korean-inspired spicy tempeh lettuce wraps

I’ve been spelling gochujang wrong all day.

Do ya’ll have those words you cannot get right the first time regardless of how many times you tell yourself “THIS time I will conquer the asshole”? I have a few. Fusion is one of them, as is Fuchsia (most of the time autocorrect doesn’t even know what I’m trying to say and tries to suggest fashion).

Apparently, we can add gochujang to that array.

I asked ya’ll whether pasta or lettuce wraps sounded sweller for my next recipe, and most of you surprisingly went for the wraps. I guess we’re all yearning for color and freshness as the seasons swipe by – by the way, happy spring retroactive two days! – and I certainly am as my mood grows more sour with each new day of continued congestion from the flu I fought off.

These beauties are honestly perfect for spurring up those tastebuds. Gochujang has a big kick of spice that wakes up your palate. The sauce soaks into the tempeh like a dream, and the best part here is your whole meal is done in one skillet and within 30 minutes. Add some peppers and those lovely bibb lettuce cups for veggies, and top off your wraps however you’d like. A lovely, light spring dinner or appetizer. Sure to make you a little happier on an internal or atmospheric gloomy day.

Cast Dat Iron

Gochujang is the Korean iteration of a sassy chili paste. Trader Joe’s usually carries it nowadays, otherwise you can find it at most other big stores in the international section. Just be sure you’re buying the paste and not sauce – the latter usually has other components added in, which aren’t necessary since we’re making a sauce here.

Mix up the gochujang with soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ginger, and garlic. Very simple, probably shit you have in your arsenal already.

Then, heat up some sesame oil in your big skillet. Throw in some diced onion and the crumbled tempeh. Cook them together, with just a few stirs here and there, until the tempeh crisps up in spots. Sure, it won’t brown like meat, but you can still get a nice char if you don’t whack the shit around too much.

Stir in a thinly sliced red bell pepper and let it soften up a little bit. You can use any color pepper, honestly, but I do enjoy the extra little dab of sweetness offered by our scarlet pal.

Bring On the Sauce

Now to my favorite part: gettin’ saucy.

Pour that delish chili sauce into the pan and watch it spit and simmer. For a sticky finish, whisk a cornstarch slurry of starch and water and stir into the tempeh. The slurry will thicken the sauce almost immediately.

Butter, or Boston/bibb, lettuce is my favorite to use for these wraps. You can use romaine if that’s more accessible. I double up on the leaves to create a more sturdy base, then pile on the warm tempeh. The filling will be enough for 8-10 wraps depending on how much you stuff them and how big your leaves are.

The fillings are quite diverse. I had some pickled red onions still from last week’s ricotta toasts, so I plopped a few in the wraps along with some sesame seeds and fresh cilantro. I later added some avocado after the photos. If you have some carrots lying around, or cucumber or radishes, such would be quite lovely as well. I guess you could throw on a sunny side up egg if you wish, in the spirit of bibimbap. I also make some rice on the side, too, for a more complete meal.

Healthy, packed with plant-based protein, and colorful as can be. Some people might shit on using lettuce as a vessel for fillings, but sometimes you just aren’t feeling a tortilla or naan. Plus, butter lettuce is just fun, and a wee bit different. A little extra freshness, I suppose you can say.

Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!

Tempting tempeh:

Crispy Chipotle Tempeh and Black Bean Tacos with Salty Avocado Crema

Spicy Sesame Orange Tempeh Bowls

Honey Ginger Tempeh and Broccoli Noodles

korean-inspired spicy tempeh lettuce wraps

A showstopping appetizer or light dinner featuring a spicy gochujang-flavored crispy tempeh.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Servings 8 wraps

Ingredients

  

• 2 8-oz blocks tempeh, crumbled
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 1 head butter/bibb lettuce
• sesame seeds, pickled red onions, and fresh cilantro, for serving

Instructions

 

• In a glass jar or bowl, combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, gochujang, rice vinegar, garlic, and ginger. Shake or whisk vigorously until combined.
• Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the tempeh and onion and cook, stirring once or twice, until the onion softens and the tempeh begins to crisp, about 10 minutes. Throw in the red pepper and saute for 2-3 minutes.
• Pour in the gochujang sauce and bring to a gentle simmer. Whisk the corn starch with 1 tablespoon of water to make a slurry and dump into the skillet. Stir everything until the sauce thickens around the tempeh and pepper, about 2-3 minutes.
• Stack 2-3 bibb lettuce leaves on top of one another. Divide the tempeh amongst the cups. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and finish with a few pickled red onions and fresh cilantro, as desired.

Notes

*Other filling ideas: Carrots, radish, cucumber, avocado, and green onions are all great options for filling your wraps!

*Gochujang substitute: I found that sambal oelek is the closest mimic to gochujang if you cannot find the latter.

Keyword gochujang, korean, lettuce, one skillet, tempeh, vegan, vegetarian, weeknight dinner, wraps