Crispy fresh lettuce filled with delicious Chinese pork mince... this San Choy Bow recipe is a firm favorite here! Simple ingredients and ready in under 20 minutes, this is a starter, lunch, or dinner everyone will love!
San Choy Bow in romaine lettuce cups in a white bowl.

Easy San Choy Bow

This quick and easy pork San Choy Bow is one of my favorite simple dinners. Also known as yuk sung they are basically Chinese pork mince served in lettuce cups. They are super healthy, quick to make, and perfect hot or cold.

These Chinese lettuce cups are incredibly popular. Also known as san choi bao, sung choy bau and a host of other spellings. However you spell yours, they are all pretty much the same thing.

Related Keto Chinese Recipes: The Best Chinese Cabbage Salad / Easy Salmon Stir Fry

Why We Love It

Versatile – this recipe is for pork san choy bow, but you can just as easily use ground chicken, turkey mince, or make ground beef lettuce wraps. Whatever you have on hand will taste just as good.

Low carb and keto friendly – basically a seasoned pork mince in lettuce cups I have made this recipe specifically low in carbs. If you want to add more vegetables like baby corn, water chestnuts, carrot, or add rice or vermicelli noodles, go for it.

Quick & Easy – this is super quick to make. In less than 20 minutes from beginning to end this is a great meal for an easy weeknight dinner that everyone will love.

The Ingredients

Scroll to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients to make these delicious Chinese lettuce wraps.

Easy San Choy Bow ingredients in small bowls with labels.

Sesame oil – found in both the sauce aisle and Asian foods aisle at most supermarkets. This oil has a strong flavor and aroma of toasted sesame seeds,

Onion – use brown, yellow or white onions.

Garlic cloves and fresh ginger – I use the fresh stuff but you can use ginger or garlic paste available in the refrigerated vegetable section of most supermarkets.

Chinese five-spice – a mixed Chinese spice available in the supermarket.

Ground pork aka pork mince – use an 80/20 meat and pork mix. You can use lean pork mince if you prefer. Chicken mince, beef, or turkey are all good too.

Gluten-free soy sauce – substitute oyster sauce, tamari, coconut aminos or Vegemite (yes it is amazing) for the perfect umami associated with Chinese cooking.

Spring onions and cilantro – are essential for me but if you hate coriander use fresh been sprouts or chopped flat leaf parsley.

Lettuce – butter lettuce, cos lettuce (romaine), baby gem or iceberg lettuce. You can use any lettuce for the wraps. In a pinch swap for cabbage, witlof, or silverbeet leaves.

How To Make Yuk Sung

Step 1. Heat the sesame oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until soft. Add garlic, ginger, and five-spice. Saute for 1 minute until fragrant.

Step 2. Add the pork mince. Break the mince up with a spatula. Pan fry the mince until golden with crispy brown edges (only turn or stir every minute or two to give the meat time to brown and go crispy).

Step 3. Add the soy sauce and stir through.

Step 4. Fold the green onions through. Spoon into lettuce cups. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and squeeze over the lime juice.

Variations

There are so many ways to vary this recipe for san choy bow.

Vegetarian San Choy Bow – swap the pork mince for finely chopped mushrooms. A mixture of mushrooms and onion is perfect for a vegan lettuce wrap, and is still incredibly tasty!

Get saucy – some love a good sauce to dip the lettuce wraps in. Teriyaki Sauce, Gremolata, or Sweet & Sour sauce are all a fun choice. I reckon a really good (but not Chinese) sauce would be nuoc cham.

Extra garnishes can include roasted peanuts (for crunch) fresh bean sprouts, toasted macadamias, sliced water chestnuts or any fresh pickles would be perfect.

Protein – make beef lettuce cups, chopped shrimp (prawn) san choy bow, or even fresh fish or ceviche lettuce cups. Serve with my amazing Protein Chips crumbled over top.

Chinese pork lettuce cups on mango wood platters.

FAQs and Hot Tips

What is the difference between yuk sung and san choy bow?

