Korean Meatball Lettuce Wraps
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
25 mins
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Cook Time
20 mins
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Total Time
45 mins
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Servings
6
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Calories
356 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Korean
Korean Meatball Lettuce Wraps
Description
This recipe blends ground beef with aromatic scallions, colorful bell peppers, fresh ginger, garlic, and panko breadcrumbs bound by egg and flavored with gochujang (Korean chili paste) and kosher salt. The mixture is shaped into 3-tablespoon meatballs, chilled to firm up, then baked at 425°F for 15 minutes—or longer if frozen—resulting in juicy meatballs with a spicy Korean flair.
The accompanying sauce combines honey, soy sauce, additional gochujang, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and sesame oil to create a glaze that balances sweetness, saltiness, tang, and heat. Once baked, the meatballs can be tossed in this sauce or served alongside for dipping.
Serving the meatballs wrapped in crisp lettuce leaves adds a fresh, crunchy component that offsets the rich, spicy meat. Garnishes such as sliced green onions, sesame seeds, and cilantro enhance the texture and flavor. These wraps work well as a party appetizer or a main dish for six, allowing for customizable portions.
Prepare the meatballs ahead and freeze if needed, then bake straight from frozen with extra baking time. The recipe yields 16–20 meatballs, roughly three per serving.
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 6 scallions finely chopped
- 1 cup bell pepper red, orange or yellow (or a combination, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon ginger finely grated fresh
- 3 garlic finely minced, medium cloves
- ½ cup panko crumbs
- 1 egg large
- 1-2 tablespoons gochujang Korean chili paste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- sesame seeds thinly sliced green onions and cilantro for garnish
For the sauce:
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup soy sauce low sodium
- 1-2 tablespoons gochujang Korean chili paste
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar I use dark but light will also work
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
For the meatballs:
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil. If you use foil, spray it lightly with baking spray or rub it with a bit of oil. If using parchment, use a large enough piece so that the sides extend slightly over the edges of the pan.
- Combine the ground beef, scallions, bell pepper, ginger, garlic, panko, egg, Gochujang and kosher salt in a large bowl. Using your hands, mix until combined but don’t overwork the meat mixture.
- Using an ice cream scoop or spoon, scoop into approximately 3 tablespoon size portions. With slightly wet hands, roll the scoops of meat into balls with the palm of your hand. Arrange them on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate the meatballs (covered with plastic wrap) for 30 minutes (or up to 8 hours). You can also freeze the meatballs at this point.
- Preheat the oven to 425˚F with a rack positioned near the top of the oven.
- Bake for 15 minutes. (If meatballs are frozen, give them an extra 5-6 minutes.)
- Remove meatballs from the oven. Using a fork, dip each meatball into the sauce to coat then return to the baking pan. Bake for another 4-5 minutes until meatballs are nicely glazed.
- Serve with the extra sauce along with Bib, Boston or Romaine lettuce leaves and optional garnishes of rice, shredded red cabbage, thinly sliced cucumber, pickled red onions, scallions, cashews, sesame seeds and/or herb leaves (cilantro, basil, mint).
For the sauce:
- While the meatballs are baking, make the sauce. Combine all sauce ingredients except for the Gochujang in a small saucepan and stir.
- Bring to a boil and cook for 4-5 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken. Add 1 tablespoon of the Gochujang. Taste and add more to the desired heat level. Set sauce aside.
Notes
- This recipe yields 16-20 meatballs—serve about 3 per person.
- Chilling the meatballs before baking helps them hold their shape.
- Meatballs can be frozen after shaping and baked from frozen, adding 5-6 minutes to the cooking time.
- Garnish with sliced green onions, sesame seeds, and cilantro for added flavor and texture.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 356 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 356kcal | 18% |
| Carbohydrates | 36g | 12% |
| Protein | 16g | 32% |
| Fat | 17g | 26% |
| Saturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Cholesterol | 81mg | 27% |
| Sodium | 846mg | 35% |
| Potassium | 369mg | 8% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 29g | 58% |
| Vitamin A | 937IU | 19% |
| Vitamin C | 35mg | 39% |
| Calcium | 47mg | 5% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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