We love this Spicy Thai Beef Lettuce Wrap (or Bowl) in our family. They are healthy, fresh and bursting with flavor! A fabulous dinner for a busy weeknight. You can easily make the sauces ahead of time and then cook up the beef mixture while the rice cooks. You could have this wonderful dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes.
A few years ago my sister Mindy and her cute family (aka The Runaway Family) were living in Thailand and my son Coleman went to visit! He had a blast and made some amazing memories he will never forget! Like visiting these ancient, stunning temples.
And spending a day taking cake of elephants! Incredible!!
He loved the food there too and since he has Celiac disease he was so happy to find that much of the Thai food was gluten free! YUM! He came home with lots of noodle cups, candy and crepe mixes from Thailand that were all gluten free!
I am actually not sure how authentic this Spicy Thai Beef Lettuce Wrap (or Bowl) is but it is similar to dishes he described having. I guess I will need to take my own trip to Thailand to find out for myself!
Notes:
*You do not have to make both the sauces if you don’t want to. We love them both but you could just pick one or simply use some sriracha or soy sauce, instead to save time.
*If you need this to be gluten free–make sure to use gluten free soy sauce! Everything else should be gluten free naturally!
Other recipes to try:
One Year Ago: Sourdough Waffles
Two Years Ago: the Best Creamy Bean Dip
Three Years Ago: Creamy Ranch Chicken Over Rice
Spicy Thai Lettuce Wraps (or Bowl)
Description
Thai lettuce wrap (or bowl) is super easy to make and bursting with flavor! A fabulous dinner that your whole family will love!
Ingredients
Herbed Yogurt
- ½ cup regular or Greek plain yogurt
- 3 garlic cloves, pressed or finely chopped, divided
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped, divided
- 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped, divided (I normally don’t have mint on hand so I leave it out)
- 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice (about ½ of a lime)
- Kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Sriracha Mayo
- 1/2 c. mayonnaise
- 1/4 c. sriracha sauce (can adjust to how spicy you like it)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp. rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
Beef Mixture
- 1 small yellow or red onion, chopped
- 1 lb ground beef (I prefer 80% lean, 20% fat but 85/15 works too)
- 1–2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 2 TB coconut aminos or soy sauce (make sure to use Gluten free soy sauce if you need to)
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
Coconut Rice
- 1 c. coconut milk
- 1 c. water
- 1 c. jasmine rice
For Serving
- large lettuce leaves
- thinly sliced red peppers
- any other fresh veggies (carrots, cucumbers, onions)
- extra chopped cilantro, mint and green onion for garnish, if desired
Instructions
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First make the sauces–both or pick one of them! Herbed Yogurt: To a small bowl, add yogurt, 1 pressed garlic clove, 2 tablespoons each cilantro and mint (if using–save the rest for garnishing at the end), and lime juice. Season with salt to taste and stir to combine. Sriracha Mayo: Combine ingredients with a whisk. Place in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve. Set both aside while you make the rice and beef.
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Rice. Combine coconut milk, water, and rice in a large pot. Heat to a simmer, then stir, cover, and reduce heat to low. Keep covered and cook until fluffy, about 15-20 minutes.
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Beef. In a large frying pan or wok, brown beef and drain fat.
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Add in the rest of the beef ingredients and simmer for 5-6 minutes, until all ingredients are well combined.
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For Lettuce Wrap:, spread some herbed yogurt sauce onto large lettuce leaves. Spoon the rice, then the beef mixture on top. Finish with the sriracha mayo. Layer on veggies of your choice (like thinly sliced bell pepper , grated carrot, or diced cucumber). Sprinkle with reminder of chopped cilantro and mint (if you are using). Roll up to eat, and enjoy!
- For Bowls: Spoon the rice, then the beef mixture on top. Layer on veggies of your choice (like thinly sliced bell pepper , grated carrot, or diced cucumber). Drizzle on the Sriracha Mayo and a dollop of the Herbed Yogurt. Sprinkle with reminder of chopped cilantro and mint (if you are using). Enjoy!
Recipe Source: Adapted from Plum Street and American Home Cook
Definitely will try this one!