Beef and Cashew Lettuce Cups (Printable)

Crisp lettuce cups filled with savory beef and crunchy cashews in aromatic Asian sauce

# What You Need:

→ Beef Filling

01 - 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
02 - 1 pound lean ground beef
03 - 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
04 - 1 small onion, finely diced
05 - 1 medium carrot, finely diced
06 - 1 small red bell pepper, diced
07 - 1/2 cup unsalted cashew nuts, roughly chopped
08 - 2 spring onions, thinly sliced

→ Sauce

09 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
10 - 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
11 - 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
12 - 1 teaspoon sesame oil
13 - 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
14 - 1 teaspoon brown sugar
15 - 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes

→ Serving

16 - 1 large head butter or iceberg lettuce, leaves separated and washed
17 - Fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
18 - Lime wedges for serving

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking apart with a spatula, until browned and cooked through, approximately 4-5 minutes.
02 - Add garlic, onion, carrot, and red bell pepper to the skillet. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until vegetables reach tender-crisp consistency.
03 - Add chopped cashew nuts and sliced spring onions, stirring constantly to distribute evenly throughout the mixture.
04 - Whisk together soy sauce, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, grated ginger, brown sugar, and chili flakes in a small bowl. Pour sauce over beef mixture and stir thoroughly to coat. Continue cooking 1-2 minutes until heated through and fragrant.
05 - Remove skillet from heat. Taste the mixture and adjust seasoning with additional soy sauce or chili flakes if desired.
06 - Spoon beef-cashew mixture into individual lettuce leaves. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and arrange lime wedges alongside for squeezing.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The contrast between warm, savory beef and cool, crisp lettuce creates this perfect harmony that feels fancy but comes together in under 30 minutes
  • Everything cooks in one pan and the sauce uses pantry staples you probably already have
  • Guests can assemble their own cups which makes dinner feel interactive and fun
02 -
  • Overcrowding your pan makes beef steam instead of brown, so use your largest skillet or cook in two batches
  • The sauce thickens quickly off heat, so remove from flame as soon as it coats everything nicely
  • Lettuce cups are best assembled just before serving or they'll become soggy and lose that perfect crisp texture
03 -
  • Let your lettuce leaves dry completely after washing so the sauce doesn't slide right off
  • Warm your serving platter in the oven for a few minutes to keep the first batch hot while guests assemble
  • Grate your ginger directly over the sauce bowl to catch all those flavorful juices

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