Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps

Use convenient ground beef to get these Korean beef lettuce wraps on the table in less than 20 minutes! So delicious, healthy, and easy to make, they’ll be a new go-to for lunch and dinner. Great for meal prep, too.

We love a good lettuce wrap around here, and almost as soon as I realized how easy it is to make incredible Korean ground beef bowls, I knew the filling would be perfect to serve lettuce-wrap style, as well. Having options is always good!

Korean beef, also known as bulgogi, traditionally denotes tender, thin-sliced pieces beef with an irresistible sweet-salty flavor imparted by a delicious sauce. This recipe is decidedly adapted from the orthodox, mainly for the sake of using everyday ingredients and making it quick and easy enough for lunch or a rapid dinner.

These are one of my go-to dinner ideas when I crave something truly satisfying but lean, if that makes sense. Bonus: a little rice on the side and the kids are delighted with the traditional bowl alternative. Everyone wins, and for family dinner, that itself is a miracle.

Why You’ll Love Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps

• Ready in about 20 minutes start to finish
• Everyday ingredients and pantry staples
• Perfect build-your-own style dinner to enable flexible family dining
• Big-time flavor from the most delicious yet quick and easy sauce
• Crunchy lettuce and crisp veggies on top perfectly complement tender browned beef
• The filling stores, reheats, and even freezes well

Ingredient Notes

Lettuce Cups in No Time

It’s easy to imagine homemade lettuce wraps as kind of involved, but this recipe keeps it truly quick and simple, as all my favorite dinners are!

Brown the ground beef together with the garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat. I do not find it necessary to add even a drizzle of oil when cooking ground beef, which is a small, nice thing! Even lean beef quickly renders enough fat to cook itself.

Whisk together the sauce ingredients and pour over the beef. I also love this recipe because the sauce is balanced to concentrate on its own—no cornstarch or other thickeners required.

Wash lettuce leaves and chop your veggie toppings as the beef simmers. Keep an eye on the pan; when the meat reaches your desired consistency, turn the heat all the way down to low until you’re ready to serve.

Assemble and dig in! We do two layers of lettuce, generous spoonfuls of filling, and a colorful topping bar for everyone to shop.

More Quick, Satisfying Dinners

Love light and healthy meals like this? Try these jerk chicken lettuce wraps next! We also love sesame cashew chicken and ground beef and broccoli for easy bowl meals.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

4.25 from 8 votes

Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 10 minutes mins

Total Time: 20 minutes mins

Servings: 4

So delicious, healthy, and easy to make, they’ll be a new go-to for lunch and dinner. Great for meal prep, too

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2-3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 8-10 cranks freshly-ground black pepper
• 1 head Boston Bibb lettuce
• 3/4 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 medium bell pepper any color, finely chopped
• 1/2 medium cucumber finely chopped
• thinly-sliced green onion
• rice optional for serving
• 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame seeds optional garnish

Instructions

• Warm a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and garlic. Break up the meat into small crumbles and sauté until mostly browned. Drain or dab off excess fat if desired.
  1 pound lean ground beef, 2-3 cloves garlic
• In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, ginger, and red and black pepper. Stir this mixture into the beef and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes. When the mixture reaches your desired consistency, turn the heat all the way down until ready to serve.
  1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 8-10 cranks freshly-ground black pepper
• While the beef browns and simmers in the sauce, wash lettuce leaves and chop toppings.
  1 head Boston Bibb lettuce, 3/4 cup shredded carrots, 1/2 medium bell pepper, 1/2 medium cucumber, thinly-sliced green onion
• Lay out leaves of lettuce, layering 2 on top of each other. Spoon beef mixture into each bed of lettuce, then top with carrots, peppers, cucumber, green onions, and sesame seeds if desired. Add rice in wraps or on the side if desired. Enjoy!
  1 Tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, rice

Last step!Please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked the recipe. This helps my small business thrive and continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.

Notes

1. Garlic: Fresh adds nice flavor as it sizzles with the beef, but you can sub 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder in a pinch. If using garlic powder whisk it into the sauce instead of adding directly to the beef.
2. Brown sugar: Swap honey if you prefer.
3. Bibb lettuce: Boston Bibb is our preferred type of lettuce for wraps, because the leaves are sturdy, crisp, well-sized, and have a natural curl that forms a perfect bowl. It also has a very light flavor that feels fresh but doesn’t compete with your filling. You’ll typically find the Bibb variety sold as hydroponic or “living lettuce” in a clamshell with roots still attached to the bottom, which helps it stay fresh. Other butterhead lettuces, romaine, iceberg, or little gem are solid alternatives.
4. Red pepper: Reduce or omit if you’re worried about the heat with kids, but try not to worry too much—this amount relative to the other ingredients doesn’t really add much kick.
5. Rice: Start first if you’re offering as a serving option! The filling comes together so fast. Or, lean on the ultra-convenient microwaveable rice packets for perfectly cooked grains in 3 minutes. That’s what I usually do!
6. Storage/Meal Prep: Korean ground beef reheats very well and makes delicious lunches. Simply store the seasoned, cooked beef in the refrigerator, tightly-covered, for 3-4 days. (Our favorite all glass portioned boxes.) Chop and store the veggies separately. When ready to eat, warm meat in the microwave and assemble as desired.
7. Freezer-Friendly: Store the cooked beef in any freezer-safe container for 3-4 months. For best results, defrost in the fridge for 6-8 hours before warming in the microwave or in a skillet. If the beef looks dry after reheating, add a tiny drizzle of extra sesame oil or sprinkle on a small amount of water.
8. Nutrition Info: An estimate based on 1 pound of beef divided into 4 servings with lettuce and veggie toppings, no rice. I’d consider this good portions for 2 adults + 2 kids. If you have 4 hungry adults you will likely want more. I won’t lie: I often make this with 2 pounds of beef at a time because I want a larger portion for myself + leftovers!

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 280 kcal, Carbohydrates: 20 g, Protein: 26 g, Fat: 10 g, Saturated Fat: 3 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4 g, Trans Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 70 mg, Sodium: 630 mg, Potassium: 618 mg, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 16 g, Vitamin A: 4540 IU, Vitamin C: 22 mg, Calcium: 61 mg, Iron: 4 mg

Author: Monica

Course: Main

Cuisine: American, Korean

Keyword: korean beef lettuce wraps

This post was originally published July 9, 2021 and has been updated with new photos and more specific, helpful information about the ingredients chosen and reasonable substitutions. The recipe is unchanged and still a family favorite!