Easy & Healthy Beef San Choy Bow in Lettuce Wraps

Beef san choy bow is one of my favourite healthy weeknight suppers. Sticky, savoury mince loaded with vegetables and water chestnuts, spooned into crisp lettuce cups and topped with whatever crunchy garnishes you like. It is ready in about 20 minutes and the whole thing is naturally low-carb and high in protein.

San choy bow translates from Cantonese as “wrapped in lettuce,” and it is traditionally made with pork or chicken mince. I wanted a beef version, and after doing a lot of research and pulling elements from several recipes, this is what I landed on. It is sticky and a little sweet with a dash of chilli for heat, and the combination of raw and cooked, hot and cold, crunchy and soft makes it a real textural thing. If you love building your own plate and eating with your hands, this is the dish for you.

I love adding vegetables to everything, so I included onions, carrots and water chestnuts into the mix. Water chestnuts are very neutral and absorb whatever flavour surrounds them. I love the crunchy texture they add. I had a small tin lurking in the pantry for the longest time and was glad to finally use it. If you cannot find them, green beans or diced celery make a good substitute. Vermicelli noodles would also work well.

What Is San Choy Bow?

San choy bow is a dish with its origins in Chinese cuisine, believed to have come from the Guangdong province in southern China. It typically consists of a savoury mince filling with water chestnuts, mushrooms and vegetables, served inside lettuce leaves as a wrap. Over time it has become hugely popular in Australia and across Western countries, and you will find it on the menu of most Chinese restaurants in those regions.

Tips for the Best Beef San Choy Bow

The key to great san choy bow is cooking the mince properly. Fry it in batches if needed and let it caramelise on the edges before removing it from the pan. This browning (the Maillard reaction) is where the flavour comes from. If you crowd the pan, the mince will steam rather than brown.

Cook the vegetables separately after the mince so they keep some bite. Add a splash of mushroom stock to the pan if things start sticking. This saves you adding extra oil and adds flavour at the same time. Dried mushrooms rehydrated in water are a traditional ingredient, but I used mushroom stock instead to simplify things.

The sauce is quite sweet from the hoisin and oyster sauce, so the water chestnuts help temper that. Cook everything until the liquid has evaporated and you are left with a dry, sticky mix. You do not want it wet or it will make the lettuce soggy.

How to Garnish San Choy Bow

The fun part about this dish is the DIY assembly, which makes it the perfect casual supper for a social gathering. Set everything out and let people build their own. Good garnishes include fresh coriander, toasted sesame seeds, roasted cashews or peanuts, beansprouts, thinly sliced radishes, shredded carrots, sliced red chilli, sliced spring onions and lime wedges.

Frequently Asked Questions for Beef San Choy Bow

What does san choy bow mean?

San choy bow is Cantonese for “wrapped in lettuce.” The dish is essentially a savoury mince filling served in crisp lettuce leaves as a wrap.

What is the best lettuce for san choy bow?

Baby butter lettuce gives you soft, cup-shaped leaves that are easy to fill. Baby gem and romaine are sturdier if you want something that holds more. Iceberg works well for extra crunch.

Can I make san choy bow with chicken or pork mince?

Yes. Chicken and pork are the traditional options. The cooking method and sauce stay exactly the same. Turkey mince also works.

What can I use instead of water chestnuts?

Diced celery, green beans, or jicama all give a similar crunch. You can also add vermicelli noodles for a different texture.

Can I make san choy bow ahead of time?

You can make the mince filling ahead and reheat it. Keep the lettuce and garnishes separate and assemble just before serving so the lettuce stays crisp.

Is san choy bow gluten-free?

Check the labels on your oyster sauce and hoisin sauce, as many brands contain wheat. Tamari-based or gluten-free versions of both are widely available.

Recipe – serves 4

Beef San Choy Bow Recipe

Sticky beef mince with water chestnuts and crunchy vegetables served in crisp lettuce cups. Ready in 20 minutes.

Print Recipe

Prep Time:10 minutes mins

Cook Time:10 minutes mins

Ingredients

• Neutral oil for frying such as canola or sunflower
• 500 grams / 1.1 lb free-range beef mince
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 1 red or yellow pepper diced
• 1 carrot grated
• 2 cloves of garlic crushed
• 2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
• ½ – 1 finely sliced red chilli plus a pinch of dried chilli flakes if you want heat
• 1 cup / 250ml mushroom or beef stock I used 1 cube
• 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 small tin of water chestnuts drained and thinly sliced (140grams total drained weight)
• 2 – 3 heads of baby butter or romaine cos lettuce to serve
• To garnish: Chopped roasted and salted cashews or peanuts to serve, sliced red chillis, sliced spring onions, fresh coriander leaves, wedges of lime, sliced radish, shredded carrots (optional)

Instructions

• Wash and dry the lettuce leaves and set them aside on a platter. Prepare all the garnishes.
• 10 – 15 minutes before you want to eat, heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick frying pan break up and fry the meat until cooked and caramelized on the edges. Set aside in a dish.
• In the same frying pan, heat a teaspoon of sesame oil (optional) and a splash of neutral oil and add the onions, diced pepper, carrot, garlic, ginger and chilli and fry for a few minutes until softened. If this starts sticking to the pan, add some of the mushroom stock to prevent this.
• Add the meat back to the pan along with any juices that may have seeped out. Add the oyster and hoisin sauce and stir fry along with any leftover stock and cook for a minute or 2. Add the water chestnuts and cook until the liquid has evarpourated and you have a dryish sticky mix.
• Serve in the lettuce leaves and add the garnishes of your choice.

Notes

A quick, healthy weeknight dinner of sticky, savoury beef mince loaded with vegetables and water chestnuts, served in crisp lettuce cups with crunchy garnishes. Naturally low-carb and ready in about 20 minutes.

Brown the mince in batches for the best caramelisation. Crowding the pan will cause it to steam rather than brown.

Use mushroom stock instead of extra oil to prevent sticking. It adds flavour without adding fat.

Cook until the sauce has evaporated and the mince is dry and sticky. Wet mince will make the lettuce soggy.

Storage: Keep the cooked mince filling in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Store the lettuce and garnishes separately.

Reheating: Warm the mince filling in a pan over a medium heat until heated through. Add a splash of stock if it has dried out too much.

Freezing: The mince filling freezes well for up to two months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat in a pan. Do not freeze the lettuce or garnishes.

Servings: 4

Author: Sam Linsell

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RECIPE RESEARCH & READING:

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