Asian Lettuce Wraps

Do you ever get in a cooking rut? Where you cook the same 7 meals week after week after week after week? We've been in a cooking rut the past month and it was time to get out of it!!! I searched my AllRecipes recipe box and found this long lost Murray family favorite!


I forgot how delicious they are and made a HUGE mistake...I only made one batch! Next time I wil double the recipes so that we have some for left overs the next day.

Ingredients (Please don't let them scare you away. I know that most of them are not pantry staples but go ahead and get them. Once you make this dish you want to add it to your weekly meal schedule)

• 16 Boston Bibb or butter lettuce leaves
• 1 pound lean ground beef (ground pork, chicken or turkey would work well too)
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 large onion chopped
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 teaspoons minced pickled ginger
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• Asian chile pepper sauce (optional-I leave this out when I am making it for our girls)
• 1 8oz can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 2 teaspoons Asian (dark) sesame oil

Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not to tear them. Set aside.

In a medium skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef in 1 tablespoon of oil, stirring often and reducing the heat to medium if necessary. Drain and set aside to cool. Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar and chile pepper sauce to the onions and stir. Stir in chopped water chestnuts, green onions, sesame oil and cooked beef. Continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.

Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large serving platter, and pile meat mixture in the center. To serve, allow each person to spoon a portion of the meat into a lettuce wrap. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito. 

ENJOY!