Instant Pot Thai Beef Lettuce Wraps are my new obsession! Tender, Asian-style marinated steak sliced thin, placed in a butter lettuce cup, then topped with all the fresh and crunchy toppings and a big drizzle of peanut sauce — this light and refreshing dish is a winner!
Turn this meal into a freezer meal! Find this recipe in our new Freezer Meal cookbook. CLICK HERE
Remember the days of flip phones and sitting in doctors’ offices with nothing for entertainment but out-of-date magazines?
I would search for the yummiest-looking food magazine and this would usually make time fly by.
The problem back then was that if you found a recipe you wanted to try, you couldn’t just take a picture with your phone. Instead, you’d do your very best to quietly tear the page from the magazine, all while coughing to try and cover up the “teeaarrrring” sound.
Don’t get mad. You know you did this. Or thought about it . . .
I ran into this Thai Beef Lettuce wrap at a doctors apt recently and was overjoyed that I could simply take a picture instead of ruining the magazine for everyone else. Technology for the win 🙂
These lettuce wraps are AMAZING!
It’s the kind of meal where you’ve successfully inhaled 13 lettuce wraps but called it a salad and felt awesome about it.
We start with the best lettuce wrap of all, BUTTER LETTUCE, place a scoop of rice inside to soak up all the meat juices, top with tender, flavorful bites of steak, then add LOTS of fresh crunchy veggies, and top it with the love of my life, PEANUT SAUCE.
I’m telling you: you are going to chow through these lettuce wraps with abandon and then wonder how you just ate an entire head of butter lettuce because STEAK + PEANUT SAUCE + CRUNCHY VEGGIES is a serious “get lost in the moment” situation.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE THAI BEEF LETTUCE WRAPS
- DIFFERENT: We’ve all had Chicken Lettuce Wraps and while those are good, I just might like this version better!
- LIGHT FEELING MEAL: I love meals that I can feast on without feeling like I have a loaf of bread sitting in my stomach for the next 8 hours. This is a feel-good meal during and after dinner!
- PEANUT SAUCE: If it’s got peanut sauce on it, I’m all in. It makes everything that much better!
- VERSATILE: Not in a lettuce wrap mood? This combo of ingredients could be served in a bowl over rice or in a tortilla wrap, too!
HOW TO MAKE THAI BEEF IN THE PRESSURE COOKER
- Slice the beef thin against the grain
- Marinate for maximum flavor
- Place in the pot with marinade
- Pressure cook until tender and delish
- Put peanut sauce ingredients in a blender
- Blend until smooth
SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR DETAILED COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
- PRESSURE COOK THE STEAK: There is nothing worse than biting into a lettuce wrap to have the entire steak pulled out of the wrap. This steak is so tender, THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN! I’ve tried grilling it and it just wasn’t as good.
- CUT AGAINST THE GRAIN: Cutting against the grain will guarantee that tender bite as well!
- MARINATE THE MEAT: I know it’s an extra step, but it pays off in tenderness and flavor. If this isn’t an option, throw it all in the pot and cook it anyway. Pressure cooking does a great job of infusing flavor.
- BUTTER LETTUCE: Butter lettuce works best for lettuce wraps because it will fold without breaking.
- RICE: I love the addition of the rice because it helps soak up the meat juices so it doesn’t drip down your arm. If you’d like a low-carb option, feel free to omit it.
- FRESH TOPPINGS: The crunchy veggies and peanuts on top take it to the next level!
HOW TO STORE, REHEAT, AND FREEZE
- STORE: Cool leftover steak and store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Fresh toppings and rice can also be stored in the fridge for 4 days.
- REHEAT: Gently reheat meat in its juices in the microwave or on the stovetop. Be careful not to overcook; it will become tough.
- FREEZE: Place leftover meat into a freezer-safe container or ziptop bag and freeze for up to three months. When ready to eat, let it thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat as directed above. Peanut sauce also freezes well.
MAKE AHEAD TIPS
- Prep the marinade a day or two in advance, then place the sliced steak in the marinade the night before you serve it.
- Peanut sauce can be blended a day or two in advance as well.
- Chop fresh veggies and herbs the day before.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH
I love to serve lettuce wraps with items from the frozen section, like egg rolls or pot stickers. Just place them in the air fryer or oven while the steak cooks and serve with peanut sauce for dipping.
VARIATIONS
- MEAT SWAP: I haven’t tried it (yet), but I think this marinade would be delicious on sliced chicken or pork tenderloin as well.
Who else loves a good lettuce wrap?! This kind of meal just makes you happy to munch through, amiright?!
Want to get fancy with it? Serve it buffet style to guests by lining a platter with butter lettuce, fresh chopped toppings, a hot pot of rice, and a jar of peanut sauce, and let everyone go for it! I think this would be so fun!
Until then, I’ll be plating myself many servings of lettuce wraps and slapping kids’ hands when they try to sneak more than their share of steak.
Gotta love family dinner time 🙂
Let me know in the comments what you think of this one!
Enjoy!
MORE INSTANT POT STEAK RECIPES
TOOLS/INGREDIENTS USED TO MAKE INSTANT POT THAI BEEF LETTUCE WRAPS
PrintThai Beef Lettuce Wraps | Instant Pot Recipe
Thai Beef Lettuce Wraps are so quick and easy to make with the help of the Instant Pot! Serve it with butter lettuce and peanut sauce, and dive in.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients
For the Meat and Marinade
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoons grated fresh ginger
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- 1 Tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 Tablespoon chili garlic sauce
- 1 – 2 pounds flank steak, sliced against the grain into thin strips
For serving
Butter lettuce, sliced jalapeños, grated carrots, chopped cilantro, crushed peanuts, cooked white or brown rice
For the Peanut Sauce
- ¼ cup natural, unsweetened peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
- Warm water if needed, to thin
Instructions
- Blend marinade ingredients until smooth.
- Place the marinade ingredients and flank steak in a ziplock bag or storage container and lightly shake to combine all the seasonings.
- Store in refrigerator overnight for the best flavor, making sure the steak is immersed in the marinade (see note about marinating).
- After the meat has marinated, pour all of the bag’s contents into the pressure cooker pot. Arrange the meat so it is in a flat layer on the bottom as much as possible.
- Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position. Cook at high pressure for 8 minutes.
- While the meat is cooking, place Peanut Sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add water, a teaspoon at a time, if needed to thin. You want it to be pourable.
- When pressure cooking is complete, let the pressure release naturally for 5 – 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure.
- To serve, lay butter lettuce leaves on a plate. Add a spoonful of rice, top with steak, grated carrots, jalapeno slices, and chopped cilantro. Drizzle peanut sauce on top and add a sprinkle of chopped peanuts.
Notes
- Always slice meat against the grain for a more tender chew.
- May omit the rice for a low-carb version.
- Regarding marinating, the meat will be more tender and have more flavor with an overnight marinade. However, pressure cooking does a good job at infusing the meat with flavor, so if you’re short on time, add the marinade ingredients and the steak to the pressure cooker pot and cook right away.
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