Spicy Beef Lettuce Wraps
I love to make these Spicy Beef Lettuce Wraps when I want something healthy and quick, but also spicy and delicious…which is often! My husband loves them and my kids love them. No complaining from anyone when they are on the table. Oh and they come together in a snap. One skillet and you are DONE.
The ground beef mixture is spicy and slightly salty on it’s own, which is good since it is going to be stuffed into iceberg lettuce cups. To me, iceberg lettuce doesn’t have much taste. However, in this case it is an excellent balance to the spicy ground beef mixture. I take a head of iceberg lettuce and tear into pieces about the size of my palm. Give them a good wash in water — a lettuce spinner is good for this. Then lay out on paper towels on a baking sheet to completely dry. Put them in the refrigerator while preparing the ground beef mixture so that they stay nice and crisp.
Feel free to use ground turkey or chicken in place of the ground beef, if desired. And you can eliminate the mushrooms, though there are just a handful in there and they are chopped fine. I have snuck them by my “mushroom haters” and didn’t hear any negative feedback, but saw an empty plate at the end of the meal. So… am guessing they were undetected.
These Spicy Beef Lettuce Wraps are a filling meal. Delicious served with a side of rice, such as my Simply Perfect Oven Rice. Additionally, you could serve as an appetizer. This recipe is not a copy cat version of PF Chang’s Lettuce Wraps, by the way. I love their lettuce wraps and that delicious concoction of sauces served with them. In this recipe, these spicy wraps have their own sauciness built right in. Add a few drops of my fave hot sauce, Yellowbird Jalapeno Condiment, and a squeeze of sour cream and you are good to go!
Spicy Beef Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup white mushrooms chopped fine
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 large shallot chopped fine
- Juice of 2 limes, zest of one lime
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp sriracha sauce
- 1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- kosher salt
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro finely chopped
- generous drizzle sesame oil
- 1 head iceberg lettuce washed and torn into cups
- sliced green onion, fresh cilantro, hot sauce, sour cream for serving
Instructions
- Place finely chopped shallot in a small bowl. Add the lime zest and juice, soy sauce, chicken broth, sriracha, worcestershire, and ginger. Stir and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet or cast iron pan on the stove over medium heat. When hot, add the ground beef, seasoning with kosher salt. Spread the meat out and break into pieces as it begins to brown. Do not stir. Allow to begin to get brown on the bottom, about 4 to 5 minutes. As the bottom starts to get crispy, add the garlic, mushrooms and carrots to the skillet on top of the beef. Stir and cook a few minutes longer, until the beef is almost done and the vegetables are soft.
- Add the shallot lime mixture to the skillet and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture has reduced and thickened slightly, a few minutes. Right before serving, throw in the chopped cilantro, drizzle with sesame oil, and stir well.
- Serve the ground beef in the lettuce cups. Top with green onions, additional cilantro, hot sauce, and a bit of sour cream, if desired. Enjoy!