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Home » Recipes » Dinner

Sweet and Spicy Pork Lettuce Wraps

Updated: March 21, 2023 | Published on: April 20, 2022 - Molly Thompson37 Comments

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Insanely delicious and easy pork lettuce wraps will become your favorite easy, healthy dinner. The sweet and spicy (not too spicy!) sauce covers ground pork and veggies inside crisp lettuce cups for a flavorful, low-carb dinner!

pork lettuce wraps on a white serving tray with spicy sauce and scallions on the side

Watch the video below to see how to make quick and easy pork lettuce wraps!

Jump to:
  • Why We Love Pork Lettuce Wraps
  • Ingredient Notes and Brands We Used
  • How to Make Pork Lettuce Wraps
  • Prefer to watch instead of read?
  • Best Kind of Lettuce for Lettuce Wraps
  • Must-Read Recipe Tips
  • Sweet and Spicy Pork Lettuce Wraps
  • Comments

We're always on the hunt for dinners done in 30 minutes. Some of our favorites are fiesta lime shrimp bowls, blackened salmon, air fryer stuffed peppers and now these ground pork lettuce wraps!

And if you want a quick ground turkey recipe, try this ground turkey teriyaki rice bowl.

Why We Love Pork Lettuce Wraps

  • Pantry staples: this recipe is made up of only pantry staples. There aren't any fussy ingredients that you'll use once and forget about in the back of the pantry. Coconut aminos (gf version of soy sauce), nut butter, rice vinegar and honey are the only pantry ingredients you need!
  • Low carb: if you're balancing blood sugar or being mindful of the carbs you're eating, this recipe is a great option. It has 15 net carbs in a serving, but if you want to lower that you can omit the honey so it's 12 net carbs. All the flavor from the sauce and veggies will keep you satisfied and full.
  • Eat more veggies: These pork lettuce wraps are 5 different kinds of veggies. We love to eat the rainbow and this recipe makes eating veggies so fun! You don't even know your plate is packed with vitamins and nutrients.
  • Great for kiddos: we gave this recipe to our daughter and she smashed it! She was getting protein and veggies in without knowing it.
crispy pork lettuce wraps with red pepper, carrots, water chestnuts and onion in a bed of butter lettuce topped with scallions and cilantro

Ingredient Notes and Brands We Used

For the sauce:

  • Fresh ginger and garlic: this is an essential part of these lettuce wraps and adds a ton of asian flavor.
  • Honey: you can omit this if you're eating whole30.
  • Coconut aminos: this is the gluten free version of soy sauce. If you aren't gluten free and have soy sauce on hand you can use that.
  • Nut butter: we used peanut butter, but cashew butter works great for paleo or whole30 options.
  • Rice wine vinegar: this adds acid to balance out the sauce.
  • Sriracha: this is where the spicy comes into play and can be customized to your taste! If you like spicy food you can add more or omit it if you don't like spice.

For the wraps:

  • Ground pork: it has minimal fat so it doesn't need drained after cooking. Love that for an easy, one-pot meal! You could also use ground chicken, but it won't have as much fat/flavor.
  • Water chestnuts: these come in a can in the international aisle in the grocery store.
  • Veggies: red pepper, carrots, yellow onion
  • Butter lettuce: this is the best lettuce for wraps in my opinion!
  • To top: scallions, cilantro and crushed peanuts
three ground pork lettuce wraps on a white serving tray with sweet and spicy sauce and scallions on the side

How to Make Pork Lettuce Wraps

  1. Add all of the sauce ingredients to a small bowl, whisk well then set aside.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or wok then cook the ground pork until no pink remains.
  3. Add the veggies and cook until soft then stir in the sauce, turn the heat to low and simmer for 5-8 minutes to thicken the sauce and develop the flavor.
  4. Spoon the pork mixture into lettuce wraps, then garnish with scallions, cilantro and crushed peanuts.

Prefer to watch instead of read?

Best Kind of Lettuce for Lettuce Wraps

Our very favorite lettuce to use is butter lettuce. It's crisp and has the perfect circular shape to hold all the filling. I like to double up the lettuce to make sure it doesn't break when you're eating it.

How to get it off the core: remove any out layers of lettuce that are browning or old then cut the piece of lettuce at the stem.

We also like to use romaine lettuce if we have that on hand!

Must-Read Recipe Tips

  • Make the pork extra crispy: when you're browning the ground pork, don't continually stir it. Let it sit in the sizzling hot oil for a bit to get brown and crispy then stir and do the same thing.
  • Serve with sauce: while the pork filling is simmering, whisk together some honey, coconut aminos, nut butter and sriracha for a quick sauce to drizzle on top.
  • Only pull off the lettuce you need: to keep the lettuce fresh, only use the lettuce leaves you need while you're making the cups.
  • Perfect for meal prep: If you're making these as meal prep, you can store the lettuce separately until you're ready to assemble and eat.
a woman picking up a pork lettuce wrap topped with cilantro and peanuts

 If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see it!

