Pork Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps

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Pork marinated in a sweet, spicy, and salty mixture then served in a lettuce leaf along with rice and scallions for a healthy and easy to make dinner.

A close up view of a white place on a blue background. There are three lettuce leaves on the plate, each filled with rice and strips of pork with a mound of broccoli on top and an egg roll on the bottom portion of the plate.

Literally translated, Bulgogi means fire meat.  It is usually thin, marinated slices of either beef or pork made on a grill, stove-top, or stir-fried in a pan.  The dish originated in Korea.

I’ve made beef bulgogi several times before and I love the combination of flavors.  While you can serve it over rice with steamed vegetables it’s also delicious served with rice and green onions in a lettuce wrap. 

One of the reasons I like making this dish is because it’s a super easy recipe and can be made in under 20 minutes on a weeknight after work.   I like to make the marinade in the morning before work and toss the pork in.  If I’m making steamed or roasted vegetables with it I chop those up in the morning too.

Pin Image: Text overlay, a head on view of A white plate sitting on a blue backgound. The plate has three leaves of lettuce each topped with serveral strips of pork with rice peaking out from underneath. There's a mound of broccoli in the center and an eggroll on the bottom right portion of the plate.

Then all I have to do is clean the lettuce for the lettuce wraps, cook the rice, and saute the pork.  I don’t know about you but I’m a huge fan of the microwave bagged rice. It’s ready in just two minutes and it’s pretty good.

So once the pork is cooked I like to bring everything to the table so we can put our wraps together there.   A big scoop of rice, some of the pork bulgogi, and then a sprinkle of green onions.  My husband likes to add a little more soy sauce and you could certainly put steamed or roasted vegetables in the lettuce wraps as well.

Pork Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps

Yield: 8-12 lettuce wraps
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. pork chops, sliced into thin strips
  • 1/4 pear or apple, grated
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon chili paste
  • 2 teaspoons grated peeled ginger
  • 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • salt and pepper
  • Sliced scallions
  • 4 c. cooked rice
  • 1 head Bibb lettuce

Instructions

  1. Add the pork slices, pear or apple, garlic, soy sauce, chili paste, ginger, brown sugar, sesame oil, and rice vinegar to a large zip top baggie. Seal and shake to combine.
  2. Let sit at room temperature for up to an hour or marinate in the refrigerator for up to eight hours.
  3. When ready to cook add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to a pan and add in the pork and half of the marinade.
  4. Saute for 3-5 minutes or until the pork is cooked through.
  5. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. To serve place a spoonful of rice on a Bibb lettuce leaf along with a scoop of the pork and sauce. Sprinkle with scallions and enjoy!

Notes

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 217Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 322mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 14g
A white plate sitting on a blue backgound. The plate has three leaves of lettuce each topped with serveral strips of pork with rice peaking out from underneath. There's a mound of broccoli in the center and an eggroll on the bottom right portion of the plate.

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