Authentic Chinese Pork Lettuce Wraps, or San Choy Bow, are a healthy(ish), delicious, and flexible dish. You can really make the recipe with any type of ground meat, or even leftover Peking duck! Better than PF Changs, anytime! (It will require a few Asian ingredients, but you can omit or substitute if you don't have them.)

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โญ Why This Recipe is a Star
- Quick: If you discount the soaking of the dried mushrooms, it takes under 30 minutes to prepare this delicious pork recipe!
- Healthy: these pork wraps are a great way of upping your veggie intake!
- Delicious: if you like Chinese food, you'll love this dish! Plus, it's simple enough to get right the first time.
What is San Choy Bow?
San Choy Bow, or Sheng Cai Bao ็่ๅ , is a popular Cantonese recipe in which meat is wrapped in lettuce. The Chinese name is a homonym for "rising in fortune" so, like abalone, this is considered an auspicious dish to eat.
It's a healthy(ish) and lucky dish for your Chinese New Year table!
Note: click here for what to serve with pork lettuce wraps.
๐ฅ Ingredients
You will need a few simple ingredients (pantry staples) for the filling:
- ground pork, with a decent amount of fat: You can also use 300g/ 10 oz ground chicken. (Please use ground chicken thigh meat, as the breast will make for a very dry dish.) If you want to use up leftover turkey, please mix it with some pork as ground turkey on its own is dry. Some high-end Chinese restaurants even stir-fry leftover Peking duck meat to make a filling for this dish.
- Dried Shiitake Mushrooms: Less is more here. Do not use more than 3 for this quantity of meat. (I tried with 5, and the shiitake mushroom flavor overpowered the other ingredients.) Break off the stems (when dry)- these can be kept for soup stock. Wash the caps, then soak in hot water for at least 30 minutes to soften, before mincing. If all this is too much hassle, substitute with 3-5 fresh shiitakes.
- Water chestnuts: You can find canned water chestnuts at the Asian grocery store. If you don't have it, omit it, but the lettuce cups won't be authentic.
- Fresh Garlic 2 cloves
- Fresh Ginger ยฝ inch, minced (about ยพ teaspoon)
- Fresh Onion: Any color will do but a red onion (or shallots) will lend a pleasing sweetness. Use ยฝ small onion.
- Carrots: Mince 1 small carrot into small pieces.
- neutral vegetable oil: You will need 1 Tablespoon for frying. For more flavor, you can also use peanut oil. Don't use olive oil.
For the all-important sauce, you will need:
- oyster sauce: You will need 2.5 Tablespoons of this Chinese sauce.
- Shaoxing wine: You need 2 Tablespoons of this Asian cooking wine. If not, dry sherry or sake is a good substitute. (If you use mirin, you can omit the sugar, as mirin is a little sweeter.)
- dark soy sauce: Add ยฝ Tablespoon of dark soy sauce to give the filling a more attractive color. You can substitute with sweet soy sauce (and omit the sugar.)
- light soy sauce: Use 1.5 Tablespoon regular light soy sauce, not use low-sodium. This adds the flavor. We want the seasoning to be strong, so that it won't be diluted by the lettuce later (especially if you dont' dry your lettuce properly and it's still a bit wet!) If you don't have any, use fish sauce.
- white sugar: just 1 teaspoon makes the filling more flavorful.
- sesame oil: ยฝ Tablespoon of toasted sesame oil/ Chinese sesame oil makes the sauce more fragrant.
- water: 3 Tablespoons for the cornstarch slurry
- cornstarch: You will need 1 teaspoon, or maximum 1 ยผ teaspoon. Don't use more than that as we don't want the sauce to be goopy.
To Wrap:
- lettuce: I like Butterhead lettuce. Boston lettuce, Bib lettuce, or Romaine lettuce also work- the latter will form more of a boat shape- and will be bigger than your palm, so difficult to eat in a bite, but it's sturdy enough to hold up the filling. I don't recommend iceberg lettuce as it tends to be quite stiff, and will usually break when you try to wrap it. (The juices run everywhere and make a mess.) In addition, the pale green color makes the dish less appetizing. However, it gives the best crisp lettuce cups, followed by Romaine. (To make it more pliable, you can soak it in ice water before using.) Alternatively, just use your favorite lettuce.
Suggested Toppings
- Sliced spring onions
- Peanut Powder
- Crispy shallots (optional)
- lightly toasted sesame seeds
- Sliced red chili peppers
Variations
- For Spicy Pork Lettuce Wraps: Add red pepper flakes, chili garlic sauce, hot sauce, or Sriracha sauce (obviously, we've veered away from the authentic Chinese recipe here.)
