Easy Pork Yuk Sung (Pork Mince Lettuce Wraps)
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This easy pork yuk sung combines crispy pork mince with crunchy vegetables and a savoury Chinese-style black bean sauce, all piled into fresh lettuce cups and finished with an optional peanut sauce. Ready in just 30 minutes, it’s a brilliant quick and easy dinner made with simple Aldi ingredients.
Browning the pork mince until deeply golden is what really makes this recipe—the crispy edges soak up the soy and black bean sauce while the carrot and pepper stay fresh and crunchy. If you love quick Asian-inspired dinners, try my 15-minute crispy chilli beef or crispy beef in oyster sauce next.
Why this Recipe works
Ingredients required
- Pork mince (ground pork): Lean pork mince works best here because we want to brown it until deeply golden and slightly crispy without the pan becoming overly greasy. Don’t be afraid to give it plenty of colour—that browning is where much of the flavour comes from.
- Onion, garlic and ginger: These create the aromatic base of the pork. Fresh ginger is particularly important here and gives the rich pork a warm, fresh flavour.
- Carrot and bell pepper: Dice these fairly small so you get some in every lettuce cup. They’re only cooked briefly at the end so they retain a little crunch rather than becoming completely soft.
- Black bean and soy sauces: Black bean sauce gives the pork its rich, savoury flavour, while a combination of light and dark soy adds saltiness, umami and colour.
- Chinese five spice: Adds warmth and spice to the pork as it browns. A little goes a long way, so you can reduce the amount if you prefer a more subtle flavour.
- Lime and cider vinegar: Both add acidity to balance the rich pork and salty sauces. Fresh lime juice goes into the finished pork mixture, with extra wedges served alongside.
- Lettuce and toppings: Soft round lettuce or baby gem both make great lettuce cups. I finish them with spring onion, coriander, chopped peanuts and extra lime for plenty of freshness and crunch.
- Peanut sauce: A quick mixture of smooth peanut butter, soy sauce and sriracha makes an optional creamy, spicy drizzle. It’s not essential, but I highly recommend it.
See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and full instructions.
How to Make Pork Yuk Sung
- Brown the pork: Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork mince and cook until deeply golden and beginning to crisp, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Don’t rush this stage—the browning gives the finished yuk sung much more flavour.
- Add the aromatics: Add the onion, garlic, ginger and Chinese five spice to the browned pork. Cook for another 2–3 minutes until the onion begins to soften and the garlic and ginger are fragrant.
- Add the vegetables and sauce: Whisk together the black bean sauce, light soy, dark soy and cider vinegar. Add the carrot and pepper to the pork, pour over the sauce and toss everything together. Simmer for 2–3 minutes so the vegetables stay slightly crisp. Remove from the heat and stir through the juice of ½ lime.
- Finish and serve: Spoon the pork mixture into clean, dry lettuce cups and top with sliced spring onion, coriander and chopped peanuts. Drizzle with the peanut sauce, if using, and serve with extra lime wedges alongside.
Variations and Substitutions
- Pork mince: Chicken or turkey mince both work well instead of pork. Brown them thoroughly in exactly the same way to build plenty of flavour.
- Lettuce: Soft round lettuce makes generous cups, while baby gem gives you smaller, sturdier wraps with plenty of crunch.
- Make it more substantial: Serve the pork over steamed rice or noodles instead of lettuce cups, or add both lettuce and rice and let everyone build their own.
- Vegetables: Mushrooms, finely sliced cabbage, mangetout or baby corn can be added depending on what you have to use up.
- Black bean sauce: Oyster sauce or another savoury Chinese-style stir-fry sauce can be used if you don’t have black bean sauce. Your existing FAQ already supports this substitution.
- Peanut-free: Leave out the peanut sauce and chopped peanuts and serve with extra lime, spring onion and coriander instead.
Chef’s Guide: Expert Tips
Here are a few simple tips, drawn from my training and kitchen experience, to help you get the best results every time.
- Don’t be afraid to really brown the pork: This is the most important step in the recipe. Let the mince cook until it’s deeply golden with crispy edges rather than simply cooking it until there’s no pink left. It may look slightly dry at this stage, but the sauce will add moisture back while all that browning gives you much more flavour.
- Use a hot, wide pan: A large frying pan gives the pork enough room to brown rather than steam. If the mince releases a lot of liquid, keep cooking until that moisture evaporates and the pork begins to colour.
- Keep the vegetables slightly crisp: The carrot and pepper only need a couple of minutes once they’re added. Keeping some bite gives the yuk sung that contrast between rich, savoury pork and fresh, crunchy vegetables.
- Taste before adding extra salt: Black bean sauce and both soy sauces already contain plenty of seasoning, so taste the finished pork before deciding whether it needs any additional salt.
- Dry the lettuce really well: Wet lettuce makes the wraps slippery and dilutes the sauce. Wash the leaves ahead of time and dry them thoroughly before filling.
