Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps
Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps is a simple and easy midweek meal. With a sweet and savory sauce, this offers a lovely blend of Asian flavors. Done in about 30 minutes, with will leave you time to spend with the family or take a well deserved rest. And since this is served as a wrap, they’re fun, too! Give them a try!
Beef Used in Asian Food
Beef has long been used in various Asia styles of cooking. While I’m not going to go into the history of beef in Asian cuisines, I do want to point out one important reason beef is often used. Since beef is so porous, it makes for a great meat to marinade. It draws up flavors so well. Even when you don’t marinate it, adding sauce or gravy to it often penetrate the meat, making it so much more flavorful.
I see so many Asian chicken recipes online, and I make my fair share of them as well. But a nice Asian beef dish smothered in a nice sauce will win me over every time!
Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps
I was on a low-carb diet for several months and needed to find new and fun ways to have food that fit into that lifestyle that did taste horrible. I tried so many of the low-carb substitutes and some weren’t all that bad. Some were just nasty. I already knew that healthy food didn’t have to taste bad.
In my quest to make delicious low-carb food, I wanted to make Asian dishes simply because they are simple and you can substitute rice very easily. Plus, my kids can have the rice and they love Asian food.
This has a lot of elements of a Pepper Steak stir fry, which I make all the time. While this has Hoisin Sauce which has sugar in it, the amount you get with each serving is minimal.
What Ingredients Are in Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps?
- Sirloin
- Canola Oil
- Bell Pepper
- Onion
- Fresh Garlic
- Fresh Ginger
- Hoisin Sauce
- Soy Sauce
- Mirin
- Sesame Oil
- Corn Starch
Wrap and Garnish
- Boston Lettuce
- Toasted Sesame Seeds
- Green Onions for garnish
Ingredient Notes
Sirloin – to cut the meat, hold your knife on a 45º angle while slicing. Cut against the grain and slice off pieces that are less than 1/4 thick. Make sure your knife is very sharp or use a serrated knife like a bread knife.
Bell Pepper – I like to make my food colorful, so I use a “stoplight” blend of green, yellow, and red bell peppers. Slice a little off of each pepper and save the rest for another recipe within a few days. Of course, you don’t have to do that. One color of pepper will work just fine.
Mirin – this should be easy to find these days and is easily found online. You can substitute rice vinegar with a pinch of sugar.
Boston Lettuce – I just love Boston lettuce for wraps and sandwiches. You can use whatever you have available.
Toasted Sesame Seeds – sesame seeds have a natural waxy coating. By toasting them, that coating is removed and their true flavor is released. There are instructions in the recipe.
How Are Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps Made?
- Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a medium to large over medium-high heat. Add the bell peppers and onions. Season with a little salt and pepper and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.
- While the vegetables are cooking, divide the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, mirin, and sesame oil in half in 2 separate bowls. In one bowl, add the cornstarch. This bowl will be used for cooking, the other bowl will be used for a topping. Stir both bowls well and set aside. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for another 3 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the skillet.
- In the same skillet, heat the remaining canola oil and add the beef. If it is shaved thinly, it will cook quickly, in about only 1-2 minutes.
- Return the vegetables to the pan and add in the bowl of hoisin sauce, soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Mix thoroughly and remove from the heat.
Plating
- To serve, place 2-3 pieces of Boston lettuce on a plate. Place a small amount of the beef and vegetable mixture on the lettuce. Top with sesame seeds and green onions, and spoon some of the sauce you aside on top of the beef.
How to Toast Sesame Seeds
Toasting the sesame seeds brings out the flavor which makes them taste better. Place the sesame seeds in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Stir frequently to avoid burning. The seeds are done when they begin to look oily. The time may vary, so keep a close eye on them. But usually it takes about 7-10 minutes.
What Can I Do with the Leftovers?
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Then you can freeze them for up to 6 months.
Useful Kitchen Tools
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Other Amazing Recipes That You’ll Love!
Click on these links for other great Asian recipes! Or type in “Asian” in the search bar to find even more recipes!
Thai Yellow Curry Chicken and Vegetables
Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs Sirloin, sliced thin (see notes)
- 2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
- 1 cup Bell Pepper, sliced (various colors)
- 1 large Onion, sliced
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon Ginger, minced
- 4 Tablespoon Hoisin Sauce, divided
- 4 Tablespoon Soy Sauce, divided
- 4 Tablespoon Mirin, divided
- 2 teaspoon Sesame Oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon Corn Starch
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Wrap and Garnish
- 1 head Boston Lettuce
- 1 Tablespoon Toasted Sesame Seeds (see Recipe Notes)
- Green Onions for garnish
Instructions
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Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a medium to large over medium-high heat. Add the bell peppers and onions. Season with a little salt and pepper and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.
-
While the vegetables are cooking, divide the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, mirin, and sesame oil in half in 2 separate bowls. In one bowl, add the cornstarch. This bowl will be used for cooking, the other bowl will be used for a topping. Stir both bowls well and set aside.
-
Add the garlic and ginger and saute for another 3 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the skillet.
-
In the same skillet, heat the remaining canola oil and add the beef. If it is shaved thinly, it will cook quickly, in about only 1-2 minutes.
-
Return the vegetables to the pan and add in the bowl of hoisin sauce, soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Mix thoroughly and remove from the heat.
Plating
-
To serve, place 2-3 pieces of Boston lettuce on a plate. Place a small amount of the beef and vegetable mixture on the lettuce. Top with sesame seeds and green onions, and spoon some of the sauce you aside on top of the beef.
Recipe Notes
How to Cut the Beef: using a freshly sharpened knife, slice very thin pieces off the sirloin, hold the knife on a 45° angle. Essentially, you are slicing the meat, but extremely thin.
How to Toast Sesame Seeds: Toasting the sesame seeds brings out the flavor which makes them taste better. Place the sesame seeds in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Stir frequently to avoid burning. The seeds are done when they begin to look oily. The time may vary, so keep a close eye on them. But usually it takes about 7-10 minutes.
