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Home » Recipes

Korean Beef Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps

Published: Jun 1, 2023 · Updated: Sep 27, 2024 by Carissa Erzen · This post may contain affiliate links · 12 Comments

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5 from 1 vote

These Korean beef bulgogi lettuce wraps are salty & sweet with Korean BBQ bulgogi, crunchy water chestnuts & chewy brown rice, all topped with spicy gochujang sauce! And for more Korean inspired dishes, try my gochujang pasta, spicy bulgogi chicken, 3 ingredient green kimchi, and spicy Korean chicken tacos.

close-up view of a single taco made with brown rice, water chestnuts and Korean bulgogi.

My Grandma brought incredible stories and delicious recipes from her childhood in North Korea and her young adulthood in South Korea. She makes sure these traditions and wisdom are passed down so we don't forget where our ancestors come from.

Her most beloved recipe is her beef bulgogi, which is thinly sliced beef marinated in a sweet and salty sauce and grilled. You can eat bulgogi with rice, in noodles like japchae, or in these bulgogi lettuce wraps!

Korean Beef Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps topped with a generous squeeze of bibimbap sauce.

Inspiration of this Recipe from My Grandma

My Grandma moved to America from South Korea after she fell in love with my Grandpa. How romantic! When they met, my Grandpa was in the army and stationed in South Korea. One of my Grandma's family members worked with the U.S. army and was invited to a dance/dinner party, and he brought the whole family along. That party was where my grandparents first laid eyes on each other. *swoon*

My Grandpa pursued this Korean beauty and she eventually agreed to go on a date with him. Over the course of several months, they explored the city, went to the movies and when out dancing together. Eventually, my Grandpa popped the question! Long story short, nearly sixty years later they are still married. And they're two of my favorite people in the world.

close-up view of lettuce cups with Grandma's bulgogi Korean BBQ beef.

Ingredients for My Grandma's Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps

  • Beef bulgogi - the best cuts of beef for bulgogi are ribeye, short ribs, sirloin, or tenderloin. My Grandma usually makes it with skirt steak, since it cooks so quickly in a pan.
  • Brown rice - you can substitute white rice; I like the sweet, nutty flavor that brown rice adds to these lettuce wraps
  • Water chestnuts - adds a fresh crunchy texture in each bite
  • Lettuce - Butter lettuce works great since it's in the shape of little cups, but any type of large, whole lettuce leaves will work great
  • Gochujang- this Korean sauce is spicy and mildly sweet, which goes perfectly with the rest of the ingredients; you can substitute your favorite hot sauce
Grandma in the kitchen cooking the bulgogi.

How My Grandma Makes Bulgogi

My Grandma doesn't really measure ingredients. When I ask her how much sauce to marinate the beef in, she says, "Oh, you know, just enough so it tastes good, but not too much of course." Riiiiight.

My Grandma's bulgogi has evolved over the years to adjust to the ingredients and time available to her now.

For this bulgogi that we made together, she bought two pounds of thinly-sliced sirloin. We stood cooking it together for an hour over her Foreman grill, because we were making enough to feed our family of eight at dinner that night.

For the meat, buy the most thinly sliced cut of beef you can find - the closer to paper-thin, the better.

And for the sauce, my Grandma mixes together two types of store bought Korean bulgogi sauce. One is sweeter and one is saltier to get the perfect blend of flavors.

Grandma in the kitchen cooking the bulgogi for Korean Beef Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps.

How to Make Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps

  1. Make the bulgogi: Grill or pan fry the marinated bulgogi.
  2. Make the rice: Cook the rice on the stove or in a rice cooker.
  3. Prep the water chestnuts and lettuce: Drain and dice the water chestnuts and put them in a small bowl. Separate the lettuce leaves, rinse them, then pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel.
  4. Assemble the lettuce wraps: To assemble, take one piece of lettuce in your hand. Add a generous spoon of brown rice, a sprinkle of water chestnuts and a generous portion of your bulgogi. Add a bit of gochujang or your favorite spicy sauce.
Korean Beef Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps next to a bowl of rice.

