Korean BBQ Style Cauliflower Lettuce Wraps

Cauliflower lettuce wraps with spicy mayo.

Whoa-ho-ho-ho. Just hold it right there.

I have a new conviction to share with you today, which is that tender butter lettuce was specifically put on this earth for the sole purpose of being stuffed with roasted cauliflower, generously tossed in a sweet and sticky Korean BBQ- inspired sauce, topped with chives and peanuts and spicy mayo, and finding its way straight to your mouth.


If these cauliflower lettuce wraps do not make their way into your hungry little hands this week, can you even say that you’re living? Just please reflect on that right now.

Cauliflower Lettuce Wraps – Here We Go!

Okay. Things are very easy here! My favorite kind of recipe.

First: we roast some cauliflower.

Roasted cauliflower on a pan.

Then, we toss the cauliflower in a sauce that we made.

Roasted cauliflower tossed in a sauce on a pan.

And finally, we tuck it into lettuce, go wild with toppings, and FEAST!

OMG THESE ARE SO GOOD.

Cauliflower lettuce wraps with hand grabbing.

We had these at our dinner club last month (Korean-fusion theme) and oh baby, they were so good between bites of Korean mandu dumplings and sips of summery watermelon mojitos.

I don’t mind them as a cauli stand-alone because I load them up with peanuts and spicy mayo and it all just reeeally works for me.

But I’ve also made them with ground turkey, chicken, and tofu mixed into the cauliflower situation for a more substantial meal. And that works, too.

Bottom line: HURRY UP AND MAKE THESE. Like, wow. Yum. New favorite.

Check Out Our Video For How To Make Roasted Cauliflower Lettuce Wraps:

Source notes: This recipe came about from making a quick appetizer for a Korean-inspired / themed dinner club with my friends. Roasted cauliflower in a lettuce wrap with spicy mayo is certainly not an authentic Korean BBQ recipe, but I used this yummy Korean BBQ sauce on the cauliflower on a whim and fell in love. The company is owned by two Korean American women, Ann and Janet Chung, and this sauce is their “family recipe” and I would highly recommend it. So yummy. Plus, their website has lots of fun recipes for ways to use the sauce in all kinds of creative fusion-style recipes. For the final version of this recipe, I made a from-scratch version inspired by the flavors and texture of their Korean BBQ sauce, but honestly, not a bad idea to just stock up on the pre-made stuff because it’s very delicious. For a more in-depth outline on the history, methods, and all-around experience of authentic Korean BBQ, check out this post from Serious Eats.

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Cauliflower Lettuce Wraps on a surface.

Roasted Cauliflower Lettuce Wraps with Korean BBQ-Inspired Sauce

4.8 from 34 reviews
  • Author: Lindsay
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 6-8 servings
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Description

Roasted Cauliflower Lettuce Wraps with Korean BBQ-Inspired Sauce! Crispy roasted cauliflower tossed in a sweet and sticky Korean BBQ sauce, all topped with chives, peanuts, and spicy mayo. YUM.

Ingredients

Units

Cauliflower Lettuce Wraps:

  • 6–8 cups small cauliflower florets (1 large or 2 small heads)
  • olive oil
  • salt
  • butter lettuce cups
  • crushed peanuts
  • minced chives
  • spicy mayo (see notes)

Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1-inch knob fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sambal oelek (or a spicy chile paste, or sriracha – use less for a milder sauce)
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions

  1. Roast the cauliflower: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Toss the cauliflower with a drizzle of oil and a pinch of salt. Roast for 30 minutes.
  2. Make the sauce: Blend everything in a food processor or blender until smooth. Simmer in a saucepan over low heat until it thickens slightly.
  3. Cauli meets sauce: Pour sauce directly onto the roasting pan – just enough to get the cauliflower nice and saucy. Toss gently to combine.
  4. Make it pretty: Arrange the sauced up cauliflower in lettuce cups. Top with extra sauce, crushed peanuts, chives, and a drizzle of spicy mayo. Mwah!

Notes

Spicy mayo: mix about 1/4 cup mayo with a squirt of sriracha! Thin it out as necessary, and adjust to taste. That’s it.

For the sauce: you can also just mince and whisk everything by hand, but I find it easier to use the food processor!

This is great with additional protein if you want to make it more substantial. I like it with ground chicken, turkey, or tofu.

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: Korean-Inspired

Keywords: korean bbq cauliflower lettuce wraps, cauliflower lettuce wraps, lettuce wraps

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One More Thing!

This recipe is part of our easy summer dinners page. Check it out!

The post Roasted Cauliflower Lettuce Wraps with Korean BBQ-Inspired Sauce appeared first on Pinch of Yum.

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