There is no difference between the two. They are traditionally pork mince served in lettuce cups. while some ingredients may vary from recipe to recipe they are the same dish.

Can I make vegetarian suk sung?

Yes, you can. Swap the mince for any riced vegetables, or finely chopped vegetables. Or use firm tofu in place of the pork mince.

Can I freeze san choy bow?

You sure can. Just freeze the leftover mince in an airtight container. It can be packed in a lunch box to defrost before serving. The lettuce cups are suitable to freeze though.

More Quick & Easy Salad Recipes

  1. Kafta (Lebanese Beef Kebabs)
  2. The Best Keto Taco Salad
  3. Taboule Salad
  4. Keto Roasted Pumpkin Salad with Lemon Yogurt
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San Choy Bow on a white enamel and wood bowl.

Easy San Choy Bow (Yuk Sung)

Crispy fresh lettuce filled with delicious Chinese pork mince… this San Choy Bow recipe is a firm favorite here! Simple ingredients and ready in under 20 minutes, this is a starter, lunch, or dinner everyone will love!
4.98 from 49 votes!
Prep Time: 6 minutes
Total Time: 6 minutes
Course: Lunch
Cuisine: Australian Keto
Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free
Recipe Category: Low Carb
Calories: 364kcal
Author: Megan Ellam
Servings: 4 people
Tap or hover over number to scale ingredients
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Ingredients 

  • 2 tsp (2 tsp) sesame oil
  • 0.5 (1 tsp) onion
  • 2 cloves (2 cloves) garlic finely minced
  • 1 tbsp (0.25 small) ginger finely chopped
  • 1 tsp (1 tsp) Chinese five-spice
  • 500 g (1 lb) pork mince
  • 1 tbsp (1 tbsp) gluten free soy sauce
  • 2 spring onions finely sliced
  • ½ (0.5) bunch coriander chopped
  • cos/romaine lettuce & lime wedges to serve

Optional – roasted peanuts or almonds to serve

    Instructions

    CONVENTIONAL METHOD

    • Heat sesame oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until soft.
      2 tsp sesame oil, 0.5 onion
    • Add garlic, ginger, and five-spice. Saute for 1 minute until fragrant.
      2 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp ginger, 1 tsp Chinese five-spice
    • Add the pork mince. Break the mince up with a spatula. Pan fry the mince until golden with crispy brown edges (only turn or stir every minute or two to give the meat time to brown and go crispy.
      500 g pork mince
    • Add the soy sauce and stir through. Fold the green onions through. Spoon into lettuce cups. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and squeeze over lime juice.
      1 tbsp gluten free soy sauce, 2 spring onions, ½ bunch coriander, cos/romaine lettuce & lime wedges

    THERMAL METHOD

    • Add sesame oil, onion, garlic, and ginger to mixer; cook 4 min/100°C/reverse/speed 1/cap off.
      2 tsp sesame oil, 0.5 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp ginger
    • Add five-spice and pork mince; cook 11 min/100°C/reverse/slowest speed/cap off. Break up any clumps of meat with a spatula if needed.
      1 tsp Chinese five-spice, 500 g pork mince
    • Add soy sauce; cook 2 min/100°C/reverse/slowest speed/cap off. Fold the green onions through. Spoon into lettuce cups. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and squeeze over lime juice
      1 tbsp gluten free soy sauce, 2 spring onions, ½ bunch coriander, cos/romaine lettuce & lime wedges

    Notes

    INGREDIENTS
    Don’t like pork? Make beef san choy bow. Use chicken mince, turkey mince, or even just chop up chicken breast or chicken thigh fillets for easy lettuce wraps. These should be an easy meal for you to make your way with whatever you have handy.
    This Yuk Sung recipe (San Choy Bow) is Chinese, but you can swap the Chinese Five-spice for other seasonings like Seven Spices, or Za’atar. It is so versatile. 
    I have included how to make san choy bow with a Thermomix as well. You can also use the same method in other brands of thermal cookers. You can also use a multicooker to fry the pork mince if you prefer.
    Serve with crisp lettuce leaves, fresh coriander leaves, sliced green onions and for added crunch chopped peanuts or almonds. I used cos lettuce for the images you see. Use any lettuce or spinach to make the lettuce wraps.
    STORAGE
    Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. It is best to assemble the pork lettuce cups as you serve them.
    WHAT TO SERVE WITH SAN CHOY BOW
    Aside from dipping sauces and extra soy or lime juice a little salad goes well. I love the Taboule Salad or even a little Escabeche (Pickled Jalapenos) on the side.
     

