One of my favourite Chinese starters – Lettuce Wraps with pork or chicken, loads of hidden crunchy vegetables in a tasty savoury brown sauce, bundled up in fresh lettuce. Also known as San Choy Bow, it’s arguably the ultimate “just happens to be healthy” food in the whole wide world …..
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
San Choy Bow – Chinese Lettuce Wraps
The Chinese name for Lettuce Wraps is San Choy Bow which is how it’s written in menus at Chinese restaurants here in Sydney, though the spelling varies widely from place to place and I’m yet to find a definitive answer for what the proper spelling is.
I may not know how to spell it, but I do know you’re going to love them!!
How to make Lettuce Wraps
Lettuce wraps are made with ground / mince meat and vegetable filling with a savoury Chinese sauce spooned into lettuce cups, then wrapped into a roll shape to eat.
For a great Lettuce Wrap, it all comes down to the sauce. It takes more than just a splash of soy sauce to make a truly delish Lettuce Wrap.
Get the sauce right and you can pretty much put anything into the filling. And it is one of those rare recipes that is genuinely great made entirely vegetarian. I would just as happily scoff down a meat free version of this as I would a traditional pork version.
What goes in a Lettuce Wrap filling
I don’t think there are definitive rules for what goes in Lettuce Wraps, but the common ingredients I see at Chinese restaurants are:
pork (chicken and turkey are ideal subs)
water chestnuts
onion
After this, things get a bit blurred. Other common ingredients which I’ve included in my recipe are:
Baby corn
Shiitake or other mushrooms
Carrots
And those that border more towards “Western” Chinese have all sorts of other vegetables in it, like normal corn, capsicum etc.
Make it real with water chestnuts!
If you can find them, I really urge you to use Water Chestnuts. It doesn’t have a strong flavour, but the unique thing about Water chestnuts is the texture.
Even canned, it is crunchy and a bit juicy and it’s a quintessential part of the Chinese Lettuce Wrap experience. ☺️ Nowadays in Australia, they are found in both the Asian section and canned vegetable section of supermarkets (Woolies, Coles etc).
Lettuce wraps are a fantastic quick and easy meal that also happens to be healthy. In Chinese restaurants, it’s served with crisp Iceberg Lettuce which tends to crack when folded. For a more practical option, use soft lettuce leaves like Butter Lettuce or Bib Lettuce (US).
Enjoy!– Nagi x
More quick and easy Chinese restaurant favourites
Chop Suey (Chicken Stir Fry)
Browse all Chinese restaurant recipes
Watch How To Make It
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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San Choy Bow (Chinese Lettuce Wraps)
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 1/4 tsp cornflour / cornstarch
- 3 tbsp water, separated
- 1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce (Note 1)
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce (Note 1)
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (or sub Mirin or dry sherry, Note 2)
- 1 tsp white sugar (can omit)
Filling (Note 6)
- 1 tbsp peanut oil
- 1 clove large garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp ginger, minced
- 300g / 10oz pork mince (ground pork) (Note 3)
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 1 small carrot, finely chopped
- 100g/ 3.5oz canned water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped (Note 4)
- 5 baby corn, canned or fresh, finely chopped (Note 4)
- 5 mushrooms, finely chopped(shiitake is best, I used Swiss Brown)
Serving
- 8 leaves large or 16 – 20 small lettuce, preferably soft (Note 5)
- Crushed peanuts
- Finely sliced scallions / shallots
Instructions
- Mix cornflour with 1 tbsp water until lump free. Then add remaining Sauce ingredients and mix.
- Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add garlic and ginger, give it a quick stir then add onion.
- Cook for 1 minute then add pork. Cook pork until it turns white.
- Add all the vegetables. Cook for 2 minutes until the carrot is softened and pork is cooked through.
- Add Sauce and cook for 1 1/2 minutes or until it thickens and glossy, coating the Filling.
