Name: San choy bow recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: asian, chinese
Ingredients: 500 g chicken mince; 8 leaves iceberg lettuce; 2 tsp cornflour; 1 chicken stock cube; 1/2 cup water; 2 tbs vegetable oil; 1 onion diced; 1 tsp ginger crushed; 2 garlic cloves crushed; 2 tbs soy sauce; 125.00 ml water chestnuts chopped drained; 100 g fried noodles

by GlitterQueen Last updated on 01/13/2025

A crunchy mince and vegie mixture coated in a silky sauce spooned into lettuce leaves to be wrapped and devoured in your hands – my mouth is watering just thinking about it. Luckily, this dish is so quick and easy, it can be on the table in less than 30 minutes. Don’t forget the napkins!

How to make san choy bow: key tips

The main thing to remember when making the san choy bow filling is to brown the aromatics and the mince, while breaking it up with a wooden spoon, quite well. This will really help to boost the flavour of the final mixture.

Take the time to prepare your lettuce cups. Select a large, heavy iceberg lettuce and discard any wilted outer leaves. Cut out the core using a sharp knife. Place the lettuce, core-side up, in a large bowl of water – the weight of the water will separate the leaves slightly. Lift the lettuce from the water and carefully peel the leaves away, then pat them dry with paper towel. To make the leaves into really neat cups, you can use kitchen scissors to trim the edges.

Key ingredients in this san choy bow recipe

Chicken mince is used in this recipe, but you can just as easily swap it for the more traditional pork mince, turkey mince or even a plant-based mince.

Water chestnuts are the ‘magic’ ingredient in san choy bow. Drain them well and then chop them finely. They are what will add that amazing crunchy texture in the filling. This particular san choy bow also uses crunchy ice berg lettuce leaves for wrapping and fried noodles for sprinkling on top, so there is no escaping the crunch factor!

San choy bow is one of the tastiest Asian finger foods and there are many twists on the fillings. Here are some more irresistible san choy bow recipes to try as well as some helpful tips. And, if you're looking for more quick and easy Asian meals, these 15 simple Asian recipes will spice up your weeknight routine.

This recipe was originally submitted by GlitterQueen, a member of the Australia’s Best Recipe community. Introduction and additional recipe notes by Natasha Shaw.

- Australia's Best Recipes Team

Ingredients

500 g chicken mince
8 leaves iceberg lettuce
2 tsp cornflour
1 chicken stock cube
1/2 cup water
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 onion diced
1 tsp ginger crushed
2 garlic cloves crushed
2 tbs soy sauce
1/2 cup water chestnuts chopped drained
100 g fried noodles

Method

Step 1

Heat oil in a fry pan or wok. Add onions, ginger, garlic and stir fry for a minute or two.
Step 2

Add chicken mince and cook until cooked.
Step 3

Mix chicken stock cube, cornflour and ½ cup water and stir through.
Step 4

Add chestnuts and soy sauce and simmer.
Step 5

Serve in individual lettuce leaf cups and top with fried noodles.
Step 6

Roll up the filled lettuce leaves and serve.

Recipe Notes

from Australia’s Best Recipes team

What other ingredients can I add to the san choy bow filling?

You can easily bulk up the vegies by adding finely chopped button mushrooms and sliced bamboo shoots to the filling. A sprinkle of sesame seeds on top is always a pretty, and tasty, addition, too.

Can I use other types of lettuce for san choy bow?

Definitely. Iceberg lettuce cups are great for this dish, but they can be a bit fiddly to peel away, and often split. I find using sturdy baby cos lettuce leaves or endive leaves, both of which are already a ‘cup’ shape, much easier, especially if you’re in a hurry.