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… 🤣
Loved this recipe and will definitely make again. Bloody hell, the vegetables take ages to cut up, just give yourself time.
I also used turkey mince as hubby alergic to pork and not a keen fan of chicken! (ahhh!)
I would used Cos lettuce instead of iceberg as Nagi does say, iceberg does break open.
Loved this recipe and will definitely make again. Bloody hell, the vegetables take ages to cut up, just give yourself time.
I also used turkey mince as hubby alergic to pork and not a keen fan of chicken! (ahhh!)
Would definitely make this again but would used Cos lettuce instead of iceberg.
My partner and I loved this. Made it as a “lazy dinner” and had plenty left over so ended up having it a few days later minus the lettuce with some mi goreng noodles. Would make again 🙂
Great recipe! I made it in bulk (very large family) and subbed honey for sugar. For veggies we used bean sprouts, cabbage and carrot then bulked it out with some two minute noodles.
7 out of 8 family members ate it and said it was good…. A major achievement for a neuro-spicy family
So much better than store-bought sauce
I make this every week, love it and so tasty.
Even yummier than the box kit I usually buy. Thanks Nagi for another delicious recipe!
Amazing flavours
This is a family favourite often made with turkey mince. I have thrown in left over rice at the end to bulk it up and it was great. Mix leftovers with shredded lettuce for a delicious salad.
Love this recipe, like all of yours Nagi!
Light, refreshing and healthy. I use 500grams of meat and double the sauce and its perfect!
This was absolutely delicious & very very easy (& fun) to make 😋🤩
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?