- Transfer Filling into serving bowl. Lay out lettuce leaves, peanuts and scallions on the side.
- To serve, spoon some Filling into a lettuce leaf. Top with peanuts and scallions, bundle it up and enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
*
* Originally published February 2017, updated for housekeeping matters.Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
When Dozer ate a lady beetle… 🤣
Yum! So fresh and light. Had leftovers of your pot sticker and fried rice recipes from last night so had a mini banquet, along with some spring rolls. Such a treat. Thanks Nagi
Where are all these reviews coming from?
Texture was great, but flavour was non existent. Needs at least double I reckon .
This is sooo yummy! I love it. Your recipes are always awesome Nagi. Thank you 🙂
This recipe is great. I doubled everything. I have used quite a few Nagi recipes so far. I trust them. I love cooking Asian food and I’ll check her recipes first from now on.
CHANGES:
I did not have oyster sauce so replaced with hoisin.
I only had normal soy sauce.
Used honey instead of sugar.
Another recipe hit – I made this with very lean turkey mince for a super healthy lunch and it was delicious – will definitely be adding this to my rotation. Thanks again Nagi, you never fail me!
Made this again tonight using chicken mince and as usual, they were amazing. Not one recipe I have ever made from Recipe Tin Eats has ever failed me.
Thanks for sharing your recipes. Tea was yum.
Thank you for a great easy recipe, Actually I love all your recipes!
Made this using pork substitute – Deliciou – which I bought at Woolworths. Used iceberg lettuce, cut one fresh carrot I used into small batons, used slightly wilted celery for crunch as I had no water chestnuts. Must be something about this recipe. I was dubious it would work out okay but it got compliments from husband and the dogs wolfed down the small amount of leftovers we had. For those who like spice, I added a fair splodge of sriracha to mine. It also complimented it really well, as did the nutty brown basmati rice I served alongside this for a main meal. I guess jasmine rice would be the more traditional option?
Yum. Yum. Yum. Hot night and a perfect dinner for it. Absolutely delicious
I make this at least once a fortnight. The whole family enjoys it – absolutely no complaints.
I often serve with rice, so the kids can load their gem lettuce cups up with rice and meat to fill them up!
A fabulous and inexpensive meal
Absolutely amazing! I used a total of 500g pork mince and it was still amazing and saucy enough. The whole family enjoyed it. Will be making it again in the near future.
Super delicious Nagi! We love every recipe you have, and just purchased your cook book.
Bloody hell, you’ve done it again! Nagi, every time I put a new meal of yours on the table my family are happy. My husband declared this one the best San Choy Bow he has ever had. Thank you!
I have to agree. I think it is a combination of her cooking knowledge and the way she explains things. There’s magic in this here recipe!
Hi Nagi,
I made this for a small get together and the people raved over them!!! We have a restaurant chain called P.F. Changs (it’s a pricey restaurant), and so I was over the moon when they liked your recipe better. I love the bib lettuce because it’s so easy to fold it when you are eating them. Iceberg lettuce just seems to fall apart and break. Thanks so much for your great recipes.
Delicious family favourite meal will make often a creative choice for mince pork is our favourite
Delicious. Saw this in your cookbook and it looked so good! For me, the taste of the sauce and the water chestnuts made this an absolute hit. Took your advice and got butter lettuce rather than iceberg and it was much easier to wrap. I subbed extra carrot for the baby corn. Thanks for another hit recipe, Nagi!
Thanks Nagi. I made it with chicken mince and served it on steamed wombok (because I made it for someone who is on a soft food diet). It was delish and will certainly be made again … and again … and …
Your recipe is better than others I’ve tried. I subbed finely chopped celery for the water chestnuts which I’d forgotten to buy. Add them last so they stay crunchy. I also added chopped apple for fun. A big hit with the family
So so good! My housemates and I LOVE this recipe so much! Super easy, healthy and quick! Works well with vegan mince too (not quite as delicious as pork but still good!)