A quick, easy and delicious light meal, these Vietnamese pork tenderloin lettuce wraps start with marinated then BBQ or oven-broiled pork tenderloin, sliced and served on lettuce with a spicy Vietnamese carrot sauce.

Vietnamese lettuce wraps on plate

These Vietnamese lettuce wraps are one of my favourite quick, easy and delicious light summer meals! They start with a single pork tenderloin, that is marinated and then quickly grilled on the BBQ (or broiled in the oven), then is sliced and served with fresh vegetable fixings and a Vietnamese-style carrot sauce.

Other than some marinating time, this dish comes together super-quickly! I like to set it to marinade in the morning and then at dinner time, it’s only about 15 minutes to cook and prepare the sauce and fixings. Serve as is, or with a bowl of brown or white rice.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Pork Tenderloin – you need just one pork tenderloin for these lettuce wraps. Be sure to prepare the pork tenderloin by removing any visible fat and removing the silver skin that runs along the side of the tenderloin. This will ensure even cooking.

Asian Chili Garlic Sauce – you can use either Asian Chili Garlic Sauce or Sambal Oelek will work as a substitute. The only difference is how much you use. Sambal is much spicier, so you’ll want to use less (about half as much).

Lettuce – Boston or Bibb lettuce works well for lettuce wrap, as they have large leaves that pull off easily.

Recipe Tips

  • Lettuce wraps are always endlessly customizable, as far as the fixings go. Diced jalapeño, pickled onions or any other vegetable you’d like to add would be just fine!
  • To make these heartier and to add a little something warm to the meal, serve with a bowl of white or brown rice and add to the lettuce wrap with the other fixings and sauce.

Vietnamese lettuce wraps on plate

Making ahead storing and freezing

You can easily make the pork ahead and refrigerate until ready to eat. The pork should also freeze well.

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Vietnamese lettuce wrap on plate

Get the Recipe: Vietnamese Lettuce Wraps

Easy and delicious Vietnamese lettuce wraps, that start with a single pork tenderloin. Make the pork ahead and refrigerate to enjoy anytime.
5 stars from 2 ratings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Marinating Time:: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 - 1 1/2 lb. pork tenderloin, silverskin and any visible fat removed

For the pork tenderloin marinade:

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 shallots, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 3 Tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for brushing
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the Vietnamese carrot sauce:

  • 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
  • 2 Tablespoons fish sauce
  • 3 Tablespoons white granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 Tablespoon carrot, grated
  • 1 teaspoon Asian chili garlic sauce
  • 1 clove garlic, minced

For serving:

  • 1 head Boston lettuce, separated in to individual leaves
  • 1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced

Instructions
 

  • Prepare the pork: Remove any visible fat and silver skin from the pork tenderloin. Butterfly the pork tenderloin by cutting down the middle lengthwise almost all the way through, but not completely through and then unfolding open to be flat a long and wide shape. Set aside. In a shallow baking dish (such as a 9x13-inch baking dish), stir together the garlic, shallots, brown sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, vegetable oil and 1/2 tsp. each of salt and pepper. Add the prepared pork tenderloin and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
  • Make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, fish sauce, granulated sugar, salt and several grinds of fresh pepper with 1/4 cup water. Stir in the grated carrot, chili sauce and garlic. Set aside.
  • To cook the pork: Preheat a BBQ grill to high or cook in the oven by setting your oven to broil and positioning a rack about 6 inches from the heat source. For the BBQ: Brush the grill with vegetable oil. Remove the pork from the marinade and grill until well marked, 3 to 4 minutes per side. For the oven: Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and brush the foil with oil. Place pork onto baking sheet and broil until well browned and it reaches an internal temperature of approximately 150° Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes, then cut into thin strips. Arrange the pork and lettuce on a platter; set out your fixings in small bowls. Assemble the lettuce wraps and serve with the carrot sauce.
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Course: Main Course
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 370kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 48g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 147mg, Sodium: 1266mg, Potassium: 1039mg, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 405IU, Vitamin C: 6.8mg, Calcium: 37mg, Iron: 2.6mg
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