Spicy Korean Ground Beef Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps
Most of my favorite foods contain some level of Asian flavor and this dish is no exception. It is a guilty pleasure and a healthy option at the same time! These Korean beef lettuce wraps pack some heat and are full of sweet and salty notes that awaken your taste buds. This play on a traditional Korean BBQ beef dish uses savory ground beef cooked in the most delicious bulgogi sauce making you forget this is a low carb meal. These spicy beef bulgogi Asian lettuce wraps are simple to make and will satisfy your craving every time. Trust me, this great recipe will find its way into your regular meal plan because they are that good! Full recipe card below.
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What is Korean Beef Bulgogi?
Bulgogi is a Korean BBQ dish most commonly made with thinly sliced steak and served over a bed of white rice. It is full of savory and sweet flavors and the name bulgogi actually means fire meat. While this is often served as a main dish it can also be served as a delicious appetizer in smaller portions.
For this recipe I simply combined one of my favorite recipes with a low carb option and made Korean beef lettuce wraps full of delicious flavors!
Why I Love This Recipe
These easy lettuce wraps have great heat and are full of sweet and savory flavors. They are a low carb option and are similar in concept to the beloved PF Chang lettuce wraps that everyone loves. The total time to make is only 30 minutes so it’s an easy dinner you can make anytime.
Ingredients
These easy Asian ground beef lettuce wraps are the perfect recipe for a weeknight dinner or a weekend splurge. Either way, it will awaken your taste buds with its umami flavor and keep you coming back for more. While this dish uses basic Asian ingredients, I will share what I used and why.
Bulgogi Sauce IngredientsÂ
Soy Sauce – Soy sauce is a staple in my pantry and I use it in almost all of my Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and Thai cooking. It is a thin sauce with a very salty taste and a fair amount of sodium. Because of this I always use the reduced sodium version to avoid an overly salted dish.
Chili Paste – This is a spicy recipe and the heat comes from the chili paste. This is a very potent ingredient made from chili peppers and is commonly used in Asian recipes as a base, flavoring agent, or dipping sauce. If you do not like spicy food, you will want to skip this ingredient or substitute it with red pepper flakes or sriracha for a milder spice level.
Rice Wine Vinegar – Another common ingredient in Asian dishes is rice vinegar. It has an acidic taste but unlike white vinegar, rice vinegar is made from fermented rice and white vinegar is made from fermented grain alcohol. Rice vinegar is not quite as offensive and has a slightly sweet taste. This can be found at your regular grocery store in the international food section or near the vinegars depending on your store setup.
Sesame Oil – Sesame oil is frequently used in Asian cooking as a way of adding flavor to a dish. As the name suggests, it is oil derived from sesame seeds and has a nutty flavor.
Brown Sugar – Another staple in my pantry which I use frequently in baking cookies also makes an appearance in sweet and savory flavors as well. I usually use light brown sugar but dark brown works too it’s just a little sweeter since it contains more molasses.
Fresh Ginger – Ginger is another common ingredient used in Asian cooking and adds a fresh and slightly spicy flavor to a dish. You can find it in the produce section in grocery stores. While it is technically classified as a spice it looks similar to a root vegetable. The best way to use fresh ginger is to grate it. I find this works best if you store it in the freezer and grate it frozen. If you do not have fresh ginger you can also use ground ginger, but it will not add the same level of freshness.
Garlic. This ingredient adds a ton of flavor and is found in many dishes across cooking styles. Garlic always adds some depth and flavor. I usually keep a jar of minced garlic in the fridge for convenience but you could also use fresh garlic.
Lime Juice. This will add a bit of freshness as well as some additional acid which helps cut some of the spiciness in the sauce.
Lettuce Wrap Ingredients
​Romaine Lettuce – I used a few heads of romaine lettuce to make my wraps, but you could also use butter lettuce (aka Boston lettuce) if you can find it. But the best lettuce in my opinion is really just the larger leaves on the outside that you can fold up kind of like a taco. As you peal away the leaves they get smaller on the inside and harder to add the ground beef filling. I don’t recommend using iceberg lettuce since it is usually sold in large round heads vs longer boat shaped heads.
Ground Meat – Traditional Korean bulgogi is usually made with some type of beef usually steak sliced thin, but to simplify the concept, I chose to use a lean ground beef. You could also use regular ground beef, ground pork, or ground turkey if you prefer. I am not sure if it would have the same flavor with ground chicken though. But give it a try if you are feeling adventurous and craving chicken lettuce wraps instead.
