Slow cooker shredded beef lettuce wraps are an easy, delicious, Asian-inspired treat. Stew beef is slow-cooked to tender perfection in a soy/honey sauce then wrapped up in fresh lettuce leaves.
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I am not sure what the magic is, but somehow dinners requiring end-user assembly are always a hit. Do-it-yourself dishes such as fajitas, tacos, and make-your-own bowls earn the most praise.
Since everyone loves stuffing a taco or burrito shell on their own, I figured why not something even healthier? Slow cooker beef lettuce wraps proved to be the perfect answer.
📃Shopping list
To make this easy and complete meal, you will need the following ingredients:
- Stew beef
- Soy sauce
- Honey
- Green onion - sliced
- Sweet chili sauce
- Rice vinegar
- Sesame oil
- Ginger - fresh grated
- Garlic
- Bell peppers - for serving
- Radishes - for serving
- Lettuce - larger, separated leaves for serving.
- Non-stick cooking spray
Beef in lettuce wraps are easy to make and fun to assemble. Plus, there are tons of great choices for easy toppings. This allows each wrap builder to customize to their liking.
Since the cost of beef is so outrageous, I decided to use stew meat for this beef lettuce wrap recipe. It was such a hit that it has been added to my regular dinner rotation.
🍳How to make this great recipe
Start by spraying your crock pot with a non-stick spray of choice. Add in your beef and all other ingredients (except those labeled as toppings). Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Once beef is cooked through and tender, shred it and stir it fully together with other ingredients. Turn your slow cooker to low until you are ready to serve.
🍽Serving
This is the fun part! You can choose to serve these healthy lettuce wraps already assembled or fully make-your-own style. Being creative with the topping and stuffing options offered will help your diners fully personalize their own creations.
Suggested toppings/additional stuffings for this beef lettuce cups recipe :
- snap peas
- rice
- cauliflower rice
- red pepper flakes
- sweet, red peppers, sliced
- green onion, sliced
- radish match sticks
- carrot match sticks
- hoisin sauce
- sesame seeds
- water chestnuts
- unsweetened crushed pineapple
Each one of these will add different but delicious flavors to your crunchy lettuce wrap. A little bit of creativity goes a long way!
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↔Substitution ideas
Beef
This healthy weeknight dinner calls for "stew meat". One of the questions I get asked most is: what is stew meat? Stew meat is technically any cut of meat with lots of connective tissue. This type of beef is especially flavorful but can be tough. It is generally sold cut up in cubes.
When you buy it already cut it is usually a mixture of different cuts of tougher meat. Often it is a combination of the butcher's leftover odds and ends. This generally makes it a better bargain.
If you prefer to cut it yourself, boneless beef chuck roast and round roast are great for slow cooking. The sauce in this recipe provides such rich flavor, you really can't go wrong with any beef choice.
Lettuce
The lettuce used in my photos is bibb lettuce. I wanted to try them, but have to admit they weren't my favorite. They are a little small and made beef cups rather than wraps. Some better options include iceberg lettuce, green leaf lettuce, butter lettuce, romaine lettuce, or Boston lettuce leaves. Kale can also be a good option.
If you love this recipe, please let me know in the comment section below!
Storing leftovers
Leftovers of this amazing recipe are a great option for a healthy lunch or light dinner the next day. Store leftovers in an airtight container or zipper-top bag. They will last for 3-4 days when refrigerated or 3-4 months frozen.
😉Hints & hacks
- The best way to confirm if meat is fully cooked is to use a meat thermometer. Beef is considered safe to eat when it has reached an internal temperature of at least 145ºF.
- I always recommend the use of a slow cooker liner. Of course, this is an optional step. I like to purchase my liners in bulk for a less expensive per-piece price.
- In the market for a new slow cooker? I love mine!
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📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Lettuce Wraps
Equipment
- Knife and cutting board
Ingredients
- 2 lbs stew meat cut in chunks
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup green onion sliced
- 2 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon ginger freshly ground
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 red, orange, or yellow pepper thinly sliced for topping (optional)
- 5 radishes cut into match sticks for topping (optional)
- lettuce bibb, iceberg or romaine
- non-stick cooking spray
Instructions
- start by spraying your slow cooker with non stick spray (or adding a liner)
- place all ingredients into slow cooker other than toppings and lettuce2 lbs stew meat, ½ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup honey, ¼ cup green onion, 2 tablespoon sweet chili sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon ginger, 1 tablespoon garlic
- stir to combine, cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours
- depending on the size of your beef chunks, after cooking to may choose to shred your beef into smaller pieces
- wash and separate lettuce into individual leaves
- place a few radish and pepper sticks on top of each lettuce leaf. Top with beef and serve!
Notes
Nutrition
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