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Meat, East Asian

Samgyeopsal with lettuce wraps and rice

Samgyeopsal is a Korean dish of grilled pork belly wrapped in lettuce leaves with rice, kimchi, and a spicy dipping sauce. This recipe serves 4, takes 35 minutes, rates as very easy, and costs about €3.30 per person. The key is slicing the pork to the right thickness and using a very hot pan.

Tonight it's Korean barbecue right on the kitchen table, grilled pork you wrap yourself in a lettuce leaf, instant party mood.

Samgyeopsal with lettuce wraps and rice
Total time
35 min
Difficulty
Very easy
Cost per person
€3.30
Calories per person
540 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer, Spring, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Samgyeopsal starts with the sizzle of pork belly hitting a hot pan and that smell that tells you dinner is about to be fun. The meat crisps at the edges while staying tender inside, all brought together by a ssamjang sauce that blends the heat of gochujang with the salty depth of doenjang. Every bite gets built right at the table, a lettuce leaf, warm rice, a piece of pork, a dab of sauce, and tangy kimchi for crunch.

It's a great weeknight dinner when you want to get hands on, whether it's family or friends around the table, everyone rolling their own bites. Kids usually love the build it yourself part, and adults appreciate how simple the cooking actually is. Mon Chou built this version with no special equipment, just a skillet, to bring that Korean barbecue feeling right to your kitchen table.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Fresh pork belly 700 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Lettuce 2
  • Garlic 1 head

Pantry

  • Kimchi 200 g
  • Gochujang (Korean chili paste) 2 tbsp
  • Fermented soybean paste (doenjang) 1 tbsp
  • Sesame oil 1 tbsp
  • Sesame seedsoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 tsp

Allergens Soy, Gluten, Sesame

The step by step recipe

  1. Make the ssamjang by mixing the gochujang, soybean paste, sesame oil, and one crushed garlic clove.

    Without doenjang, swap in a bit of white miso, it's very close.

  2. Wash and dry the lettuce leaves well, then cut the remaining garlic cloves into thin slices.

    Well dried leaves wrap better and keep the filling from getting soggy.

  3. Cook the rice in salted water, then drain it. 11 min

    Warm rice rather than piping hot holds together better inside the leaf.

  4. Grill the pork belly slices in a hot pan with no added fat, on both sides, along with the sliced garlic. 12 min

    Keep the pan very hot, the meat should brown and crisp at the edges.

  5. Cut the meat with kitchen scissors, then serve with the lettuce, rice, ssamjang, and kimchi for building wraps.

    One bite is one leaf, a bit of rice, a piece of pork, and a dab of sauce.

Our tips to get it right

  • Take the pork belly out of the fridge 15 minutes before cooking so it cooks more evenly.
  • Don't crowd the pan, cook the pork in batches if needed so it actually browns instead of steaming in its own juices.
  • Make the ssamjang first and let it sit while you handle everything else, the flavors come together better that way.

The variations

  • Swap the pork belly for thin slices of chicken or beef if you want a lighter meat to cook.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the pork with shiitake mushroom slices or firm tofu grilled the same way.
  • For kids, serve the meat without added chili and offer a sweet soy dip instead of the ssamjang.

What to serve it with

  • Light miso soup to start
  • Green tea or sparkling water
  • Garlicky sautéed bean sprouts

Storage

Cooked pork keeps for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container. Reheat it in a skillet rather than the microwave to keep it crisp. The ssamjang keeps for a week in the fridge in an airtight jar.

Questions about this dish

Can you use a different cut of meat instead of pork belly?

Yes, pork shoulder or thin slices of beef work well too. Keep the slices around 5 mm thick for quick, crisp cooking.

Can you make the ssamjang ahead of time?

Yes, ssamjang is easy to make a day ahead and keeps well in a sealed jar in the fridge. The flavors actually blend better after a few hours of resting.

Where can you find gochujang and doenjang?

These Korean pastes are sold at Asian grocery stores or in the international aisle of some supermarkets. Without doenjang, a bit of white miso gives a very similar result.

Can you freeze the cooked pork?

It's not recommended, grilled pork belly loses its crispness after freezing and thawing. It's better to cook only what you need and eat it within two days.

How long does it take to make a samgyeopsal with lettuce wraps and rice?

Count 35 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “very easy”.

How many calories are in a samgyeopsal with lettuce wraps and rice?

About 540 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a samgyeopsal with lettuce wraps and rice cost?

About €3.30 per serving, or €13.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains soy, gluten, sesame. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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