- Salmon Lettuce Wraps: You can substitute the pork with salmon and the oyster sauce mix with Teriyaki.
๐ช Step-by-Step Instructions
1a. In a small bowl, add the water to the cornstarch, stirring continuously to form a slurry, then mix in the rest of the ingredients.
1b. Heat the oil in a wok or large pan over high heat. Once hot, stir-fry the garlic and ginger till fragrant, then add the onions.
2. Stir-fry the onions till translucent.
3. Next, add the pork and stir-fry till cooked through and no longer pink (approximately 5-6 minutes.)
4. Add the mushrooms, carrots, and water chestnuts and stir-fry.
5. Pour in the sauces, then stir till everything is well-mixed and glossy. (Takes around 3 minutes.)

6. Serve in a large bowl, with the butter lettuce and toppings by the side, so everyone can build their own ground pork lettuce wraps!
Note: I suggest starting with 1 Tablespoon of ground pork mixture before sprinking on the green onions and crispy shallots (if using.)
๐ฅก How to Store
You can store the filling on its own in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. (Once assembled, it's best to eat the pork lettuce wraps straightaway.)
Note: washed lettuce leaves tend to spoil more quickly, so eat them all up!
Reheating
Simply stir-fry the filling till piping hot when you want to reheat. Add 1-2 Tablespons of water so the meat doesn't dry up. (Leftover filling can also be eaten with just white rice.)
๐ฅ Suggested Accompanying Recipes
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Pork Lettuce Wraps (San Choy Bow)
Ingredients
For the filling
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil Use something neutral, not olive oil. Substitute: peanut oil
- 2 cloves Garlic peeled and minced
- ยฝ inch Ginger peeled and minced (about ยฝ teaspoon)
- ยฝ Onion Use a small one. A red onion will make the dish sweeter.
- 1 Carrots Use a small one. Mince, grate, or julienne.
- 10 oz ground pork (300g) Use pork with a decent amount of fat. See post for substitutions.
- 3 Dried Shiitake Mushrooms Break off the stems (when dry)- these can be kept for soup stock. Wash the caps, then soak in hot water for at least 30 minutes to soften, before mincing. If all this is too much hassle, substitute with 3-5 fresh shiitakes
- 10 Water chestnuts (100g or 3.5 oz) You can find canned water chestnuts at the Asian groceyr store. If you don't have it, feel free to omit it, but it gives the recipe a pleasing slight crunch.
For the sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch No more than 1ยผ teaspoon or we'll get a goopy sauce.
- 3 Tablespoons water To mix with the cornstarch for the cornflour slurry
- 2ยฝ Tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Shaoxing wine Substitutes: dry sherry, sake, or, in a pinch, mirin.
- ยฝ Tablespoon dark soy sauce Substitute: sweet soy sauce (and omit the sugar.)
- 1ยฝ Tablespoon light soy sauce Do not use low-sodium. This adds the flavor. We want the seasoning to be strong, so that it won't be diluted by the lettuce later (especially if you dont' dry your lettuce properly and it's still a bit wet!)
- 1 teaspoon white sugar Can be omitted if you don't want the filling too sweet. (Or omit if using mirin instead of shaoxing.)
- ยฝ Tablespoon sesame oil
- ยผ teaspoon salt Taste before adding as everyone likes a different level of saltiness, but I felt the filling needed it. (If you don't add the water chestnuts, don't add the salt, or the filling will be a bit salty.)
For the wrap
- 1 Butter lettuce Separate the leaves, wash and dry. If you use Romaine lettuce or Iceberg, make sure to cut the hard base off before separating the leaves. You may end up with a few leaves left- be healthier and double up on them for the last few wraps!
Optional Topping
- 1 sprig green onions sliced
- Fried shallots
Instructions
- Add the water to the cornstarch, stirring continuously to form a slurry, then mix in the rest of the ingredients.
- Heat the oil in a wok or pan over high heat. Once hot, stir-fry the garlic and ginger till fragrant, then add the onions.
- Stir-fry the onions till translucent.
- Add the mushrooms, carrots, and water chestnuts and stir-fry.
- Next, add the pork and stir-fry till cooked through and no longer pink (approximately 5-6 minutes.)
- Pour in the sauces, then stir till everything is well-mixed and glossy. (Takes around 3 minutes.)
- Serve in a large bowl, with the lettuce and toppings by the side, so everyone can build their own wraps! Start with 1 Tablespoon per lettuce- too much will break the leaf!
Notes
Note: the nutritional information is an estimate automatically calculated using the WPRM recipe maker and I am not responsible for its veracity.
Nutrition
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