Try this Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- white pepper
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic pressed or minced
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 1/4 cup low sodium gluten-free tamari or soy sauce (dish w
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar or white sugar or honey
- 1/2 teaspoon chili garlic sauce (or more or less)
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds plus more for garnish
- 2 green onions chopped - white and light green parts and dark parts divided
- 1 head butter or boston bibb lettuce leaves separated
- Carbohydrate 16.1616046866261 g
- Cholesterol 73.708760125 mg
- Fat 14.3190954983703 g
- Fiber 0.413796877862541 g
- Protein 24.3986744369242 g
- Saturated Fat 5.04545259342178 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (173g)
- Sodium 75.5795535496265 mg
- Sugar 15.7478078087636 g
- Trans Fat 1.5586423765533 g
- Calories 299 calories
Step-by-step
- Add rice and 1-1/2 cups water to a small saucepan then bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low then cover and simmer for 10 minutes (water should just barely be at a simmer.) Remove pan from heat then let sit for 5 minutes before removing the lid and fluffing with a fork. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, whisk together gluten-free Tamari or soy sauce, coconut sugar, chili garlic sauce, ground ginger, and sesame seeds in a small dish then set aside.
- Heat sesame oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and white and light green parts of green onions then season with white pepper and cook through. Add garlic then saute for 30 seconds. Pour in sauce then saute for 1 more minute.
- Scoop cooked rice into lettuce leaves then top with Korean beef mixture, green parts of green onions, and extra toasted sesame seeds if desired.
Sesame oil carries the primary aromatic profile of this dish, binding the ginger, garlic, and tamari into a cohesive base. Lean ground beef absorbs these liquids rapidly during the final minute of pan reduction. Long-grain white rice provides a neutral starch barrier that protects delicate butter lettuce leaves from tearing under hot protein.
Freezing and Reheating Strategy
Cooked ground beef mixture maintains its structural integrity in the freezer for up to three months when stored in airtight glass containers. Thaw frozen portions overnight in a refrigerator operating at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below. Reheat the thawed beef in a skillet over medium heat for four minutes until internal moisture evaporates completely. Avoid freezing assembled lettuce wraps because high water content in fresh lettuce causes structural collapse upon thawing. Separate raw green onion garnishes before freezing, applying them strictly after the reheating phase.
- If the beef mixture appears dry after refrigeration, incorporate one tablespoon of water during reheating.
- Keep fresh bibb lettuce leaves in a sealed plastic bag lined with dry paper towels to absorb excess condensation.
- Cook rice fresh on serving day for optimal grain separation, as previously frozen cooked rice hardens in texture.
