Learn how to make ssambap – Korean lettuce wraps packed with a delicious savory filling.
If you are intrigued by Korean cuisine but don’t have a Korean restaurant near you, then I have good news! This recipe will allow you to experience the delicious flavors of a Korean speciality in the comfort of your home!
Ssambap are a Korean main dish – ssam means wrap and bap means rice, so essentially this is a rice wrap. However, you can often find these wraps full of beautifully seasoned meat too.
There are many different meats you can use in ssambap. Traditionally, pork belly wrapped in cabbage leaves or pig’s feet is used.
Other popular options include short ribs or ribeye steak.
Interestingly, the way ssambap are eaten is different to the way Americans typically enjoy wraps.
Whereas American wraps are packed full of food and eaten, Korean ssambap are enjoyed a little at a time and are actually meant to be bite-size portions.
How to Make Ssambap
To build your ssampbap at home, start out with some red leaf lettuce or boiled cabbage.
White or brown rice can be used, and you can choose to either put it into the wrap or eat it on the side.
Add in the meat of your choice and top with traditional Korean sauce like red pepper paste or soybean paste.
The wonderful thing about ssambap is that you can get as creative as you like, so you can really experiment with flavors. We love to add some kimchi to ours.
When you have decided on your ssambap fillings, roll the rice into a ball and place it onto the red leaf lettuce.
Lay your meat over the rice and top with the sauce of your choice. Wrap the lettuce leaf up and enjoy whole!
One of our favorite meat options is bulgogi, which is thinly sliced ribeye.
You can normally find bulgogi marinade in the world foods section of your local supermarket, but we also like to make it homemade.
To make a marinade for beef bulgogi for making ssambap you’ll need:
- Chopped garlic
- Soy sauce
- Sugar
- Honey
- Pear juice
- Mirin
- Sesame oil
- Green onions
- Black pepper
Once you’ve marinated your thinly sliced ribeye beef, you can stir fry the beef to make delicious beef bulgogi and then use it to make your ssambap.
Beef Bulgogi
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons Garlic chopped
- 3 tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 2 tablespoons Granulated Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Honey
- 2 tablespoons Prickly Pear Juice
- 1 tablespoon Mirin
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 3 Green Onions chopped
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 pound Ribeye Steak thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
Instructions
- Whisk together all of the ingredients except for the meat.
- Once the sugar has dissolved, add the meat and mix well with your hands, ensuring the meat is completely coated.
- Marinate the beef for at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours.
- Once ready to cook, heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat and stir fry to your liking – the outside of the beef should caramelize.