How to Make Lettuce Wraps

This marinade is enough for one pound of meat. Increase it accordingly for larger amounts of meat.

In my photo, I am using pork tenderloin. Pork is a very commonly used meat in Asian cuisine, and we like the tenderness it offers. But I have also used this same marinade successfully with chicken and with beef. In fact, if we are having company, sometimes I make all three types of meat so we can have a smorgasbord of lettuce wrap options.

Recipe for Lettuce Wrap Meat Marinade

• 1 heaping tablespoon of minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (fresh milled)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons honey
• Optional:  dried chilies

If desired, add the dried chilies to a low baking dish in which you can marinate the meat. Measure the other ingredients directly into a glass jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake well to blend. Pour the marinade into the low dish and add the meat to coat thoroughly. Let the meat marinate for at least one hour and up to 24 hours.

Because honey is rather difficult to mix into the other ingredients, my favorite method is to use a glass jar for mixing. Any large jar with a lid will do. Just measure your ingredients directly into the jar, put on the cap, and shake it vigorously to blend.

So that every bit of meat is soaking in the marinade, use a low dish to marinate your meat. A bowl will keep some of the meat on top, out of the flavors of the juice. You want each strip of meat to have maximum contact with the marinade.

Once the meat is marinating, you can focus your attention on the "salad" that goes into the lettuce wraps.

[Don't forget to wash and dry your lettuce leaves at this step, too. I always place my lettuce onto a dishmat to drain the water. Then I pat them dry with clean dish towels. Green and red leaf lettuce are great choices for lettuce wraps.]

Every time I make lettuce wraps, my salad is a bit different because I tend to use whatever I have on hand. I always use carrots and cucumbers, but the other vegetables may vary. So be creative and experiment with the vegetables your family likes the best. I really like the zest of radishes. But in this version, I chose the milder flavors of cabbage simply because that was what I had on hand.

Veggie Wrap Salad Recipe

• 1/2 cup carrots, julienned
• 1/2 cup cucumber, julienned
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 2 cups additional vegetables of your choice (cabbage, radish, pepper, cilantro, green onions, etc.)
• 4 tablespoons peanut or olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 cup dark rice vinegar (check your Asian import grocery)
• salt and pepper to taste
• optional:  1 tablespoon minced ginger, 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

Add the vegetables to a large bowl. Mix the remaining ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake to blend. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat. Let the salad sit for at least 20 minutes before eating.

This salad doesn't keep very well, so try to make just enough for this one meal of lettuce wraps.

Lettuce wraps are just not the same without this tangy peanut sauce, so don't skip it. Even if you think it sounds weird, just try it. I promise that it's great and so easy to make.

Peanut Sauce Recipe

• 1/3 cup peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/3 to 2/3 cup brown sugar (depending on your personal preference)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more, if you like more zip)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger

Measure all ingredients directly into a saucepan. Heat on medium flame, whisking often to blend. Boil briefly and cool slightly before pouring into individual serving dishes.

The peanut sauce, unlike the salad, will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator in a well sealed jar.

Now the the sauce is cooling and the salad is done, cook the meat that has been marinating. Drain the meat of the majority of the marinade, and saute it over medium-high heat until cooked through. If you like spicy foods, leave the chilis in with the meat as you cook it. If not, discard the chilis before cooking. (Discard the marinade.) Serve it hot with the lettuce leaves, salad, and peanut sauce.

For those who like spicy foods, add some chili in oil. My ultimate favorite is the Lao Gan Ma brand of chilis in oil that is linked below. It comes from Guizhou Province of China.

Because lettuce wraps are eaten with the hands, be sure to have plenty of napkins on hand.

For your convenience, I've created a printable page with all three recipes featured for the Asian Lettuce Wraps:

1. meat marinade
2. salad
3. peanut sauce

Click to download the free PDF from Google Docs.

Lettuce wraps are one of my family's favorite meals. They never seem to tire of it. And I'm quite happy because it is really a very healthy meal.

Because we are family, we have no problem with taking meat, sauce, and salad from the same bowl in the same style that Asians eat. However, if you have guests or are squeamish about sharing dishes, you can serve each person a lettuce wrap platter that includes all the necessary elements on his or her plate. 

Either way you serve it, the way to eat a lettuce wrap is the same.

In Asia, we learned it in these steps.

1. Open up a leaf of lettuce and hold it with one hand.
2. Using a fork (or chopsticks) get a piece of meat and dredge it into the peanut sauce or chili sauce (or both). Repeat until you have a few pieces of meat lining your lettuce leaf.
3. Add a dollop of salad to your wrap.
4. Use your hands to wrap the lettuce around the filling. And then eat!

Of course, there are no lettuce wrap police, so if you want to smear the peanut sauce onto the lettuce leaf first, that is perfectly fine! The point is to get the right proportion of the three ingredients to suit your taste! Experiment and see what you like the best.

Instead of using tortillas or some sort of grain based wrapper, lettuce wraps use a vegetable. That makes this recipe very low-carb friendly. Choose a lettuce with nutrients such as green leaf or romaine instead of boring iceberg lettuce.

Pack in the nutrients you need with your carefully selected vegetables such as red pepper, cilantro, radish, and cherry tomatoes.

Enjoy as much as you want! Lettuce wraps are healthy.