    Your Own Notes

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serve | Calories: 364kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 324mg | Potassium: 434mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 89IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 2mg | Magnesium: 31mg | Net Carbs: 2g
    Tried this recipe?Mention @meganellam or tag #madcreations!

    Share This Recipe

    31 responses to “Easy San Choy Bow (Yuk Sung)”

    1. Mindy

      5 stars
      Yum! Such a tasty recipe! I can seriously eat this everyday. Going to try it with ground Turkey next.

      1. Megan Mad Creations Hub

        It is a great dish isn’t it

    2. Dennis

      5 stars
      wow, your lettuce cups were the perfect starter for our party last night. I’m so glad I found your recipe, everyone loved it!

    3. Amy Liu Dong

      5 stars
      I love how easy and tasty this dish is.
      Perfect food to eat after these holidays. Yum!

    4. Cathleen

      5 stars
      I made this for my mom, and she was raving about it all week. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, pinned to make again 🙂

    5. Tammy

      5 stars
      Mmm this is a perfect meal to get back on track with this new years. It’s wholesome and hearty…super delicious. Love this!

    6. Natalia

      5 stars
      I just made this san choy bow recipe. I didn’t have sesame oil and substituted for olive oil, but it was amazing. My son loved it! So it’s family approved!

    7. Swathi

      5 stars
      I like that you served in a bed of lettuce. I think this perfect meal its own.

    8. Marcellina

      5 stars
      I’d forgotten how easy and delicious san choy bau actually is! Thanks, Megan! This is a family fav – tasty, healthy and quick!

    9. Colleen

      5 stars
      We loved these delicious lettuce wraps. So easy and a refreshing change from all the holiday feasting.

    10. Marta

      5 stars
      I’m cutting down on carbs, so I made your san choy bau for dinner last night. The entire family loved it. I’ll definitely be making this often as it’s super easy and delicious.

    11. Giangi Townsend

      5 stars
      Love them and thank you for sharing this quick and super easy recipe. The flavors are amazing.

    12. Elizabeth

      5 stars
      Love that these are so easy and simple to make without leaving out the flavor! Thanks for the recipe!

    13. Andréa Janssen

      5 stars
      What a delicious way to serve the minced pork. It was flavored deliciously!

      1. Megan Mad Creations Hub

        Yay!

    14. Andréa Janssen

      5 stars
      We loved this recipe. Such a great flavor combination and easy to prepare!

      1. Megan Mad Creations Hub

        That is so good to hear Andrea.

    15. Ann

      5 stars
      I am a newbie to this recipe. Sounds like a great option for a quick lunch, or a starter for dinner. Thanks for the recipe share! Excited to give it a try!

      1. Megan Mad Creations Hub

        You are very welcome.

    16. Claire

      5 stars
      The flavor in this was so good!
      I think the chinese 5 spice really added lots to it, I have never used it before so was so happy with the results.
      thank you for a great recipe 🙂

      1. Megan Mad Creations Hub

        It is such a great recipe, isn’t it.

    17. Jo

      5 stars
      Fast, easy and cheap! I add rice for the non keto family members❣

    18. Penny P

      5 stars
      I have made this a few times using Turkey mince. So simple and delicious, the first time I made it I missed out! My children scoffed it down so quickly, then they requested it for dinner again the next night.

    19. Anonymous

      Absolutely delicious! Simple, clean and fresh! and best of all not much effort to put together, thank you.

    20. Megan

      5 stars
      Simple, tasty and quick. What more do you want?

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