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Betsylife » Recipes » Healthy Lettuce Wraps with Spicy Steak

Healthy Lettuce Wraps with Spicy Steak

May 12, 2018 By betsy 1 Comment

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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.

Overhead of a sheet pan filled with healthy lettuce wraps filled with steak, thinly shaved carrots, cucumbers and red onions. Drizzle of sriracha sauce over the top

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.

Steak being thinly sliced on a wooden cutting board

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.

wooden cutting board piled with thinly shredded carrots, cucumber slices, thin slices of red onion, a bunch of cilantro and a head of butter lettuce

***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.

Two healthy lettuce wraps piled high with marinade strips of steak, thinly sliced carrots, cucumbers and red onions, cilantro leaves and Sriracha drizzle

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. 

overhead view of a sheet pan filled with lettuce wraps. Lettuce wraps contain steak, thinly sliced carrots, cucumbers, cilantro leaves, and red onion. Drizzled with cilantro.

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!

 

5 from 1 vote
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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.

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings 2 servings
Calories 529 kcal

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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. 

Nutrition Facts
Healthy Lettuce Wraps with Spicy Steak
Amount Per Serving (31 g)
Calories 529 Calories from Fat 243
% Daily Value*
Fat 27g42%
Sodium 1760mg73%
Carbohydrates 38g13%
Sugar 30g33%
Protein 33g66%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Recipe from Cooking Light

 

 

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Filed Under: Home Page, Meat/Seafood, Recipes

Comments

  1. plasterer bristol says

    December 22, 2015 at 5:00 am

    This sounds lovely and really tasty. Thank you for sharing this.

    Simon

    Reply

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