For a quick and easy dinner recipe that is full of flavor and—Best of All!—low carb, these Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps will have your family asking for more. The mixture of onions, ginger, garlic, and soy sauce not only give this meal a wonderful array of flavors, but also a good dose of nutrients that will boost your well being. Let me show you how to make them!

One thing that my husband loves is Asian food! He was stationed overseas before we met and always talks about his love of their food. I try to recreate many of his favorite recipes at home whenever possible. Today I’m letting him share more about these Korean beef lettuce wraps with yall!

Korean beef wraps

There is little wonder how so many centurions are living throughout the Asian continent. It is all in their diet. Having spent much of my enlistment stationed in the Far East, I have a profound love for Asian cuisine. While this recipe is not what would be considered authentic, the ingredients used are commonly used in many Korean and Chinese dishes.

That blend of onion and garlic with ginger, nuanced by soy sauce and sesame seed oil bring back fond memories overseas. I could reminisce endlessly, but there’s nothing better than being able to prepare a tasty meal that even my kids enjoy.

What are beef lettuce wraps?

These wraps are a combination of the wonderful flavors reminiscent of Asia with an American twist. They are also Keto friendly, gluten free and could be modified to be Whole30 compliant. (Leave out the brown sugar.)

The total prep and cook time of this dish is only about a half hour. Quick and easy! Perfect for an active family who must eat healthy meals on the go. Like I mentioned, this recipe is not authentic. I spent quite some time in South Korea and do not recall ever seeing a lettuce wrap once. However, it does have all the flavors you would find in a Korean beef barbecue. All of which is wrapped in a leaf of lettuce for easy, mostly mess free eating.

Korean beef lettuce wrap ingredients

• Ground beef
• Sesame oil
• Onion chopped
• Soy sauce or coconut animos
• Brown sugar
• Chili garlic sauce
• Ginger paste
• Minced garlic
• Chopped cashews
• Green Leaf lettuce leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Green onions, optional

Beef – Ground beef is inexpensive and easy to find at the grocery store or local butcher. However, if you’re in a pinch, there’s plenty of ways to substitute the meat. Ground turkey or ground pork will work just fine.

Spices – Most grocery stores nowadays have an aisle dedicated to world foods. That’s where you’ll find sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger paste, and chili garlic sauce. Huey Fong is the most commonly recognized chili garlic sauce down that aisle. But you can just as easily substitute that with Sriracha.

To keep this recipe Whole30 compliant, use coconut animos instead of soy sauce. Soy sauce normally contains wheat as an ingredient and is something that should be avoided if you are gluten free as well. There are gluten free soy sauces too.

Garlic – Minced garlic is found in the produce section of the grocery. Spice World Minced Garlic is my preferred brand.

Brown sugar – Swerve brown sugar substitute can be found among the sugars in the baking aisle. This will keep your beef lettuce wraps low carb. If you’re not into sugar substitutes, light brown sugar works just the same.

Lettuce – The remaining ingredients can be found in the produce or baking aisles. You want to grab large green lettuce leaves such as Bib, butter or Boston. You can use Iceberg but it normally has a thick ridge down the center.

How to make beef lettuce wraps

After you gather your ingredients, you will also want to grab:

• a large skillet
• measuring spoons
• wooden spoon or spatula

Heat your skillet oven medium-high heat and add in your sesame oil. You can also use olive oil or butter here as well. Add in your onion and saute until soften and fragrant – about 5 minutes.

Add in your ground beef and cook until no longer pink and the outside is completely browned.

Next, you are going to add in the soy sauce or coconut animos, brown sugar, chili garlic sauce, ginger paste and minced garlic.

Your cashews go in last after the liquid has cooked down. Make sure to omit the brown sugar if you are trying to make this Whole30 compliant.

Remove the meat mixture from heat and allow to cool slightly. Spoon into your lettuce wraps and top with green onions, if desired.

How to make in the Instant Pot

Want to make these beef wraps even quicker? Follow these simple instructions for using your pressure cooker to make Korean beef:

• Combine the sauce ingredients together.
• Add the oil to the inner pot and place it on saute.
• Cook the ground beef until no longer pink.
• Add the onion.
• Pressure cook on high heat for 8 minutes.
• Manually release the pressure.
• Add in the sauce and saute until thickened.
• Serve over rice or your favorite side.

How to make in the Slow Cooker

• Combine the sauce ingredients together.
• Add the oil to a skillet.
• Cook the ground beef until no longer pink.
• Add the cooked beef and onion to the slow cooker.
• Add the sauce and stir.
• Cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours.

What do you eat with Korean lettuce wraps?

These would make great sides for this quick and easy dinner:

• loaded cauliflower bake
• asparagus almondine
• honey ginger carrots
• mashed cauliflower
• sweet potato fries

What sauce comes on Korean beef lettuce wraps?

The sauce on these Korean beef wraps is homemade and consists of coconut aminos, brown sugar, chili garlic sauce, ginger paste and garlic. The sauce thickens in the skillet and coats the ground beef. It’s a great Asian inspired sauce!

Like it? PIN it for later!

You may want to try these other quick and easy dinner recipes:

Egg roll in a bowl – Keto, Whole30 and Gluten free too!

Whole30 Taco Boats