romaine lettuce leaves to form lettuce cups.
  2. Garnish with the remaining green onions and sesame seeds, then serve immediately.

Notes

For the crunchiest cups, rinse lettuce and pat very dry before filling. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat the beef mixture and assemble fresh in lettuce. Freezing isn’t recommended because lettuce will soften. For a lighter version, use ground turkey and keep the oil at 1 tablespoon to maintain a rich, saucy texture.