What to do with leftovers
- Fridge: Cool the pork mixture completely and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep the lettuce and toppings separate, so they stay fresh and crisp.
- Freezer: The cooked pork filling freezes well for up to 3 months. Freeze in an airtight container without the lettuce, fresh herbs or toppings and defrost overnight in the fridge.
- Reheating: Reheat the pork in a frying pan or microwave until piping hot throughout. Add a small splash of water if the sauce has thickened in the fridge.
Leftover pork yuk sung filling is brilliant spooned over rice or noodles the next day. Add some fresh cucumber, spring onion and a squeeze of lime and you’ve got an entirely different lunch.
FAQ’s
Yes. Oyster sauce or another savoury Chinese-style stir-fry sauce can be used instead. Because different sauces vary in saltiness and sweetness, taste the pork before adding any extra seasoning.
The pan may be overcrowded or not hot enough. Use a wide frying pan over medium-high heat and allow any liquid released by the pork to evaporate before continuing to cook it until deeply golden. Avoid stirring constantly—leaving the pork against the hot pan for short periods helps it develop colour.
Yes. Cook the pork filling up to 3 days ahead and store it in the fridge. Reheat it until piping hot and prepare the lettuce cups and fresh toppings just before serving so they stay crisp.
Pork yuk sung is a Chinese-style minced pork dish served in crisp lettuce leaves. This version combines deeply browned pork mince with vegetables, black bean sauce, soy sauce and Chinese five spice, then finishes everything with fresh lime, herbs and crunchy peanuts.
Easy Pork Yuk Sung (Pork Mince Lettuce Wraps)
Ingredients
- 500 g (1 lb) pork mince (ground pork)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 brown onion, finely diced
- 1- inch piece fresh ginger, grated
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large carrot, finely diced
- 1 bell pepper, any colour, finely diced
- ½ lime, juice only
- 1 tablespoon Chinese 5 spice, or less, to taste
For the sauce
- 120 g (4¼ oz) black bean sauce
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon cider vinegar
For serving
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced
- dry roasted peanuts, chopped, for serving
- 2 limes , cut into wedges
- 1 round lettuce or 2 baby gem, leaves separated
- ½ bunch fresh coriander (cilantro), roughly chopped
Peanut sauce *see notes
- 2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/4- ½ teaspoon chilli sauce like Sriracha or similar
- water as needed
Instructions
- Brown the Pork: Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork mince and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until deeply golden with crispy edges.
- Add the Aromatics: Add the onion, garlic, ginger and Chinese five spice. Cook for another 2–3 minutes, until the onion begins to soften and the garlic and ginger are fragrant.
- Add the Sauce and Vegetables: Whisk together the black bean sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and cider vinegar. Pour the sauce into the pan, then add the carrot and bell pepper. Toss everything together and simmer for 2–3 minutes, leaving the vegetables slightly crisp. Remove from the heat and stir through the juice of ½ lime.
- Make the Peanut Sauce and Serve: If using, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce and sriracha, adding water 1 tablespoon at a time until you have a drizzling consistency. Spoon the pork into the lettuce cups and top with the peanut sauce, chopped peanuts, spring onion and coriander. Serve with lime wedges alongside.
Notes
- Browning the pork: Let the pork become deeply golden rather than simply cooking until no longer pink. The crispy, caramelised edges give the finished dish much more flavour.
- Keep the vegetables crisp: The carrot and pepper should retain a little bite, so only cook them briefly after adding the sauce.
- Peanut sauce: The peanut sauce is optional but adds a creamy, spicy contrast to the savoury pork. Add water gradually until it’s thin enough to drizzle.
- Lettuce: Wash and thoroughly dry the lettuce leaves before filling so the wraps stay crisp.
- Storage: Store leftover pork filling separately from the lettuce and toppings in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
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Meet the Chef!
Hi, I’m Debs, a Cordon Bleu-trained chef dedicated to helping you create unforgettable meals on a budget. Discover more about my journey and dive into a world of foolproof recipes designed for those who love to eat well without overspending.
Loved this recipe! Perfect for a quick dinner and my kids loved it!
Thanks Dana. Happy you loved it! 🙂
This yuk-sung recipe is the easiest and best I’ve ever made. Absolutely loved them!
Thanks so much, Helen! So happy you loved this recipe. And thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and a rating. I really appreciate it! 🙂
Really tasty but you don’t mention when to add the lime juice in the pork mix
You showed at the top that you have Chinese five spice in the recipie but it’s not in the ingredients or method below…..
So sorry about that. The 5 spice goes into the pork as its browning. The recipe card has been updated to reflect that, now. Thanks for catching that and letting me know! 🙂
How much 5 spice is needed? It’s mentioned in the description but not the actual recipe. Thanks
These were so good. And you’re right. That peanut sauce is not to be missed!
Thanks so much, Shana. Happy you loved them.
I just made this recipe last night and it was amazing! We devoured these wraps in no time!