Spicy Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps
Gochujang-glazed ground beef, quick-pickled cucumbers, and sriracha mayo in crisp lettuce cups. Light but hits hard.
🤖 The AI Part
"I want a spicy meat wrap for lunch that's not boring."
Claude suggested going Korean with gochujang-glazed ground beef in lettuce cups instead of a traditional wrap. Key ideas: quick-pickled cucumbers for crunch, sriracha mayo for extra heat, and butter lettuce instead of tortillas to keep it light.
TODO — update after cooking (what did you change?)
TODO — update after cooking (how was it?)
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 3 tbsp gochujang
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 head butter lettuce, leaves separated
- 1 cup cooked white rice
Quick-pickled cucumbers
- 1 Persian cucumber, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- Pinch of salt
Sriracha mayo
- 2 tbsp mayo
- 1 tbsp sriracha
Toppings
- Sesame seeds
- 2 scallions, sliced
- Kimchi (optional, but recommended)
Instructions
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Pickle the cucumbers. Toss cucumber slices with rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Set aside — they’ll be ready by the time everything else is done.
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Mix the sriracha mayo. Stir together mayo and sriracha. Taste it. Add more sriracha if you’re brave. Set aside.
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Brown the beef. Heat a skillet over medium-high. Add ground beef and break it up. Cook until browned and no longer pink, about 5-6 minutes. Drain any excess fat.
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Add the aromatics. Toss in garlic and ginger. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant — don’t let it burn.
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Glaze it. Add gochujang, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and brown sugar. Stir everything together and cook for 2-3 minutes until the sauce gets sticky and coats the beef. This is where the magic happens.
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Assemble the wraps. Lettuce cup, spoonful of rice, generous scoop of beef, pickled cucumbers, drizzle of sriracha mayo, sesame seeds, scallions. Kimchi if you’re smart.
Notes
The pickled cucumbers are non-negotiable — they cut through the richness and add the crunch that makes this whole thing work. Butter lettuce gives you the best cups, but iceberg works in a pinch. Leftovers reheat great, but assemble fresh cups each time or you’ll get soggy lettuce sadness.