Storing

Fridge: If you have leftovers, put everything in separate air tight containers in the fridge and store for up to 5 days.

Reheat: Reheat the rice and bulgogi in the microwave for about 1 minute. Then assemble more delicious lettuce wraps!

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Korean Beef Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps

Carissa Erzen
These bulgogi lettuce wraps have it all! They are salty, sweet and spicy with Korean BBQ bulgogi, crunchy water chestnuts and chewy brown rice all topped with spicy gochujang
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Recipe Rate Recipe Save Saved Recipe!
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 35 minutes mins
Total Time 45 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Korean
Servings 4 people
Calories 378 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1½ cups sliced, cooked bulgogi
  • 1 cup brown rice
  • 8 oz canned water chestnuts in water
  • 1 head lettuce
  • 5 tablespoon gochujang, bibimbap sauce, or your favorite hot sauce

Instructions
 

  • Grill or pan fry the marinated bulgogi. See post above for recipe suggestions for marinade ingredients and cooking times.
  • Cook the rice on the stove or in a rice cooker to your desired texture.
  • Drain and dice the water chestnuts and put them in a small bowl.
  • Separate the lettuce leaves, rinse them, then pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel.
  • To assembly your bulgogi lettuce wraps, take one piece of lettuce in your hand.
    Add a generous spoon of brown rice, a sprinkle of water chestnuts and a generous portion of your bulgogi. Add a bit of gochujang or your favorite spicy sauce.
  • If you have leftovers, put everything in separate air tight containers in the fridge. Reheat the rice and bulgogi in the microwave and assemble more delicious lettuce wraps!

Notes

  • If you have leftovers, put everything in separate air tight containers in the fridge and store for up to 5 days.
  • Measure the rice when it's dry. Cook it on the stove or in a rice cooker. You can substitute white rice for the brown rice.

Nutrition

Serving: 4wrapsCalories: 378kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 25gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 73mgPotassium: 662mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1397IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 43mgIron: 4mg
Keyword bulgogi lettuce wrap
Did you make this recipe?Leave a comment below - I love hearing from you!

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About Carissa Erzen

Growing up in Germany, I fell head-over-heels in love with ALL the German baked goods, from Lebkuchen to pretzels. Now I'm the founder, recipe developer, and food photographer behind Humbly Homemade, where I test and share German sweets lovingly created from scratch. So pull up a chair, and stay a while!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Azilde Elizabeth

    May 09, 2021 at 5:16 pm

    What a lovely story! The tacos look amazing!

    Reply
    • strawberryandcream

      May 10, 2021 at 5:59 pm

      Thank you so much, that's so kind of you! ❤️

      Reply
  2. Markus + Micah

    May 03, 2021 at 11:22 pm

    Omg, your grandparents are the cutest!

    Reply
    • strawberryandcream

      May 04, 2021 at 10:11 am

      Thank you!! 🥰 They are the best! I'm really grateful I get to spend time with them and learn from them ❤️

      Reply
  3. jimerzen

    May 03, 2021 at 7:59 pm

    So yummy looking. Making me very hungry. Love the family story.

    Reply
    • strawberryandcream

      May 04, 2021 at 10:11 am

      Haha thank you! I got hungry looking at all the photos again when writing this post! 😜

      Reply
  4. Yum-number1

    May 03, 2021 at 5:03 pm

    What a story! Thank you for sharing this! And the tacos look bombbb!!!

    Reply
    • strawberryandcream

      May 04, 2021 at 10:10 am

      Thank you!! Let me know if you try them, they are delicious!! 🔥

      Reply
  5. infinitelyadaydreamer

    May 02, 2021 at 9:32 pm

    What a sweet story! These look delicious.

    Reply
    • strawberryandcream

      May 04, 2021 at 10:10 am

      Thank you!! My grandma is one of my favorite humans ever 🥰

      Reply
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