Quick Ginger Beef Lettuce Wraps for Weeknight Dinners
Ginger Beef Lettuce Wraps are one of my favourite weeknight dinners. One of my biggest pet peeves is when I find the perfect recipe to make, until I realize it takes 4 hours to make, the meat has to be marinated the day before, and you need 100 different utensils! That is why I love this recipe! It is packed with nutrition and flavour and ready in under 30 minutes.
As a Holistic Nutritionist and a busy mom of two, I love to create quick, delicious recipes that take minimal time and tools. Ginger Beef Lettuce Wraps are light and fresh, but are still bursting with those Asian-inspired flavours. While they are a bit messy, I still love using lettuce wraps instead of flour wraps as they add a delicious crunch and remove those dangerous enriched flours.
Ginger Beef Lettuce Wraps Recipe
Gluten-free | Dairy-free
SERVES: 4 | HANDS-ON TIME: 10 MINUTES | TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 2 cups diced mushrooms
- 1lb ground beef (300g)
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 4 tbsp tamari
- ½ cup green onion
- 16 butter lettuce leaves
- 4 tbsp sesame seeds
- Hot sauce (optional)
Directions
- Heat a frying pan to medium heat. Add the sesame oil and sauté the onion for 4 minutes, until translucent.
- Add the mushrooms and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Add ground beef, garlic, and ginger, and cook for 10 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink. Add tamari and remove from heat.
- Scoop the mixture onto 2 butter lettuce leaves stacked on top of each other, top with ½ tbsp sesame seeds and hot sauce and enjoy. Makes 8 lettuce cups, 2 lettuce cups per serving.
NUTRIENTS PER SERVING (2 lettuce cups): CALORIES: 366, FAT: 19 g, SAT. FAT: 4 g, CARBS: 10 g, FIBER: 3 g, SUGARS: 3 g, PROTEIN: 40 g, SODIUM: 1088 mg, CHOLESTEROL: 101 mg
Picky Eater Tip
Cook the beef separately if you have picky eaters who don’t like onions or mushrooms (like my kids). Serve the beef either in the lettuce wrap or on a regular tortilla wrap with a side of raw veggies.
Meal Planning Tip
Store the meat mixture in the fridge for up to 4 days. Re-heat in a frying pan over medium heat before adding to the lettuce wrap.
Why Adding Ginger to Your Dish is a Great Idea
Not only does ginger add amazing flavour and warmth to your meals, but it also offers an impressive list of underlying health benefits. For centuries, ginger has been used in ancient medicine as a natural remedy for digestive issues, inflammation and nausea. Ginger is well known for:
- Soothing an upset stomach
- Reducing bloating
- Easing motion sickness
- Supporting immune health from the bioactive compounds found inside
- Fighting everyday aches and pains
While these are all amazing, did you know that ginger actually has a lot more hidden properties?
- Anti-inflammatory
- Anti-apoptotic (promotes cell survival)
- Anti-tumour
- Anti-pyretic (reduces fever)
- Antiplatelet (prevents blood clots)
- Anti-hyperglycaemic
- Anti-diabetic
- Analgesic (relieve pain)
- Cardiotonic (improve cardiac output)
Ginger is both a delicious and functional ingredient that supports our overall well-being. From ginger molasses cookies to these scrumptious ginger beef lettuce wraps, there’s always room to add it!
Small but Mighty Sesame Seeds
One of my other favourite ingredients in this recipe is the sesame seeds. These tiny seeds are truly a hidden gem and are often overlooked, despite their lengthy list of health benefits. Don’t let their small size fool you, sesame seeds are packed with nutrients to:
- Support heart health (healthy fats)
- Great source of plant-based protein
- High in fibre, supporting our digestion and gut health
- High in calcium, which supports our bones and teeth
- High in magnesium, supporting muscle and nerve functions
- High in iron, giving us the energy we need for the day
- Antioxidants that protect our cells from free radicals
- Reduce inflammation
- Support healthy cholesterol
- Many plant compounds, like lignans, which support hormone balance
Beyond all this nutritional value, sesame seeds also add tons of flavour to a dish. They provide a small crunch with a subtle, nutty flavour that elevates your dish. These can be added to salads, stir-frys, blended into dressing or smoothies, added to bread or other baked goods, and of course, these Ginger Beef Lettuce Wraps! Incorporating sesame seeds into everyday meals is the perfect way to boost nutrition and flavour.
Want More Quick Dinner Ideas?
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Try this family-friendly recipe.
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