Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce

Korean BBQ energy, no bun needed. The beef soaks in a gochujang marinade — sweet, funky, and deeply savory — then hits a screaming-hot pan until the edges caramelize. The finishing move is the peanut sauce: creamy, nutty, and spiked with Sweet Sriracha so it echoes the heat in the marinade instead of fighting it. About 35 minutes for 4 servings, plus marinating time if you can spare it.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb flank steak or ribeye, sliced thin against the grain
• 2 tbsp gochujang (for the marinade)
• 3 tbsp soy sauce (for the marinade)
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil (for the marinade)
• 1 tbsp brown sugar or honey (for the marinade)
• 3 garlic cloves, grated (for the marinade)
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger (for the marinade)
• 1 head romaine or butter lettuce, leaves separated
• 1 bunch scallions, left whole for grilling
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter (for the peanut sauce)
• 1.5 tsp SpiceX Sweet Sriracha seasoning (for the peanut sauce)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce (for the peanut sauce)
• 1 tbsp honey (for the peanut sauce)
• Juice of 1/2 lime (for the peanut sauce)
• 3 to 4 tbsp warm water (to thin the peanut sauce)
• Toasted sesame seeds, to finish

Directions

1. Marinate: whisk the gochujang, 3 tbsp soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger, then massage it into the sliced beef. Rest at least 20 minutes — overnight in the fridge turns it into proper bulgogi territory.
2. Sauce: whisk the peanut butter, Sweet Sriracha, 1 tbsp soy sauce, honey, and lime juice, thinning with warm water a spoonful at a time until it drizzles clean off the whisk.
3. Scallions: grill or sear the whole scallions in a dry hot pan until charred and floppy, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
4. Sear: get the pan smoking hot and cook the beef in a single layer in two batches, about 2 minutes per side, until the marinade caramelizes into dark, sticky edges. Crowd the pan and it stews — batches matter.
5. Wrap: pile the beef into lettuce leaves, lay the charred scallions over top, drizzle hard with the peanut sauce, and shower with sesame seeds. Eat with your hands, no exceptions.

Chef's note: Slice the beef thin and always against the grain — 15 minutes in the freezer firms it up so your knife glides. And gochujang burns fast thanks to its sugar, so keep the beef moving once the edges start to darken: caramelized is the goal, scorched is 20 seconds past it.

Nutrition per serving (serves 4): 430 calories · 34g protein · 18g carbs · 25g fat. Macros estimated.