These crunchy lettuce wraps are light, satisfying and full of intense flavours – perfect for snacks for a crowd or a summery main meal for a few friends. You can use chicken, pork or even fish mince instead of beef if you prefer. You can also add some veggies to this dish while frying – finely chopped carrots, green beans and mushrooms go well.
Crispy beef lettuce wraps (For 4)
- 500 grams beef mince
- Iceberg lettuce with the leaves separated
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
- 1 large red chilli, finely chopped
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- Few dashes of sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper to season
- Garnishes – sliced spring onions, roasted peanuts, coriander leaves and/or Thai basil
For the dressing
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- Juice of 1 lime and a bit of the zest
- Few dashes of sesame oil
- Half a red chilli, thinly sliced
- A small piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Fry the mince on a medium to high heat for about 15-20 minutes. The mince should be dark brown, crisp and broken down well. Season with salt and pepper. Put the mince in a sieve over a bowl to drain out the excess oil and keep it crisp.
- In the same pan, add the onion and fry over a medium heat for about 5 minutes. The onion should be soft. Add the ginger, garlic and chilli and fry for a couple more minutes. Add some salt and sugar, then add the mince back into the pan.
- Add the fish sauce, lime juice and sesame oil and mix well. Fry for a couple more minutes.
- For the dressing, mix all the ingredients together. Taste to see if you need a bit more of anything.
- To serve, spoon the mixture into the lettuce cups. Add some of the dressing and whichever garnishes you like.
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