Thai Beef Cabbage Wraps

When you need a quick and healthy dinner, these Thai Beef Cabbage Wraps are the answer! This tasty recipe is made with a super flavorful ground beef mixture and served wrapped up in crunchy cabbage with cashews and cilantro. 

I have always been a huge fan of lettuce and cabbage wraps but was surprised to learn that many restaurant versions are packed with unnecessary sugar.  Luckily it isn't too hard to create your own at home and avoid all that added sugar. Lettuce wrap fans won't want to miss these Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Asian Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps, and Quinoa Lettuce Wraps.

This version starts with ground beef and then uses typical Thai flavors like lime juice and fish sauce.  Although fish sauce may be a new ingredient for many, it adds incredible flavor to food despite its horrible smell.  I recommend giving it a try, it adds umami flavor to the dish and isn't fishy as long as you don't add too much.  If not, soy sauce will work just fine. 

Cilantro and cashews bring everything together! 

What You'll Need

• Ground beef: Any ground meat works for this recipe. Look for something lean or drain the fat off after the beef has browned. 
• Sauce: The Thai-inspired sauce in this recipe is made with soy sauce, lime juice, fish sauce, ginger, garlic, onion, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes. If fish sauce isn't for you, just add some extra soy sauce. For a sweeter sauce, add some brown sugar or honey as well.
• Fresh cabbage: Instead of lettuce, this recipe uses really crunchy green cabbage. Any cabbage or lettuce leaves will work.
• Toppings: To add some crunch, add fresh cilantro and cashews. Other topping ideas include basil, mint, shredded carrots, bean sprouts, bell peppers, edamame, sesame seeds, or peanuts. 

Recipe Variations

There are lots of ways to customize this recipe!

• Add more veggies: Serve this cabbage wraps with shredded carrots, bean sprouts, diced red bell peppers, and scallions. Let everyone build their own. 
• Try a different protein: Make this with ground turkey, ground chicken, ground pork, or vegetarian crumbles. We also love these Thai Turkey Lettuce Wraps.
• Add whole grains: To make these more filling, start by adding some cooked brown rice, quinoa, or rice noodles to your cabbage wrap.
• Different wrap: Instead of cabbage, make these with butter lettuce, Romaine, thinly sliced jicama wraps, or simply serve the filling over a bed of greens. 
• Make it spicy: If you like spicy Thia dishes, add some sliced chili peppers or chili paste to the sauce for a spicy option.  Or just serve some Sriracha or Thai chilies on the side.
• Make it a salad or rice bowl: Instead of making cabbage wraps, serve it as a salad with chopped cabbage or over rice for a tasty grain bowl.

How to Meal Prep Thai Cabbage Wraps

This is a great recipe to make for meal prep. In fact, the beef will only get more flavorful after a night in the fridge. 

When using this for meal prep, make sure to pack the cabbage wraps and beef separately. You will also want to pack the cashews and cilantro separately so they don't soften. Keep everything in an airtight container rin the fridge and then simply reheat the beef before serving.