Sheng Cai Ji Rou Bei

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   Separate, wash, and thoroughly dry the butter lettuce leaves so they stay crisp, then arrange them on a serving plate. Finely dice the water chestnuts, mince the ginger and garlic, and slice the spring onions, keeping the green garnish separate. Having everything ready is important because the stir-fry cooks very quickly.

   12 large leaves (about 120 g) butter lettuce leaves100 g water chestnuts, finely diced15 g fresh ginger, finely minced2 cloves (8 g) garlic, finely minced2 (30 g) spring onions, thinly sliced1 tbsp (5 g) spring onion greens, thinly sliced
2. 2

   Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat until hot, then add the sesame oil. Add the ginger, garlic, and sliced spring onions and stir-fry for about 20-30 seconds, just until fragrant; do not let the garlic brown or it may taste bitter.

   2 tsp (10 ml) sesame oil15 g fresh ginger, finely minced2 cloves (8 g) garlic, finely minced2 (30 g) spring onions, thinly sliced
3. 3

   Add the chicken mince and break it up quickly with a spatula. Stir-fry for 4-5 minutes until the meat loses its pink colour and starts to take on a little browning in spots. Small browned bits add flavour, but keep the chicken moving so it stays juicy.

   300 g chicken mince
4. 4

   Stir in the diced water chestnuts, coconut aminos, sea salt, and white pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes more until the water chestnuts are heated through and the sauce lightly coats the chicken rather than pooling in the pan. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

   100 g water chestnuts, finely diced2 tbsp (30 ml) coconut aminos1/4 tsp sea salt1/8 tsp ground white pepper
5. 5

   Spoon the hot chicken filling into the lettuce leaves, dividing evenly. Sprinkle with the sliced spring onion greens and serve immediately while the filling is hot and the lettuce is cold and crisp.

   12 large leaves (about 120 g) butter lettuce leaves1 tbsp (5 g) spring onion greens, thinly sliced

Origin & History

Lettuce-wrapped minced meat dishes are common across Chinese and Chinese-American cooking, where crisp leaves are used as a fresh contrast to savoury stir-fried fillings. This paleo-style version adapts that tradition by using coconut aminos in place of soy-based sauces while keeping the classic combination of chicken, aromatics, and crunchy water chestnuts.