Beef in Betel Leaves
Tender ground beef seasoned with garlic, fish sauce, and lime, wrapped in fresh betel leaves for a classic Vietnamese appetizer. Quick to assemble and bursting with bright, savory flavor.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 218
- Protein
- 18g
Ingredients
- ½ lb ground beef
- 3 cloves garlic cloves
- 1.5 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 whole lime
- 12 leaves fresh betel leaves
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Mince the 3 garlic cloves until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice—about the size of pencil-tip dots.
- 2
Cut the lime in half, then squeeze both halves into a small bowl, pressing with a spoon until you have 2 tablespoons of juice.
- 3
Rinse the 12 betel leaves under cold water and pat them dry with a paper towel so they don't tear when you fold them.
- 4
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers and slides quickly when you tilt the pan, about 90 seconds.
- 5
Add the minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds until it smells strongly fragrant—this blooms the garlic flavor.
- 6
Crumble the 0.5 lb ground beef into the skillet with your spoon, breaking it into rice-sized pieces as it cooks.
- 7
Stir the beef once every 30 seconds until it is completely brown with no pink remaining, about 4 minutes total.
- 8
Pour the 1.5 tablespoons of fish sauce and 2 tablespoons of lime juice into the skillet and stir for 20 seconds until evenly mixed.
- 9
Sprinkle the 0.25 teaspoon of black pepper over the beef and stir once, then remove the skillet from heat.
- 10
Spoon 1 tablespoon of the warm beef mixture onto the center of each betel leaf.
- 11
Fold the pointed tip of each leaf up and over the filling, then fold both side tips inward to create a small package, like folding an envelope.
- 12
Arrange the folded packets on a serving plate with the folded seam facing down so they hold together.
Tools you’ll need
- 10-inch skillet
- small bowl
- cutting board
- knife
- wooden spoon
- paper towels
- serving plate
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