I’m excited to tell you that these Vietnamese Beef Lettuce Wraps turned out tasting as good as they look. I think we were all pleasantly surprised with how the flavors came together…even my daughter said the sauce was “so much better than she was expecting.” Hey there, I’ll try not to take offense that you thought my sauce would be bad or something, LOL.
Also, I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again…this recipe made my internal veggie “calculator” go check, check, check! You can never eat too many vegetables, yet I’m always feeling guilty about not buying/serving more than I do. I have to admit though, sometimes all the washing and chopping can get in the way of me realizing that dream.
So I LOVED the awesome feeling I had after serving these beef wraps for dinner, especially since everyone scarfed them down. Even the picky eaters in your family might give this a go since they can pick and choose what they want, although I’d say since the lettuce cup is a requirement, you at least know they’re eating that much green!
This recipe is not complicated, but all the vegetable chopping and washing can take a little time. Here are a couple of time savers I thought about while I was putting everything together:
- Buy a bag of carrot sticks (already chopped)
- Buy a pack of already sliced peppers
- Blend the sauce in advance
- Boil the noodles in advance
- Get some helpers to pitch in
Honestly, this could even be fun for a DIY gathering where each person is given a veggie to chop, and then you all gather around to assemble your lettuce cups and eat. What a pretty platter for entertaining!
No matter how you go about it, I hope you enjoy!
Vietnamese Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
For the beef
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil, can sub olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper, cayenne, ground or flakes
For the sauce
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
For the wraps and assembly
- 1 head lettuce, butter or romaine
- 4 ounces Asian brown rice noodles, boiled and drained according to package directions
- 4 carrots, peeled and shredded with a cheese grater
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded, cored, halved, and thinly sliced (can sub 4 small mini sweet peppers)
- 1/2 cucumber, halved crossways and thinly sliced
- 2 green onions, trimmed and sliced
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 handful cilantro
- 1 handful fresh basil
- 2 handfuls roasted peanuts, chopped
Instructions
For the beef
-
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the ginger, garlic, and beef together, while stirring occasionally, until the meat is brown and no longer pink. Drain and discard the fat from the pan.
-
Add in the soy sauce, vinegar, and red pepper, and stir to combine. Cook until the sauce thickens, a minute or two, and remove from the heat.
For the sauce
-
Blend together the soy sauce, peanut butter, vinegar, and honey using a countertop or hand immersion blender until smooth. Thin the sauce out with a few drops of water if desired (or after refrigeration).
For the wraps and assembly
-
Arrange the lettuce, noodles, chopped veggies and herbs, and peanuts on a platter for serving. Place the beef in the middle, and the dipping sauce alongside in a small bowl. Assemble as you eat and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Use GF tamari/soy sauce and GF brown rice noodles to make this recipe gluten-free.
You might also like these other lettuce wraps and recipes:
- Shrimp and Lentil Lettuce Wraps
- BLT Chicken Lettuce Cups
- Slow Cooker Chicken Banh Mi
- Asian Lettuce Wraps, page # 206, from my very first book 100 Days of Real Food
Filled with a mixture of pork, carrots, ginger, and water chestnuts, these lettuce cups are infused with an Asian flavor.
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Kristin
April 2, 2019 at 3:40 pmDo you have the nutritional break down of this? Total Cals, Fat, Protein, Carbs, sugars, etc?
Jason Leake with 100 Days of Real Food
April 2, 2019 at 7:59 pmHi Kristin – We focus on eating whole foods so don’t call attention to individual nutrients, but obviously this can be important to some people for a variety of reasons. We are actually looking at adding nutrition info to recipes in the near future, but I’m sorry we do not have it available just yet. – Jason
Mandy
April 3, 2019 at 10:46 amIs here anything to sub for peanut butter in the sauce? My daughter is allergic to nuts.
Jason Leake with 100 Days of Real Food
April 3, 2019 at 12:06 pmHi Mandy – You could try sunflower seed butter manufactured in a facility that does not process nuts. Sunbutter has an organic option with no added sugar, salt, or oil (available here https://amzn.to/2CT3dvo). – Jason