Spicy Pork Lettuce Wraps
These restaurant-style lettuce wraps deliver a powerful punch of savory, sweet, and spicy flavors in under 30 minutes. By searing the pork hard and using a perfectly balanced sauce, this recipe creates a saucy, irresistible filling that stays rich and thick, clinging to every bite of crisp lettuce.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and minced
- 1/2 cup minced green onions
- 1/4 cup soy sauce (or mushroom soy sauce)
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 head of iceberg or butter lettuce, leaves separated
- 1/2 cup crispy chow mein noodles (optional, for garnish)
Steps
- 1
In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sriracha, sesame oil, and cornstarch to create the sauce mixture.
- 2
Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat until it begins to shimmer.
- 3
Add the ground pork and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, breaking it apart with a spoon, until it is well-browned and begins to get crispy. Do not overcrowd the pan.
- 4
Stir in the minced garlic and ginger and continue to cook for about 30 seconds more, just until fragrant.
- 5
Pour the sauce mixture over the pork and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce has bubbled and thickened.
- 6
Remove the skillet from the heat, then fold in the minced water chestnuts and green onions.
- 7
To serve, spoon the pork filling into individual lettuce leaves and garnish with crispy chow mein noodles, if using.
Pro tips
- For the best texture, get your pan very hot and sear the pork without moving it too much at first, allowing it to develop a crispy, brown crust.
- For a deeper, more complex flavor, use mushroom soy sauce, which has a richer, less one-dimensionally salty taste than standard soy sauce.
- To keep their signature crunch, add the water chestnuts and green onions after turning off the heat. The residual warmth of the filling will heat them through without making them soft.