Love these Korean Style Teriyaki Beef Lettuce Wraps? Check out our other fabulous Korean food recipes!
A few months ago I was contacted by Back To The Roots, a company that sells grow-your-own oyster mushroom kits that use composted coffee grounds. Before I finished reading their email I impulsively replied with something like, “Yes! I love mushrooms—what do you want me to do? I’ll do it!” Then I read the rest of the message and realized my enthusiasm fit perfectly with their offer.
They sent me an oyster mushroom kit, offered one to give away to readers, and provided a discount code for anyone wanting to order their own kit (discount code: mushrooms4me10). I was impressed with the concept and excited to try growing mushrooms at home.
I waited until I returned from a short trip to set the kit up, and eight days later I was surprised to see a pound of beautiful oyster mushrooms bursting from the kit. I was so eager to cook them that I sliced and sautéed the first crop before remembering to take photos. Lesson learned: photograph before you cook. The kit also produced a second, equally lovely crop a short while later.
Oyster mushrooms are surprisingly pretty—delicate, with soft shapes and subtle tones. They almost look too nice to cook, but cook them we did, and the result was one of our best summer meals this year: Korean-Style Teriyaki Beef Lettuce Wraps.
This dish is a lightly adapted version of a simmered Korean teriyaki-style beef I’ve made before, served over garlicky oyster mushroom soba noodles and wrapped in crisp lettuce leaves. Don’t let the ingredient list intimidate you—the method is straightforward and many components can be prepared a day ahead. That makes these wraps ideal for warm-weather entertaining. They’re substantial without being heavy: spicy, sweet, garlicky, and gingery, with bright, fresh lettuce for wrapping.
Korean Style Teriyaki Beef Lettuce Wraps
Rebecca Lindamood
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
For the Beef:
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon finely minced green onion
- 1 tablespoon finely minced or pressed garlic
- 4 tablespoons raw sugar (or granulated sugar)
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Ingredients for Simmering Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons water
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon unsweetened apple or pear juice
- 6 tablespoons raw sugar (or granulated sugar)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 10 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
- About 1–1/2 inches fresh ginger, thinly sliced*
- 3 whole small dried red chilis (or 1 tsp crushed red pepper)
- 2 whole green onions, ends trimmed
For the Garlic Oyster Mushroom Noodles:
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1–2 cups oyster mushrooms
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 6 tablespoons raw sugar
- 8 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean chili paste or similar)
- 1 pound soba noodles, cooked 1–2 minutes less than package, drained and rinsed with very cold water
- 6 green onions, sliced
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Additional ingredients for serving:
- 12–20 large leaves of lettuce (Bibb, leaf, or romaine), rinsed and air-dried
- Sliced green onions, for garnish
- Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
Instructions
To Prepare the Beef:
- Preheat oven to broil (use High Broil if available) with the rack 6–8 inches from the heating element. Alternatively, use a hot gas or charcoal grill.
- Combine the ground beef with the patty ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix thoroughly by hand until evenly combined. Divide into two portions and press each into a square or rectangle about 1/2 inch thick on a rimmed baking sheet. Aim for even thickness so they cook uniformly.
- Broil or grill the patties about 3 minutes on the first side, then carefully flip (use two spatulas to support them) and cook until done. Under my broiler the second side took about 4 minutes. Remove and let cool completely.
- While the patties cool, combine the simmering sauce ingredients in a large skillet or braising pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Cut the cooled patties into 1–1½ inch squares. Add them to the simmering sauce, lower heat to medium-low, and simmer, turning and basting occasionally, until the sauce reduces to a thick, syrupy glaze that mostly coats the patties.
- Serve the beef hot or chilled.
To Prepare the Garlic Oyster Mushroom Noodles:
- Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- When the oil shimmers, add the oyster mushrooms with a pinch of salt and stir to coat.
- Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are tender and golden brown.
- Add the garlic, raw sugar, remaining olive oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and gochujang. Simmer, stirring constantly, until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened.
- Add the cooked, chilled soba noodles and toss to coat thoroughly.
- Remove from heat, toss in the sliced green onions and sesame seeds, and let cool to room temperature or colder before serving.
To Assemble Lettuce Wraps:
- Lay out several large lettuce leaves.
- Place about 1/8 cup of noodles on each leaf and top with two or three pieces of the simmered beef.
- Garnish with additional sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds if desired, then wrap and enjoy.
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition using the exact ingredients you use and your preferred nutrition calculator.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @foodiewithfam on Instagram and use #foodiewithfamily so I can see your photos!
CONTEST CLOSED
So, about the giveaway: the rules were simple—leave a comment telling me what you’d do with an oyster mushroom harvest, how neat it is that they grow in composted coffee, or who you’d gift a kit to. The winner was chosen at random and announced on August 15th.
Update: The winner was comment #50—Janis, who will be naming her burl Roger. Please email your mailing address, Janis, and enjoy tending your mycelium!
A free mushroom kit was provided for review and one for the giveaway by Back To The Roots; all opinions are my own. I genuinely enjoyed the experience and the mushrooms.