Delicious tender pork belly wrapped in fresh perilla and lettuce leaves with smoky ssamjang sauce and kimchi radish. These quick and easy Korean pork belly lettuce wraps are the perfect weeknight meal in 15 minutes with only 5 ingredients!
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These Korean pork belly lettuce wraps are made of juicy pork belly stuffed in refreshing lettuce and perilla leaves with kimchi or kimchi radish and ssamjang.
If you love Korean BBQ but don't want to pay the hefty price, this is a great way to enjoy it. The best part about this recipe is there is minimal cooking and minimal ingredients!
At Korean restaurants, you would grill the meat at the dining table on a cast iron grill, while you and your friends converse and enjoy the banchans (aka Korean side dishes), like Korean Corn Cheese or Korean Seafood Pancake.
To enjoy this main, Koreans will usually stuff the whole lettuce wrap into their mouths so all the flavors meld into one!
Not a meat eater? Check out my Korean Mushroom Lettuce Wraps).
Ingredients
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Thinly Slice Pork Belly: about ⅛-inch to ¼-inch thick. Or substitute with marbled pork shoulder.
- Red Green Leaf Lettuce: or substitute with any soft green lettuce like butter leaf lettuce or even romaine lettuce can work.
- Ssamjang: a Korean "wrapping sauce" that is slightly spicy and savory. It's made of fermented soybean paste with gochujang and other seasoning ingredients. Most Korean grocery stores will sell this in a pale green tub. Or substitute with gochujang which is spicier.
- Fresh perilla leaves: this is a green pointy spade-shaped leaf sold at many Korean grocers in the produce section.
- Pickled kimchi radish or well-fermented kimchi: Most Korean grocers will sell pickle kimchi radish near the refrigerated kimchi section. If you're buying kimchi for this recipe, get the "mat" kind which means that the kimchi is pre-cut.
Expert Tips
- Use fresh thinly sliced pork belly that you can find at your grocer. They are popularly sold at Korean grocers.
- Don't skip on the ssamjang. It takes the pork lettuce wrap to the next level!
- Purchase thinly cut pork belly for a crispy texture.
- For crispy pork belly, fry the pork belly until golden brown on the edges.
- For tender pork belly, cook just until the pork is no longer pink and is grey and remove off the heat immediately.
- Buy fresh greens! This is especially important for a crispy lettuce wrap.
- Prepare your greens just before serving so they don’t go soggy or room temperature.
- To keep the pork belly warm for a tastier wrap: fry the pork belly on very low heat or removing the pork belly off the pan and placing it on a plate covered with tin foil.
- Assemble your wraps however you like! I usually like to place a perilla leaf onto the lettuce wrap, then I’ll spread some ssamjang followed by the pickled radish or kimchi and then the hot pork belly on top.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make Korean pork belly lettuce wraps:
Wash Greens
Before you wash your perilla leaves, take about 20 pieces and together slice off the stems together. This is easier than slicing the stems off individually. Wash and dry them with a clean paper towel. Transfer to a serving plate.
Then separate and wash 20 lettuce leaves, shake off excess water and dry them with paper towel. Transfer to a serving plate.
Prepare Accompaniments and Fry Pork
Prepare ssamjang and pickled radish or kimchi by placing enough in serving dishes. Set up the components at your dining table.
Slice pork belly strips into 20 equal pieces, about 2-3 inches long. Then in a large frying pan or grilling plate on medium heat, fry the pork belly pieces for 45-60 seconds on each side until cooked and no longer pink for a tender chew. For crispy chewy pork belly: fry on each side for 2-3 minutes until golden crispy brown.
Assemble to Enjoy
In the palm of your hand, place a perilla leaf into the lettuce wrap. Spread a thumb size of ssamjang sauce into the perilla leaf. Top off with pickled radish or kimchi and a slice of cooked pork belly. Enjoy!
Storage
- Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I would suggest storing the component separately. To reheat the pork belly, microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
- Freezer friendly? I don't recommend freezing assembled pork belly lettuce wraps as the greens will turn mushy.
Pairing Suggestions
Pork belly lettuce wraps serve well with:
- white rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice or kimchi fried rice
- other Korean side dishes like Korean cucumber salad, beansprout salad, zucchini fritters, gamja jorim, Korean spinach, or japchae
FAQ
This can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I recommend storing the components in separate airtight containers. To enjoy, reheat the pork belly in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop on medium heat.
Yes, feel free to substitute the pork belly with sliced chicken, marbled beef, shrimp, or extra-firm tofu.
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📖 Recipe
Easy 15-min. Korean Pork Belly Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
- 0.55 lb pork belly thinly sliced kind
- 2 heads lettuce red green leaf lettuce or sub with butter leaf lettuce/romaine lettuce
- 20 perilla leaves washed and dried with stem sliced off
- 10 tablespoon Ssamjang store bought kind and use as needed
- ½ cup kimchi radish or well-fermented kimchi cabbage (as needed)
Instructions
- Before you wash your perilla leaves, take about 20 pieces and together slice off the stems together. This is easier than slicing the stems off individually. Shake off any excess water and dry them off with clean paper towels. Transfer to a serving plate.
- Then separate and wash 20 lettuce leaves, shake off excess water and dry them with paper towel. Transfer to a serving plate.
- Prepare ssamjang and pickled radish or kimchi by placing enough in serving dishes. Set up the components at your dining table.
- Slice pork belly strips into 20 equal strips, about 2-3 inches long. Then in a large frying pan or grilling plate on medium heat, fry the pork belly pieces. For tender pork belly: only cook for 45-60 seconds on each side until cooked and no longer pink. For crispy chewy pork belly: fry on each side for 2-3 minutes until golden crispy brown. Tip: To keep the pork belly warm for a more delicious wrap. You can do this by keeping the pork on the pan on very low heat or removing the pork belly off the pan and placing it on a plate covered with tin foil.
- In the palm of your hand, place a perilla leaf into the lettuce wrap. Spread a ½ tablespoon ssamjang sauce into the perilla leaf. Top off with pickled radish or kimchi and a slice of cooked pork belly. Enjoy!
Kate
Dumb question, but is it 66 calories per wrap? 🙂 I notice some recipes say servings as *number* wraps and such. Thanks!
christieathome
Not a dumb question at all! Yes it's 66 calories per wrap 🙂
Lily
Is there anything I can use as a substitute for the Ssamjang? I do not have a Korean or Chinese grocery anywhere near me. I do have gochujang and doenjang in my fridge right now, as well as a number of other Chinese and Korean condiments. No perilla leaves either, unfortunately, but I've prepped the pickled veg and I have leaf lettuce. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated. Thank you.
christieathome
Gochujang is a great substitute, but I would mix it with equal parts sesame oil, rice vinegar and honey and add more of each ingredient to taste. Hope this helps!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
This looks so good. Pork belly is so rich and flavorful all by itself, but then the sauce and pickled radish you added really send the flavors over the top!