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    Home » Appetizer/Starter

    San choy bow - Chinese lettuce wraps

    January 5, 2023 by Caroline's Cooking

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    san choy bow Chinese lettuce wraps

    San choy bow are super easy and tasty Chinese lettuce wraps that take only a few minutes to prep and cook. They are great as part of a selection of dishes, such as for Lunar New Year, as well as to snack on for lunch.

    Jump to Recipe
    plate of san choy bow Chinese lettuce cups with cloth behind plate

    This post may contain affiliate links, where we earn from qualifying purchases. See more details in the policy page.

    The Lunar New Year is one of, if not the most important, celebration in China as well as other Southeast Asian communities such as Korea and Vietnam (where it is called Tet).

    In China, celebrations usually go from the evening before the New Year to the 15th day of the first lunar month which is the lantern festival. Many people travel across the country to celebrate with family.

    close up view of san choy bow Chinese lettuce cups

    Of course, it is not always possible to travel, especially for those overseas. But celebrations can still happen. I know amongst Chinese friends, even if they weren’t with family, they would always celebrate it in some way, whether joining local celebrations or making traditional foods.

    Chinatowns across the world are decorated with lanterns, garlands and more. Many places have parades, particularly with lion dances, as I remember seeing when I lived in London which competes with San Francisco for the largest celebration outside of China.

    bowls with pork, onion, water chestnuts, garlic and ginger with lettuce above and mushrooms below

    For many internal migrant workers in China, it’s about the only time they get any real time off to be able to travel back to where they are from. As a result, that first evening is usually known as a reunion dinner.

    Lunar New Year foods

    As you might imagine, there are some special foods involved, like dumplings and whole fish as part of the reunion dinner, and tangyuan (sweet dumplings) for the lunar festival towards the end.

    Many of the foods eaten are symbolic for the year ahead, either through name or shape. For example spring rolls are golden, and symbolic of prosperity, while longevity noodles symbolize longevity and happiness.

    While san choy bow (also written as sang choy bao) are sometimes part of the New Year celebrations, they are certainly way too good to limit when you eat them. They're low carb, quick and easy to make. Plus you can make extra of the meat filling, freeze it then defrost and warm it when you need it.

    skillet with filling for san choy bow

    How to make san choy bow

    These are really easy to make, as all you do is separate out some lettuce leaves, and chop a couple ingredients before a really quick cook up of the meat with some tasty seasonings.

    You most typically you use pork, and at least water chestnuts for contrasting texture. I also added shitake here as they're always a good idea to me. But, you can adapt to taste, such as ground turkey to be lower in fat, or using different vegetables (you could add carrot and/or pepper, for example).

    There's really not too much to it, but the result is delicious. While it’s traditionally an appetizer, you can also serve any leftover meat filling with rice or noodles as a main.

    These San Choy Bow, Chinese lettuce wraps, are incredibly quick and easy to make, and a fun food to eat. Great for a party, great for meal prep, the filling is a flavorful mix you'll be making again and again.

    san choy bow held in hand over plate with more Chinese lettuce wraps

    Try these other easy Chinese favorites:

    • Shrimp shumai
    • Scallion pancakes
    • Sticky red braised pork belly (hong shao rou)
    • Plus get more Chinese recipes in the archives.
    plate of san choy bow Chinese lettuce cups
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    San choy bow, Chinese lettuce wraps

    These Chinese lettuce wraps are easy to make, filled with flavor and a great appetizer.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Total Time20 mins
    Course: Appetizer/Starter
    Cuisine: Chinese
    Servings: 6 approx, or less if more of a meal
    Calories: 147kcal
    Author: Caroline's Cooking
    SaveSaved!

    Ingredients

    For sauce

    • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
    • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
    • ½ tablespoon soy sauce
    • ½ teaspoon sesame oil

    For rest of dish

    • 2 oz water chestnuts 55g, srained weight approx ½ can
    • ½ onion small
    • 1 spring onion scallions
    • ½ tablespoon fresh ginger grated/minced
    • 1 clove garlic grated/minced
    • 1 oz shitake mshrooms 30g (optional)
    • 1 iceberg lettuce small, may not use all
    • 2 teaspoon vegetable oil
    • ½ lb ground pork 225g pork mince, or can substitute with chicken or turkey

    Instructions

    • In a small bowl, mix together the oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce and sesame oil. Set aside for later.
    • Drain the water chestnuts and chop the slices into small pieces. Dice the onion relatively finely and slice the spring onion/scallion. Have your grated or minced ginger and garlic ready to go as well. Break off pieces of lettuce to make cups (they can be whole, smaller leaves or parts of big leaves - you just want them a good size and shape to hold the meat and eat from). You’ll need approx 12 or maybe more to use all the filling. Chop the shitake relatively small, if using.
    • Warm the vegetable oil in a wok or skillet/frying pan then add the onion and cook for a minute or two before adding the ginger and garlic. Cook for a couple minutes, stirring regularly, until the onion is softened.
    • Add the ground pork and cook for approx 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until the meat is cooked through. Add the shitake mushrooms, if using, and cook a minute or two more. Add the water chestnuts and mix through.
    • Add the sauce you mixed earlier and cook a minute as you mix it through then remove from heat. Spoon the mixture into your lettuce cups and top with the chopped spring onions then serve.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 147kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 198mg | Potassium: 281mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 474IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg

    See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

    This post was first shared in December 2017 and has been updated, primarily with new photos and video.

    Remember to pin for later!

    San choy bow are super easy and tasty Chinese lettuce wraps that take only a few minutes to prep and cook. They are great as part of a selection of dishes, such as for Lunar New Year, as well as to snack on for lunch.
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    1. Christie

      January 07, 2018 at 11:45 am

      5 stars
      I should make lettuce wraps when Dad comes. He's low carb and these would be perfect for him!

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        January 07, 2018 at 1:22 pm

        Thanks Christie, sounds perfect for someone on a low carb diet.

        Reply
    2. Laura Dembowski

      December 31, 2017 at 12:05 pm

      I love lettuce wraps and can't wait to try them with these yummy Asian flavors.

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        January 02, 2018 at 10:51 pm

        Thanks Laura, hope you enjoy!

        Reply
    3. Ruthy @ Percolate Kitchen

      December 31, 2017 at 7:57 am

      Here in NYC, Chinese New Year is always a big deal! Chicken wraps- yum. love these for make-ahead lunches.

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        January 02, 2018 at 10:51 pm

        Thanks, yes I love that it's such a big celebration in a lot of major cities. Indeed these would be great for lunch.

        Reply

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