Beef Lettuce Wraps
These easy 30-minute Beef Lettuce Wraps are packed with flavor! Juicy beef, coconut-lime rice, fresh veggies, and quick “pickled” shallots come together for a delicious meal you can whip up in no time.
Servings: 2 servings
Cost: $10.92
Equipment
- Large pan nonstick
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup jasmine rice
- 1 (15-ounce) can lite coconut milk
- Salt and pepper
- 2 to 3 juicy limes divided
- 1 small shallot cut into thin rings
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 head Boston lettuce
- 1 large carrot diced, heaping 1/2 cup
- 2 to 3 green onions divided
- 1 pound lean ground beef (93/7)
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1-1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon beef stock or broth, divided
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon light brown sugar lightly packed
- Serving suggestions see note 1
Instructions
- In a small pot, combine rice, coconut milk, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until milk is fully absorbed, 10–15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rice stand (still covered) 10 minutes or until everything else is ready to eat. Fluff rice with a fork; stir in 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice. Thinly slice shallot into rings, place in a small bowl, and add rice vinegar. Set aside, stirring occasionally.
- Mince garlic and peel ginger and mince to get 1 packed teaspoon of each. Use fresh ginger and garlic so they don’t burn over the high heat like jarred garlic / tube ginger will. Rinse lettuce and thoroughly dry. Peel carrot and dice into small pieces. Thinly slice green onions and separate white sections from the darker green. Pat ground beef dry with a paper towel.
- Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. When oil is shimmering, add ginger and garlic and sauté, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute (being careful to not let it burn). Add in beef and season to taste (I use 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper). Increase heat to high; cook and break up until browned on the outside (about 5 minutes). While beef is cooking, whisk together cornstarch and 1 tablespoon beef stock in a small bowl. Once smooth, add in remaining 1/4 cup beef stock, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and brown sugar. Whisk until smooth.
- To the beef, add carrot and white sections of the green onions. Stir for another 2–3 minutes or until tender. Drain off any fat (or dab it off with a paper towel) if needed. Add in sauce and stir for about 1 to 1 and 1/2 minutes or until it thickens and coats the beef.
- Lay out lettuce leaves and fill with even amounts of rice. Add saucy beef mixture on top. Garnish wraps with crushed peanuts or cashews and the shallots (drain and discard excess liquid). Garnish with the green onion tops and chopped cilantro. Add plenty of lime wedges to the plates and drizzle them on before eating.
Notes
Note 1: For serving, garnish with roasted and salted peanuts or cashews (coarsely chopped), and/or finely chopped cilantro.
Storage: To make lettuce wraps ahead of time, prepare beef filling and sauce and store them in the fridge. Just before serving, reheat the beef and assemble the wraps with fresh lettuce and toppings. This method keeps everything fresh and tasty. To freeze leftovers, freeze cooked beef filling and sauce separately. Do not freeze lettuce and toppings; prepare fresh. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 590kcal | Carbohydrates: 42.1g | Protein: 55g | Fat: 22.6g | Cholesterol: 136.5mg | Sodium: 828.4mg | Fiber: 5.6g | Sugar: 9.6g