Description
Enjoy these vibrant Thai Lettuce Wraps, featuring tender ground chicken or pork seasoned with fresh herbs, lime, and chili, served in crisp lettuce cups. Perfect as a light, flavorful main or appetizer, they’re quick to prepare and customizable with your favorite toppings.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Sauce
- 2 tsp cornflour / cornstarch OR 2 tbsp uncooked rice (any rice is fine)
- 3 tbsp water
- 2 1/2 tbsp lime juice (from 1 to 2 limes)
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tsp brown sugar
Filling
- 2 tbsp peanut oil (or other high smoke point cooking oil)
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated or very finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, large, minced
- 1 stalk lemongrass, white and pale green part only, finely chopped
- 2 Thai or bird’s eye chilies, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 lb / 500g ground chicken or pork
- 1/2 red onion, finely sliced
- 1/3 cup coriander/cilantro leaves, plus extra to garnish
- 1/3 cup mint leaves, plus extra to garnish
Serving
- 6–8 small to medium lettuce leaves (e.g., baby cos or romaine)
- 3 tbsp crushed peanuts (optional)
- Extra lime wedges
- Chili slices for extra heat
Instructions
- Prepare the Sauce: Mix water and cornflour or rice powder into a slurry in a small bowl. Add lime juice, fish sauce, and sugar, stirring until well combined. Set aside.
- Cook the Aromatics: Heat peanut oil in a wok or heavy-based frypan over medium-high heat. Add ginger, garlic, lemongrass, and chilies, sautéing for 45 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
- Add the Mince: Increase heat to high and add the ground chicken or pork. Cook, breaking up the meat into small pieces, until nearly cooked through (about 3-4 minutes) and turning white.
- Combine with Sauce: Pour the prepared sauce into the wok, cooking for another 45 seconds to 1 minute until the mixture coats the meat and thickens.
- Finish the Filling: Remove from heat and stir in sliced red onion, coriander leaves, and mint leaves. Mix thoroughly.
- Serve: Spoon the mixture into a bowl and allow everyone to assemble their lettuce wraps. Spoon filling into lettuce leaves, garnish with peanuts and herbs, and serve with lime wedges and additional chili slices for added flavor and heat.
Notes
- For the rice powder, toast 1/4 cup of rice in a dry skillet until golden, then grind into a fine powder. Use as a gluten-free alternative to cornstarch.
- Use fresh lemongrass by peeling the tough outer layers and finely chopping the pale inner part. Alternatively, use 1 tablespoon of lemongrass paste.
- If your lettuce leaves are soft, they are perfect for wrapping, just ensure they are crisp or cup-shaped if you prefer a sturdy wrap.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 238g
- Calories: 351 kcal
- Sugar: 2.4g
- Sodium: 559mg
- Fat: 21.4g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14.3g
- Trans Fat: 0.1g
- Carbohydrates: 13g
- Fiber: 1.9g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 130mg