More Asian-inspired recipes

  • 30 minute chicken pad Thai
  • Sweet and sticky orange cauliflower
  • Sheet pan honey garlic shrimp
  • Korean shredded beef tacos
someone picking up a sweet and spicy pork lettuce wrap from a plate

Sweet and Spicy Pork Lettuce Wraps

Insanely delicious and easy pork lettuce wraps will become your favorite easy, healthy dinner. The sweet and spicy (not too spicy!) sauce covers ground pork and veggies inside crisp lettuce cups for a flavorful, low carb dinner!
4.88 from 39 votes
Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Asian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 (2 lettuce wraps each)
Calories: 409kcal
Author: Molly Thompson
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Ingredients

For the sauce

  • 2 teaspoons fresh ground ginger
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon honey omit for whole30 option
  • 2 tablespoons coconut aminos or soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons nut butter peanut butter or cashew butter is best
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons sriracha more or less to adjust spice level

For the lettuce wraps

  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts drained and diced
  • 1 red pepper diced
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1 small yellow onion diced
  • Butter lettuce leaves for serving
  • Topping: green onions, cilantro and crushed peanuts

Sauce for serving (optional):

  • 3 tablespoons coconut aminos or soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon nut butter
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon sriracha

Instructions

  • Add all of the sauce ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk well. Set aside.
  • Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Once it's hot, add the ground pork and cook until no pink remains. To make it crispy, stir occasionally to allow the pork to sit in the hot oil before stirring. This crisps the outsides to a golden brown color.
  • When the pork is done, add the water chestnuts, red pepper, carrots and onion and cook until soft, 5-7 minutes.
  • Stir in the sauce until it's completely combined then turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 8-10 minutes to thicken and develop the flavor.
  • Remove the pan from the heat then serve inside the lettuce cups. You may need to double up the lettuce cups for a sturdier wrap. Top with chopped scallions, cilantro and peanuts if desired.
  • If you're making the sauce, whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl while the pork filling simmers. Top the lettuce wraps with sauce before serving.

Notes

Meal prep: store the filling and the lettuce separately so you can heat up the pork filling and the lettuce won't get soggy.
Adjust the heat: If you don't like spice, you can omit the sriracha in this rice or reduce it. Alternatively, if you really like spice, you can add more.

Nutrition

Serving: 2lettuce wraps | Calories: 409kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 28g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 300mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g
Did you make this recipe?Mention @What_MollyMade or tag #whatmollymade!

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Kelsey says

    May 29, 2021 at 6:23 pm

    5 stars
    SO GOOD! Super flavorful & such a good way to pack a meal with veggies.

    Reply
    • Molly Thompson says

      June 02, 2021 at 4:22 pm

      Thank you Kelsey!! So glad you loved it. Appreciate you!

      Reply
  2. Aleks says

    August 09, 2021 at 6:55 pm

    5 stars
    A favorite in our house for dinner!! So tasty.

    Reply
    • Molly Thompson says

      August 11, 2021 at 1:47 pm

      Thanks, Aleks!

      Reply
  3. Sara says

    September 19, 2021 at 8:06 pm

    5 stars
    Made these for dinner tonight! Accidentally got beef instead of pork but they were still delicious. And super easy to make, too!

    Reply
    • Molly Thompson says

      September 27, 2021 at 9:19 am

      We love this one too! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  4. Ashley says

    January 04, 2022 at 10:11 pm

    5 stars
    Amazing!! Not a fan of lettuce wraps but this one was so good! It will be on repeat in our house!

    Reply
    • Molly Thompson says

      January 12, 2022 at 11:21 am

      Best compliment!! I always miss the carbs in lettuce wraps LOL. But this one has so much flavor I don't notice! Thanks for adding it to the rotation:)

      Reply
  5. Amy says

    January 06, 2022 at 5:24 pm

    5 stars
    Such great flavor & texture. I was slightly intimidated by the ingredient list, but I was able to whip this up pretty quickly! Will make again.

    Reply
  6. Stacy says

    January 08, 2022 at 6:53 pm

    Oh this is so good!!!! Came together really quickly. Love it!

    Reply
    • Molly Thompson says

      January 12, 2022 at 11:19 am

      This is one of our favorites too, Stacy!! Thanks!

      Reply
  7. Gwyn Goertzen says

    January 17, 2022 at 6:07 pm

    Could I use peanuts instead of water chestnuts? My husband is not a fan of the water chestnuts.

    Reply
    • Molly Thompson says

      January 18, 2022 at 11:36 am

      Hey Gwyn! Definitely! That would be a great option to add crunch instead of water chestnuts. Just add them to the end!

      Reply
  8. Alicia says

    January 27, 2022 at 9:50 am

    Great flavors! I used pork chops and cut them up into small pieces. The sauce for serving was just ok, I will omit it next Tim. But I will go ahead and double the cooking sauce otherwise without the topping sauce it might be a bit dry when serving. I toped mine with chili garlic sauce as my serving sauce. Definitely one of my favorite recipes!

    Reply
    • Molly Thompson says

      February 01, 2022 at 11:01 am

      Ohh sounds delicious! You could also make extra cooking sauce and save a little for the top!

