Lean pork tenderloin + sweet-and-spicy sauce = a match made in lettuce wrap heaven. These little pork tenderloin lettuce wraps are super fun to eat, kind of like lettuce tacos! But if you’re more of a fork and knife person (no judgment, we’ve all been there), you can easily turn the whole thing into a hearty rice or grain bowl instead.
Quick tip: you’ll want some cooked rice ready for serving. Go ahead and start a batch when you pop the pork in the air fryer. By the time the meat’s done resting, your rice will be perfectly timed and ready to go. Boom, dinner magic.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. pork tenderloin
- 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 cup gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
- 1 clove garlic, finely grated
- 2 Tbsp. honey
- 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp. finely grated fresh ginger
- 1 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 1 head of Bibb or butter lettuce, leaves separated
- Sliced cucumber, sliced scallions, and cooked rice, for serving
Directions
Step 1
To begin, you’ll want to slice your pork in half crosswise. Then give it a good sprinkle of salt all over. Don’t be shy though- seasoning is flavor’s best friend.
Step 2
Mix up the gochujang, garlic, honey, oil, and ginger in a medium bowl. Scoop out about ¼ cup of that sauce, stir in the vinegar, and set it aside (this is your dipping sauce magic.) Once that’s done, toss the pork in the rest of the sauce, making sure every piece gets a lovely coat of sticky, spicy goodness.
Step 3
After that, spray your air fryer basket lightly with cooking spray. Pop the pork in and cook at 350°F, flipping it now and then, until it’s beautifully golden with an internal temperature of 140°F in the thickest part- about 16 to 19 minutes. Let it rest for 10 minutes so you give the juices a chance to relax and stay inside, keeping the pork super tender.
Step 4
Finally, it’s time to assemble! Pile the sliced pork into your lettuce leaves with cucumber, scallions, and a scoop of rice. Drizzle or dip with the reserved vinegar-gochujang sauce, and get ready to wow your taste buds. Lettuce wraps never looked (or tasted) so good!
Step 5 (Optional, But Highly Recommended)
Of course, go back for seconds (or thirds!)
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