Slow Cooker Shredded Korean Pork
Slow Cooker Korean Pork is sweet, spicy, and incredibly easy to make. Use it in tacos, sandwiches, salads, and rice bowls for a delicious dinner with plenty of leftovers for lunches. This healthy dish will quickly become a family favorite.
Slow Cooker Korean Pork made with a homemade sweet and spicy bulgogi style sauce couldn't be more delicious. This healthy and lean dish has all the flavor of your favorite Korean takeout but is so much better for you since it is made with pork tenderloin. Have a full-on Korean feast with these Korean Beef Bowls and Stewed Korean Chicken Thighs.
Asian sweet and spicy pulled pork!?! Need I say more? I recommend making this immediately. If you have been around for awhile, you may recognize this recipe. It is the same recipe I use for the Korean Beef Tacos, but with pork tenderloin instead of beef. The beef recipe is one of the most popular, so I figured why not use it again and switch up the protein?
This Slow Cooker Korean Pork is perfect for sandwiches, tacos, burritos, salads, with wraps, or right out of the slow cooker, which is usually how I end up eating it.
The key to this dish is the sauce. It's made with a combination of soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, red onion, ginger, rice vinegar, and jalapenos. It' a little sweet, a little spicy, and a little savory. The perfect combination in my opinion. To kick up the spice, you can add in some sambal olek, Siracha, or extra jalapeno. I recommend tasting the sauce as you go to get it to just the right spice level, remembering that the spice will mellow out a bit as it cooks. You can always add extra at the end, so opt for slightly less spicy if you are worried.
Tips for Making Slow Cooker Korean Pork
- Protein: Pork tenderloin is the healthiest option when it comes to pork for this dish. However, if you want a more traditional texture, you may want to opt for a pork shoulder. Just made sure to trim all the fat of the shoulder before cooking it if you want to cut back on calories. If you don't want to use pork, this dish is delicious with beef or chicken. I like using an eye round roast or chicken thighs. Chicken breast works too just be careful not to overcook it so it doesn't get too dry.
- Spice level: If you want a spicy Korean pork, I would recommend swapping in sambal olek for the jalapenos. The chili sauce will add a delicious heat to the sauce.
- Garlic: Yes! Use ten whole cloves of garlic. Since the garlic isn't minced, the flavor won't be overpowering.
- Gluten-free: For a gluten-free version, use coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce.
Serving Ideas for Crockpot Korean Pork
- Tacos: My favorite option for serving this pork is to stuff it into some lightly charred tortillas. Then top it high with cabbage or broccoli slaw and add some Sriracha, cilantro, and freshly chopped onions. Sometimes I add chopped pineapple or mango as well.
- Lettuce Wraps: Much like tacos, these make great lettuce wraps. I like to use butter lettuce for my wraps and usually I add shredded carrots, diced cucumbers, and edamame.
- Rice bowls: Use quinoa, brown rice, or cauliflower rice to create a wholesome grain bowl. Top it with your favorite raw or cooked veggies. I like using red cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, edamame, and some pickled ginger.
- Sandwiches: This makes a really killer sandwich, think of it as a Korean style pulled pork.
Originally this recipe was shared in 2015. Here is one of the photos from the old post, not the prettiest but still an amazing sandwich.
Slow Cooker Shredded Korean Pork
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Ingredients
- 3 lb lean pork tenderloin
- 1/3 cup brown sugar (or Stevia)
- 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 10 cloves garlic, whole
- 1/2 cup red onion, diced
- 2 jalapenos, diced (or substitute 2-4 tbsp. Sriracha)
- 2 tbsp. fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
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* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
The Nutritional Values provided are estimates only and may vary based on the preparation method.
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