Red Bell Peppers – I like to add a red bell pepper for added sweetness, color, and a veggie component. If you don’t have a red pepper you can also use a yellow or orange pepper as they have a very similar taste.
Carrots – Filling these lettuce wraps with veggies is what makes this tasty dish even more guilt free, haha! You can buy a whole carrot and shred it in the food processor or buy a bag of pre-shredded carrots.
Green Onions – Green onions pair really well with Asian cuisine, add a lot of flavor, and are best served raw. All that makes them the perfect topping for bulgogi lettuce wraps.
Peanuts – These will add a little crunch on top of the dish. I usually add a handful to a Ziplock bag and crush them with the back of a spoon.
Fried Onions – I am a firm believer that these crispy onions can be added to just about anything! Not just green bean casserole, haha! But seriously, I put them on bowls, salads, tacos, wraps, you name it! They give any dish a little crunch and savory saltiness.
Sriracha Mayo – If you have never had Sriracha mayo it’s essentially spicy mayonnaise. It has the same tangy taste as regular mayo with a little spicy kick. If you do not have the store bought version, you can easily make a homemade spicy mayo which I have done many times. All you need is mayonnaise and sriracha. Sometimes I add a little lime juice if I have it and salt and pepper, but that’s really all there is to it.
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Spicy Korean Ground Beef Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
Description
These tasty lettuce wraps are a guilty pleasure and a healthy option at the same time! My Korean beef lettuce wraps pack some heat and are full of sweet and salty notes that awaken your taste buds. This play on a traditional Korean BBQ beef dish uses savory ground beef cooked in the most delicious bulgogi sauce making you forget this is a low carb dish. These spicy beef bulgogi Asian lettuce wraps are simple to make and will satisfy your craving every time. Trust me, this great recipe will find its way into your regular meal plan because they are that good!
Ingredients
Bulgogi SauceÂ
- 1/3 cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp Chili Paste
- 2 tbsp Rice Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1/4 tsp Grated Ginger
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 2 tsp Garlic minced
- 1 Lime Wedge (juice from)
Lettuce WrapsÂ
- 1–2 Heads Romaine Lettuce
- 1 lb Lean Ground Beef
- 1 Red Bell Pepper sliced
- 1/2 cup Shredded Carrots
- 1 tsp Corn Starch
- 1/4 cup Peanuts crushed
- 2 tbsp Green Onions chopped
- Sriracha Mayo for topping
- Crispy Fried Onions for topping
- Lime halved and quartered for garnish
Instructions
For the Sauce
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix with a whisk and set aside.
For the Lettuce Wraps
- Wash and dry the lettuce leaves and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add a small amount of olive oil and sauté the red pepper and shredded carrots until soft. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In the same frying pan, cook beef over medium heat until it is no longer pink.
- Drain the meat and return to the pan.
- Pour the bulgogi sauce over the meat and simmer on low heat for about 2 minutes.
- Then add a tsp of cornstarch to thicken the sauce and simmer for another 3 minutes.
- Before removing from the heat mix in the sautéed red pepper and carrots.
- Add peanuts to a Ziplock bag and use the back of a spoon to crush them into smaller pieces.
- Fill each of the lettuce cups with about two tablespoons of the meat mixture, depending on size.
- Top with green onion, peanuts, crispy onions, and a drizzle of sriracha mayo.
- Garnish with a slice of lime.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Korean, Asian, American
Storage
In the event you have leftover beef bulgogi, store the cooked beef mixture in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To prevent the lettuce from becoming soggy, store the lettuce separately in the fridge in the crisper drawer.
When to Make Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps
These delicious Asian beef lettuce wraps make an easy weeknight dinner or can be made ahead of time for a quick lunch. But honestly, you can make these anytime you want because they only take 30 minutes and make a tasty meal. They are a great way to make healthy meals with lean beef and a little veggies while watching the carbs. No matter when you decide to make them, these will definitely become a household favorite!
Looking for more easy recipes with Asian flavors? Try my air fryer salmon fish tacos, spicy tuna sushi poke bowl, peanut butter Pad Thai, Ninja air fryer salmon bites, or my quick teriyaki sauce without ginger.
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