Skip to main content
Epicurious
Bon Appétit

Sambal Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

By Molly Baz

4.7

(4)

Image may contain Food Meal Dish Drink Beer Alcohol Beverage Human Person Platter Dinner Supper and Plant
Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott, Prop Styling by Amy Wilson, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich

If you purchase frozen peeled, deveined shrimp, they’ll come with their tails taken off, which is totally fine for this recipe. If you want to grill instead, thread the shrimp onto a skewer after marinating.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup hot chili paste (such as sambal oelek)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
4 tsp. toasted sesame oil, divided
1 1/2 lb. large shrimp
Kosher salt
1–2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced into rounds
Flaky sea salt
2 heads of Bibb lettuce, leaves separated, covered, chilled
1/2 cup mint sprigs
1/2 cup crushed salted, dry-roasted peanuts

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Whisk hot chili paste, honey, vinegar, and 2 tsp. sesame oil in a small bowl to combine. Season shrimp lightly with kosher salt and place in a resealable plastic bag. Pour in half of marinade and seal bag. Transfer remaining marinade to a small bowl and set aside for serving. Let shrimp sit at room temperature, turning the bag occasionally to ensure even coating, 10–15 minutes.

    Step 2

    Remove shrimp from marinade, allowing excess to drip back into bag, and transfer to paper towels to drain. Heat 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Working in batches and adding another 1 Tbsp. oil along the way if the skillet is looking dry, arrange shrimp in skillet in a single layer and cook undisturbed 2 minutes (the marinade will have darkened in color and some of the sugars in it will have started to caramelize). Turn shrimp over and cook 30 seconds. Transfer to a platter.

    Step 3

    Arrange cucumbers on platter next to shrimp; season with sea salt and drizzle with remaining 2 tsp. sesame oil. Arrange lettuce leaves and mint sprigs on platter so that each component is visible and easily accessible. Place crushed peanuts in a small bowl and set out next to platter along with reserved marinade (for spooning into wraps).

TagsWrapSoutheast AsianAsianShrimpShellfishSeafoodLettuceLeafy GreensVegetableCucumberMintHerbs & SpicesPeanutNutChileMainDinnerDairy FreeQuickOne-Pot MealsWeeknight MealsEasySauteCast Iron SkilletBon Appétit

See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips

Read More
Kung Pao Cabbage With Tofu
Reliable cabbage is cooked in the punchy sauce and then combined with store-bought baked tofu and roasted cashews for a salad that can also be eaten with rice.
Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Spaghetti)
Spaghetti is a common variation in modern Thai cooking. It’s so easy to work with and absorbs the garlicky, spicy notes of pad kee mao well.
Crispy Oyster Mushroom Skewers With Bok Choy Salad
Oyster mushrooms are a strong all-rounder in the kitchen, seeming to straddle both plant and meat worlds in what they look and taste like when cooked. Here they’re coated in a marinade my mother used to use when cooking Chinese food at home—honey, soy, garlic and ginger—and roasted until golden, crisp, and juicy.
Oven-Fried Shrimp
Kewpie Mayonnaise is the ultimate secret ingredient to creating a perfect oven-baked battered-and-fried crunch without a deep fryer.
Gambas al Ajillo
This speedy Spanish dish of shrimp cooked in olive oil and garlic can be a main or appetizer. It all depends on how you dress it up.
Green Curry Mussels
The mussels here add their beautiful, briny juices into the curry, which turn this into a stunning and spectacular dish.
Yogurt and Cucumber Soup
This luscious chilled yogurt soup, packed with fresh and dried mint, is an incredibly refreshing and cooling appetizer during the summer.
Zucchini, Pea, and Bulgur Pilaf
This fragrant salad uses bulgur wheat as its base, an endlessly versatile, slightly chewy grain that’s very popular throughout the eastern Mediterranean.