      Reply
  9. Alicia says

    January 27, 2022 at 9:54 am

    5 stars
    posted a comment earlier, forgot to give it a 5 star rating!

    Reply
  10. Joyce says

    February 06, 2022 at 5:14 pm

    5 stars
    👍👍👍👍 in our house. I ended up making with ground turkey & no sriracha, but a huge hit with everyone. One request was to make with a little pineapple next time.

    Reply
  11. Joyce says

    February 06, 2022 at 5:14 pm

    5 stars
    👍👍👍👍 in our house. I ended up making with ground turkey & no sriracha, but a huge hit with everyone. One request was to make with a little pineapple next time..

    Reply
    • Molly Thompson says

      February 08, 2022 at 12:21 pm

      Ohhh pineapple would be so good!! Great ideea!

      Reply
  12. Savanna says

    February 09, 2022 at 6:08 pm

    5 stars
    One of the best Asian dishes I've made at home! My husband said we have to make this one again!! Loved it! 🙂

    Reply
    • Molly Thompson says

      March 05, 2022 at 11:22 am

      Love that! This is one of my favorite dinners ever!

      Reply
  13. Soraly says

    February 27, 2022 at 9:21 am

    5 stars
    this was fantastic! definitely going to be a repeat in our house

    Reply
    • Molly Thompson says

      March 05, 2022 at 11:05 am

      Love to hear that!! One of our favorites too!

      Reply
  14. Alaina says

    March 03, 2022 at 8:16 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve made this twice now! One of my new favorites. Super easy too!

    Reply
    • Molly Thompson says

      March 05, 2022 at 11:01 am

      It's one of our favorites too, Alaina!

      Reply
  15. Karman Foods says

    March 25, 2022 at 2:22 am

    5 stars
    This Sweet and Spicy Pork Lettuce wrap is absolutely healthy and delicious. The taste was not compromised as well. I used Coconut Secret The Original Organic Aminos Soy-Free Seasoning Sauce for a quality taste of flavor. Yummy! It's my new fave food any time of the day. Best paired with Vita Sugar Cane Flavor Vita Juice.

    Reply
  16. Penny says

    May 14, 2022 at 7:14 pm

    5 stars
    Tasted amazing! Like a 5 star restaurant. A great way to use all the fresh lettuce from the garden. We added some “rice stick” vermicelli noodles to the lettuce wrap. Thanks!

    Reply
  17. Mary says

    May 26, 2022 at 9:58 pm

    5 stars
    Made this tonight and it was FABULOUS! May up the veggie content next time (with a bit more sauce to compensate) just to squeeze more veggies into my meal. But man was this good!! I was slightly confused by “fresh ground ginger” as ground ginger is usually a dry product and not listed as “fresh” in recipes so I took a gamble and used fresh ginger minced up. No problem at all. Thanks for sharing!!!

    Reply
  18. Manon says

    July 10, 2022 at 6:43 pm

    5 stars
    Like in the introduction of the recipe....... it is INSANELY DELICIOUS. Next time, I will make double or triple the recipe and freeze some for when I don't feel like cooking. The sauce for serving is a must in our opinion. I even doubled the recipe.

    Reply
  19. Sue J says

    August 02, 2022 at 7:51 pm

    4 stars
    Very good. Will make the sauce for over the top next time.

    Reply
  20. Cathy says

    September 08, 2022 at 4:40 pm

    5 stars
    This is absolutely delicious! I’ve added it to our weekly menu! thank you so much!

    Reply
  21. Shelley says

    October 06, 2022 at 7:19 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious!!

    Reply
  22. sarah says

    December 15, 2022 at 8:03 am

    loved this recipe. was also confused by 'fresh ground ginger' as that's normally a dry ingredient but like someone else here said I also used minced ginger instead.

    used peanut butter and felt it was a bit oily- any recommendations for lessening that?
    the second night of leftovers we ditched the wraps and had it as a big salad instead, adding cucumber. it was even better this way as you get a bit of everything in every mouthful!

    thanks so much for the recipe. really yum.

    Reply
    • Molly Thompson says

      December 17, 2022 at 8:43 am

      Thanks Sarah!! It should be fresh "grated" ginger, not fresh ground. I'll make that change! Make sure you use a creamy peanut butter that isn't drippy and oily. That should help! You can also drain the fat from the pork, which helps.

      Reply
  23. Emily says

    March 23, 2023 at 2:49 pm

    5 stars
    This is a delicious recipe and my kids even love it!

    Reply
  24. Angie says

    April 27, 2023 at 8:52 pm

    4 stars
    These were pretty good as written. I added some fresh squeezed lime as a finish to help brighten it up. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  25. Karen Sue Boyd says

    May 09, 2023 at 9:13 pm

    5 stars
    I made this tonight, and I have found a favorite dinner entre. My husband and I like heat, so added extra Sriracha and diced jalapeños. It was perfect.
    Thank you for sharing this recipe.

    Reply

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I'm Molly! I'm so grateful you're here. My hope is that my recipes bless your home and your bodies. I want my website to be a tool to help you feel your best and nourish you with recipes you (and your family) look forward to making!

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