These spicy pork lettuce wraps are my answer to the Tuesday night “what’s for dinner” standoff. One pound of ground pork, a handful of pantry sauces, and about 20 minutes. Spicy Pork Lettuce Wraps with Quick Pickled Vegetables are an easy weeknight meal to get everyone to the table.
I love a meal where everyone builds their own. You set out a pile of butter lettuce, a bowl of rice, the saucy pork, and a jar of bright pink pickled onions, and suddenly you’re not cooking dinner. You’re hosting. Kurt treats the pickled vegetables like a condiment that should be on everything, and honestly, he’s not wrong.
The pork is savory, a little sweet, and has just enough heat from the chili garlic sauce and Sriracha to keep things interesting. The cool, crunchy lettuce and tangy pickles balance it all out. It feels like takeout, but it’s lighter, faster, and you don’t have to find your keys.
Why These Pork Lettuce Wraps Work
- Big flavor from the pantry. Fish sauce, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, rice wine vinegar and Sriracha do all the heavy lifting.
- Ready in about 20 minutes. Brown the pork, add the sauce, and you’re done. The pickles quick-cure while the pork cooks.
- The sauce reduces into a glaze. Letting it simmer a few minutes means every crumble of pork is coated, not swimming.
- Sesame oil goes in last. Tossing it in off the heat keeps its toasty, nutty flavor front and center.
- Butter lettuce makes the perfect cup. It’s soft, sturdy and naturally cup-shaped, so your wraps actually hold together.
Pork Lettuce Wraps Recipe
Prep time: 10 minutes · Cook time: 10 minutes · Total time: 20 minutes · Servings: 4 · Course: Main · Cuisine: Asian-inspired
Ingredients
For the pork
- 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- Rice, for serving
- Butter lettuce, for serving
For the quick pickled vegetables
- 1/2 cup apple cider or white vinegar
- 4 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup water
- 1 red onion, jalapeño, bunch of radishes or carrots, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Make the pickles first. Stir the vinegar, sugar, salt and water together until the sugar and salt dissolve. Pack the sliced vegetables into a jar and pour the brine over the top. Let them sit while you cook the pork.
- Brown the pork. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and brown for about 3 minutes, stirring enough that it doesn’t burn. Add the garlic and ginger in the final minute of browning.
- Mix the sauce. In a small bowl, stir together the chili garlic sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, Sriracha, sugar and water.
- Glaze the pork. Pour the sauce into the pan and toss until the pork is coated. Cook a few more minutes, until the pork is cooked through and the sauce has reduced and coats the meat.
- Finish with sesame oil. Remove the pan from the heat and toss the pork with the sesame oil.
- Build at the table. Fill each lettuce cup with rice, a big spoonful of pork and a pile of pickled vegetables.
Tips and Variations
- Swap the protein. Ground chicken or turkey work well. Add an extra splash of soy sauce since they’re leaner than pork.
- Control the heat. For kids or spice-shy guests, cut the Sriracha in half and serve extra at the table.
- Slice the pickles thin. A mandoline gets red onions and radishes paper-thin so they pickle in about 20 minutes. They keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Mix your pickles. Red onion with a few jalapeño rings is my favorite combo: tangy, pretty and a little spicy.
- Add crunch. Top with chopped peanuts, cashews, sliced green onions, fresh cilantro or mint.
- No lettuce? Serve it as a rice bowl with the pickles and a fried egg on top.
- Meal prep it. The cooked pork keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days. Rewarm in a skillet and assemble fresh lettuce cups.
What to Serve with Pork Lettuce Wraps
Lettuce wraps are light, so I like to round out the table with something crunchy, something cozy, or both. Here are five recipes from the Stephanie’s Dish archive that feel right at home next to them.
- Red Cabbage Slaw with Peanuts and Cilantro — A crunchy, soy-dressed slaw with the same herby, salty-sweet vibe as the wraps. Spoon a little right into your lettuce cup for extra crunch.
