Healthy lettuce wraps are a great recipe idea if you’re trying to eat slow carb, keto, gluten free, or just low calorie. These lettuce cups are piled full of spicy marinated steak, and crisp, fresh veggies. Light, healthy and super simple to throw together. Substitute chicken, pork, beans and even tofu. Whatever you have on hand works great as a lettuce cup filling.
After labor day I told The Hubs I wanted to really focus on healthy eating for a month or so (this was before the See’s candy event I attended. Doh!), and he said that was fine but he needed to eat meat. I guess we’ve been married long enough that he knows when I say “healthy” I mean salad and beans.
I agreed to his request and these spicy steak lettuce wraps were born. Besides the marinading part, I whipped these up in about 15 minutes. They were full of flavor, meat-tastic to please The Hubs, and full of crisp veggies to please me. Plus, there was no oven involved which was great for these hot Indian Summer days.
I love the idea of healthy lettuce wraps. You can pretty much replace a carb in most meals by wrapping your “fillings” with lettuce instead. It applies for sandwiches, tacos, and heck, I even saw a recipe recently where they made “enchiladas” and replaced the tortillas with Chard.
If you’re looking for a simple way to cut some calories from your diet, try replacing one sandwich a week with a healthy lettuce wrap. Boom! Simple as that.
***UPDATE****
It’s been 5 years since I first published this post and now I’ve shot some new pictures and am revisiting it to make your reading experience more enjoyable.
Guess what?
We STILL eat these healthy lettuce wraps all the time, and STILL find it to be a great compromise meal when we’re both trying to eat light, but The Hubs wants meat and I want only veggies.
I think the moral of the story is that lettuce wraps never go out of style. Any meat filling or not meat filling (Beans! Tofu!) goes. Any marinade flavors (Garlic! Asian flavors! smoky BBQ! Herbs and citrus!) work flawlessly. Top ’em with whatever you have on hand. You really can’t go wrong.
Lettuce wraps are a great way to cut a few calories and bypass a few carbs while still being able to enjoy your favorite savory flavor combinations.
If you give this recipe a try, and find that you love it as much as we do, be sure to tag @betsylife on Instagram and/or Facebook so I can see your creations!
Healthy Lettuce Wraps with Spicy Steak
Healthy lettuce wraps are a great recipe idea if you're trying to eat slow carb, keto, gluten free, or just low calorie. These lettuce cups are piled full of spicy marinated steak, and crisp, fresh veggies. Light, healthy and super simple to throw together. Substitute chicken, pork, beans and even tofu. Whatever you have on hand works great as a lettuce cup filling.
Ingredients
- 1 12-ounce sirloin steak
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons grated shallots
- 2 tablespoons sambal oelek chile paste
- 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- Cooking spray
- 12 large Boston lettuce leaves about 2 heads
- 1 cup thinly sliced cucumber
- 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
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1. Place steak in freezer 15 minutes. Remove from freezer; cut across the grain into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Combine sugar and next 6 ingredients (through oil) in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal bag, and shake. Remove 3 tablespoons marinade, and set aside. Add steak to marinade in bag; seal and shake. Marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour. Remove steak from bag; discard marinade. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add steak to pan, and cook for 1 minute on each side.
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2. Divide steak evenly among lettuce leaves. Top each leaf with 4 teaspoons cucumber, 4 teaspoons onion, 4 teaspoons carrot, and 2 teaspoons cilantro; drizzle with reserved 3 tablespoons marinade.
Recipe Notes
If you don't have or like steak, you can substitute chicken, pork or even tofu or beans.
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plasterer bristol says
This sounds lovely and really tasty. Thank you for sharing this.
Simon