Easy Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps
Quick and flavorful Easy Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps made with seasoned ground beef, crisp vegetables, and a savory-sweet sauce, served in fresh butter lettuce leaves for a fast weeknight meal.
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Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
For the Filling
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 red bell pepper finely diced
- 1/2 cup carrots shredded
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger grated
- 1 8 oz can water chestnuts drained and roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup green onions chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For Serving
- Butter lettuce or bibb lettuce leaves
- Sesame seeds optional garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the sauce by whisking together the brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Add the cornstarch and whisk until fully combined. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
- Add the ground beef to the skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook until browned and no longer pink, breaking the meat into small crumbles as it cooks.
- Add the diced bell pepper and shredded carrots to the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the vegetables are just tender.
- Stir in the minced garlic and grated ginger. Cook for an additional 1 minute, or until fragrant.
- Add the chopped water chestnuts to the skillet, followed by the prepared sauce. Stir continuously and bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Cook for approximately 2 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and evenly coats the beef and vegetables.
- Adjust seasoning to taste, then remove from heat and stir in the green onions.
- Spoon the beef mixture into prepared lettuce leaves and garnish with sesame seeds if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute the soy sauce with a certified gluten-free tamari or gluten-free soy sauce. Verify that the cornstarch and other ingredients are labeled gluten-free, as cross-contamination may vary by brand.