- Pork Dumplings — Crispy on the bottom and juicy inside. Turn lettuce wrap night into a full takeout-at-home spread, and use the chili garlic sauce as a dipper.
- Easy Kimchi Fried Rice — Swap plain rice for this tangy, spicy fried rice when you want the wraps to feel more like a feast.
- Bao Bao Buns Dumpling Soup — Ginger, garlic and chili crisp broth ready in under 30 minutes. Perfect for chilly fall nights when a cold wrap needs a warm partner.
- Toasted Sesame Asian Slaw — A broccoli-forward slaw with toasted sesame dressing that adds color, crunch and a big dose of vegetables to the table.
Pork Lettuce Wraps FAQ
What kind of lettuce is best for lettuce wraps?
Butter lettuce (also called Bibb or Boston) is best for lettuce wraps. The leaves are soft, cup-shaped and sturdy enough to hold a filling. Iceberg and romaine hearts also work if you want more crunch.
Can I make pork lettuce wraps ahead of time?
Yes. Cook the pork up to 4 days ahead and store it in the fridge. Make the pickled vegetables up to 2 weeks ahead. Wash and dry the lettuce, then assemble the wraps right before serving so they stay crisp.
Are pork lettuce wraps spicy?
They have a medium kick from the chili garlic sauce and Sriracha. For a milder version, cut the Sriracha in half and serve extra on the side.
What can I use instead of fish sauce?
Use an extra teaspoon of soy sauce with a squeeze of lime. You’ll lose a little of the savory depth, but the wraps will still be delicious.
How long do quick pickled vegetables last?
Quick pickled vegetables last up to 2 weeks in a covered jar in the refrigerator. They’re ready to eat after about 20 minutes and taste even better the next day.
Are pork lettuce wraps low carb?
They can be. Skip the rice and pile in extra pork and pickled vegetables, or serve them over cauliflower rice. Keep in mind the sauce has a little sugar.
I started making lettuce wraps after I became a gardener. There would be times where I had so many random onesie, twosie vegetables that did not make a whole meal or a dish. When I would have two radishes the only thing I could think to do with them for a meal was to wrap them in things. Thus, the lettuce wrap was born. This is one of my favorite easy weeknight meals from the garden in the summer and I crave them in the winter as they are so fresh and versatile. You can use ground pork, chicken or turkey. If you don’t have ground meat you can make lettuce wraps with roast chicken, leftover pork shoulder or pot roast. Really if you can wrap it, you have lettuce wraps.
Use your Instant Pot here to make the rice. Rice in the Instant Pot is a life changer as I really struggle to make it any other way. The secret is one portion rice to equal portions of water for white or Jasmine rice. One cup water, one cup rice and you cook it for 5 minutes on manual and let it naturally release for 5 minutes. This same recipe works with two or even four cups of rice.
Quick Pork Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
- 1 lb ground pork*
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp chili garlic sauce
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp Sriracha
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- rice for serving
- Butter lettuce for serving
Quick Pickled Vegetables
- 1/2 c apple cider or white vinegar
- 4 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 c of water
- 1 red onion or jalapeño or radishes or carrots thinly sliced
Instructions
- Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet, then brown the pork for 3 minutes, stirring enough so it doesn’t burn. Add garlic and ginger in the final stages of browning the pork.
- Mix up the chili sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sriracha, sugar and water. Add to the pan and toss all the ingredients until coated. Cook for a few more minutes until the pork is cooked through and the sauce has reduced and is coating the meat. Remove from the heat and toss in the sesame oil with the finished pork.
- At the table, fill each lettuce cup with rice and a big spoonful of the pork mixture and pickled vegetables.
Notes
- Ground turkey or chicken can be substituted for the pork.
- Additional topping options: lime wedges, sliced peppers, sliced radish, chopped cilantro or mint.
Nutrition
See all my vegetable recipes here.
