Lettuce Cups are delicious. They are really simple to make and are incredibly satisfying for either a lunch or as an appetizer. I like to use butter lettuce or Romaine hearts as they stand up to the filling and are easy to handle. The lettuce crunch is essential!
Tip : I made this recently with finely diced left over turkey. It was delicious! When making this, if the sauce seems a little loose, mix one teaspoon of cornstarch with 2 teaspoons of water to make a slurry and add it to the mixture. Cook until the sauce becomes thicker.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken turkey or pork
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp Asian chili sauce (hot)
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 3 tbsp shallots, finely chopped or 1/2 small Spanish onion, minced or 3 green onions finely sliced
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 2-3 tbsp hoisin or oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 head romaine lettuce or bib lettuce
- 2 tbsn chopped cilantro or 2 tsp. dried cilantro
- 1/2 chopped red bell pepper
- 1/2 chopped green bell pepper
Instructions
Gather all ingredients before starting recipe.
Lettuce
- Separate lettuce leaves. Choose leaves that have a rib and are shaped to hold the meat mixture.
Filling
- Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil to a medium sized sauté pan over medium heat. Add 1 lb ground chicken, breaking up until the meat forms crumbles. About 5 minutes.
- Add chopped peppers, green onions and cilantro and stir to combine. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add 1 tbsp Asian chili sauce (hot), 2 cloves garlic, grated, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tbsp ketchup, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 2-3 tbsp hoisin or oyster sauce , 1 tbsp fish sauce, and 1 tbsp soy sauce Cook over medium heat until the sauce becomes syrupy, about 10 minutes.
Serving
- Serve minced meat in a bowl surrounded by lettuce leaves, allowing everyone to make their own lettuce cups. Alternatively, fill lettuce leaves with a generous amount of the meat mixture, top with more fresh chopped peppers and cilantro.