Beef Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps (35g Protein)

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Bulgogi cooks in under 10 minutes once the beef hits the pan, and serving it in lettuce cups instead of over rice keeps each portion around 10g of carbs with 35g of protein. The cold crunch of the lettuce against the hot, sweet-salty beef is honestly the best part.

This is what I make when I want takeout speed but a lighter end to the meal.

Why this works

Two technique points. First, the grated pear is not a gimmick. Pear contains enzymes that genuinely tenderize beef, which is why it shows up in so many Korean marinades, and its sweetness means you need less added sugar. Second, freeze the beef for 30 minutes before slicing. Half-frozen meat cuts into clean, paper-thin slices that cook in seconds and drink up the marinade. Trying to slice soft raw beef that thin is a losing fight.

Ingredient notes

An Asian pear is ideal, but half a regular ripe pear does the same job. Sirloin keeps this lean; ribeye is more traditional and more tender, but it roughly doubles the fat per serving. Butter lettuce makes the best cups because the leaves are already shaped like little bowls. Romaine works too, it just eats more like a taco. Do not skip the sesame oil, it carries most of the bulgogi flavor.

Beef Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps

Thin-sliced sirloin in a real pear marinade, seared hot and served in crisp butter lettuce cups.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 350

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 680 g top sirloin steak about 1.5 lb, sliced paper thin against the grain
• 0.5 Asian pear, grated or half a ripe regular pear
• 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 0.25 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp neutral oil
• 4 scallions, sliced
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 2 heads butter lettuce, leaves separated washed and dried well

Method

 

1. Freeze the steak for 30 minutes, then slice it paper thin against the grain. Half-frozen beef cuts cleanly; soft raw beef does not.
2. Stir the grated pear, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and black pepper together. Toss the beef in the marinade and let it sit for 30 minutes at room temperature, or up to overnight in the fridge.
3. Heat the neutral oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat until it just starts to smoke.
4. Cook the beef in two batches. Spread it in a single layer, leave it for 60 seconds to char, then toss for another minute until cooked through. Crowding the pan turns the marinade into a stew, so keep the batches honest.
5. Return the first batch to the pan, add the scallions, and toss everything off the heat for 30 seconds.
6. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve hot, with the lettuce leaves on the side for wrapping at the table.

Tips and storage

The cooked beef keeps 4 days refrigerated and reheats in a hot pan in about two minutes, so this preps well for the week. Store the lettuce separately, washed and dried, and it stays crisp for days. On higher-carb days the same beef is excellent over rice, which is basically the move behind my Korean ground beef bowls. And if you want another beef dinner with the sugar dialed down, try the lighter Mongolian beef.

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Korean Ground Beef Bowls (41g Protein)

Lean Pork Adobo (36g Protein)

Lighter Mongolian Beef (36g Protein)