Description
These Juicy Thai Beef Lettuce Cups are a flavorful, light, and fresh dish combining savory minced beef cooked with aromatic garlic, ginger, and Thai herbs, served in crisp romaine lettuce leaves. Perfect for a fun, hands-on meal, they are garnished with crunchy peanuts, fresh chili, and lime wedges offering a delightful balance of textures and a burst of zesty flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce Ingredients
- 1 tbsp tamari or all-purpose soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
- 2 tbsp water
Main Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 tbsp freshly minced garlic
- 1 tbsp freshly minced ginger
- 500 g minced (ground) beef (or chicken or pork)
- 100 g green beans, finely sliced into 1 cm (½ inch) lengths
- 1 carrot, julienned or grated
- 2 handfuls Thai basil leaves (reserve 1 sprig for garnish)
- 12 cos (romaine) lettuce or iceberg lettuce leaves
- 1 spring onion (scallion), finely sliced
- 1 bird’s eye chilli, finely sliced (optional)
- 40 g roughly chopped raw unsalted peanuts
- 1 lime, quartered
Instructions
- Make the sauce: Combine tamari, dark soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, cornflour, and water in a small bowl. Stir until the brown sugar and cornflour are fully dissolved and set the sauce aside.
- Cook the aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the finely diced onion, minced garlic, and minced ginger and cook, stirring frequently, for 1–2 minutes until fragrant and slightly softened.
- Brown the beef: Add the minced beef to the pan, breaking it up with a wooden spoon to avoid lumps. Cook for 2–3 minutes until the beef is just browned but not fully cooked through as it will continue cooking with the sauce later.
- Add vegetables: Stir in the finely sliced green beans and julienned carrot. Toss ingredients together in the pan and cook for about 1 minute to combine flavors and start softening the vegetables.
- Incorporate the sauce and simmer: Pour in the prepared sauce mixture and stir well to coat the meat and vegetables. Let it simmer for 2–3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly, vegetables become tender, and beef is cooked through. Stir in the Thai basil leaves and cook until just wilted.
- Assemble and serve: Place the beef mixture in a serving bowl alongside the lettuce leaves, sliced spring onion, optional bird’s eye chili, chopped peanuts, lime wedges, and reserved Thai basil sprig. Let everyone fill their lettuce leaves with beef and toppings. Eat with your hands and enjoy this messy, delicious dish!
Notes
- For vegetarian or vegan options, substitute the beef with diced tofu or mushrooms and use vegan fish and oyster sauce alternatives.
- If unavailable, substitute Thai basil with regular basil or mint leaves for a different but refreshing flavor.
- The sauce consistency should be slightly thick and glossy; adjust thickness with more water or cornflour slurry if needed.
- Bird’s eye chili is optional and can be omitted or reduced for milder heat.
- This dish is best served immediately for the freshest lettuce crunch and juicy filling.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Thai
Keywords: Thai lettuce cups, beef lettuce wraps, Thai beef recipe, ground beef recipes, appetizer, Thai cuisine, easy dinner, lettuce wraps
