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Vietnamese Lettuce Wraps

Vietnamese lettuce wraps with a savory, sticky pork or chicken filling and a tangy hoisin-lime dipping sauce. Crisp butter lettuce cups hold a fragrant ginger-garlic stir-fry with crunchy vegetables and fresh herbs for bold cool-warm contrast.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Appetizer, Dinner
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Lettuce Wraps
  • 1 butter lettuce (or iceberg) 1 head, leaves separated and washed
  • 1 lb ground pork or ground chicken
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil (avocado or vegetable)
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger finely grated
  • 3 green onions thinly sliced; whites and greens separated
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 0.5 cup water chestnuts drained and roughly chopped
  • 1 cup cooked vermicelli rice noodles optional but recommended
  • 0.5 cup fresh bean sprouts
  • 0.25 cup fresh mint leaves
  • 0.25 cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • 2 tbsp crushed roasted peanuts
Savory Sauce (cooked into filling)
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp chili garlic sauce or sriracha
Dipping Sauce
  • 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sriracha
  • 1 tsp water to loosen
  • 1 tsp crushed peanuts for topping

Equipment

  • 1 large skillet or wok

Method
 

Make dipping sauce
  1. In a small bowl, whisk hoisin sauce, lime juice, soy sauce, sriracha, and water until smooth. Top with crushed peanuts and set aside.
Make savory sauce for filling
  1. In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and chili garlic sauce until combined. Set aside while you cook the filling.
Cook the filling
  1. Heat neutral oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the white parts of the green onions and the garlic, and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  2. Add the ground pork or chicken and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring frequently, until fully cooked and beginning to caramelize at the edges.
  3. Pour the savory sauce over the meat and stir to coat evenly. Cook for another 1–2 minutes until the sauce is absorbed and slightly sticky.
  4. Add grated ginger, shredded carrots, and chopped water chestnuts. Stir-fry for 2 minutes to warm through while keeping some crunch.
  5. Remove from heat. Stir in the green parts of the green onions and half the fresh herbs.
Assemble wraps
  1. Lay out the lettuce cups and add a small bundle of vermicelli noodles into each cup if using. Spoon the warm filling into each cup.
  2. Top each wrap with bean sprouts, fresh mint, cilantro, and crushed peanuts. Serve immediately with the hoisin dipping sauce on the side so everyone can build their own wraps.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the lettuce crisp by washing and drying it well, then refrigerating until assembly. Store filling and dipping sauce in separate sealed containers in the fridge up to 3 days; assemble wraps fresh for best crunch. Freezing the filling is not recommended because the lettuce and sprouts won’t hold up after thawing. For a lighter option, use ground chicken and reduce the crushed peanuts topping by half while keeping the sauces the same.