Slow Cooker Korean Beef Tacos

Your whole family will seriously go crazy for these Crockpot Korean Beef Tacos. It's such a delicious Asian-inspired meal. In fact, we love it so much, I also make it with chicken and Ppork as well.

Living in Los Angeles, there are literally thousands of taco trucks and some of my favorites are Asian-inspired taco trucks. These Mexican Korean fusion trucks take all the best Korean flavors, like bulgogi beef, and pack them into warm corn tortillas loaded with toppings. They are so good and people drive for miles in search of these amazing Korean tacos.

However, they are not the healthiest option. One clue, is the huge pile of grease I normally see resting on the bottom of my container after eating them.

This led me to start experimenting at home with slow-cooked Korean beef. I wanted to create all the same flavors, but make a lighter version. The first step here was to start with a leaner cut of beef. 

Next up was the most important part - the Korean bulgogi flavors. To achieve the sweet and spicy flavors, the beef is cooked with a combination of soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, jalapeno, red onion, ginger, and rice vinegar. Gochujang would be a great addition in place of the jalapeno for a more authentic spicy element. 

Looking for a faster option? Use ground beef to make these 20-minute Korean Beef Bowls. For something more traditional, try this Mexican Shredded Beef recipe.

Key Ingredients and Easy Swaps

Here is everything you need to make these tasty Korean beef tacos.

• Beef: If you make this in the slow cooker, you can use a lean option like eye round or top round. You could also use beef chuck roast, which will be more flavorful from the extra fat. If you plan on marinating the steak and cooking it on the grill or in the oven, use sirloin steak, flank steak, or skirt steak. Short ribs are also classically used.
• Brown sugar: This recipe works with brown sugar, white sugar, or honey. You can cut back on the sweetness slightly if you like, but to get that Korean bulgogi flavor, it needs some sugar.
• Soy sauce: This is a staple in the sauce and marinade. Use regular or low-sodium soy sauce. Tamari or coconut aminos can also be used, but you may need some extra to get the same flavor.
• Garlic: This recipe uses 10 whole garlic cloves, which will infuse the whole dish with garlic flavor without being overpowering. If you opt to use minced garlic, use 4-5 cloves.
• Onion: The sweetness of red onion or Vidalia onion is really tasty in this dish, but a standard white or yellow onion will also work.
• Jalapenos: To add subtle heat, this recipe uses jalapenos. You can swap in gochujang, Sriracha, or sambal olek. Gochujang will give you the most authentic flavor, but it can be harder to find.
• Ginger: If possible, use fresh ginger to get the best flavor. Ginger powder can be swapped in, but it won't have the same warm spicy flavor.
• Rice vinegar: Acid is needed to balance the sweetness in this dish. Rice vinegar or seasoned rice vinegar are the best options. If you don't have rice vinegar, use apple cider vinegar. 

Ways To Serve Slow Cooker Korean Beef

This slow-cooked beef is extremely versatile. While I love to eat it as tacos, there are so many different possibilities.

• Tacos: Whether you use corn tortillas, flour tortillas, or low-carb tortillas, this meat makes the best Korean BBQ tacos. Top it with the quick slaw recipe below, some chopped cilantro, sesame seeds, and a squirt of Sriracha or spicy mayo. You can also add some sliced avocado, shredded cabbage, or pickled red onion. Squeeze on some fresh lime juice to finish. 
• Lettuce Wraps: For a lighter option, serve this as lettuce wraps. Butter lettuce is a great option. Then, top the wraps with shredded carrots, cabbage, bean sprouts, cilantro, and Sriracha or spicy mayo. Serve with some Sesame Soy Edamame on the side.
• Burrito Bowls: When I have leftovers and use them for meal prep, I almost always make burrito bowls. I make a batch of brown rice or quinoa, some quick Stir-Fried Cabbage, and pack everything to make a Korean burrito bowl.
• Sandwiches: Think of this like a Korean-style pulled beef sandwich. Grab some tender rolls, pile on the beef, and top with slaw and Sriracha. Instead of pickles, use kimchi.
• Salads: Adding a topping like this crockpot Korean beef to a salad makes it much more than a bowl of greens. Since the beef is moist and saucy, I like to use a shredded coleslaw mix as the base for the salad and then add things like fresh cucumbers, edamame, pineapple, cilantro, and bean sprouts.

No matter how you eat this Korean Beef, adding a cabbage slaw and spicy mayo is always a good idea. It works for tacos, bowls, lettuce wraps, salads, wraps, and pretty much everything.

Quick Asian Slaw Recipe

No one will be upset if you pile this tasty slaw on top of these tasty Korean beef tacos.

• 4 cups shredded coleslaw mix (or half shredded jicama)
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp honey
• To create the dressing, mix together the rice vinegar, sesame oil, lime juice, soy sauce, and honey. Toss with the remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes for the cabbage to slightly soften.

Spicy Mayo Recipe

Almost every time I have had these from a taco truck, there is an option to add spicy mayo. If you can find Kewpie mayo, it will have a more authentic flavor.

• 1/4 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
• 1-2 tbsp Sriracha (or gochujang)
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• Mix everything together and let sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.

Instant Pot Korean Tacos

This Korean Beef can easily be made in the Instant Pot. Instead of adding the entire piece of beef to the pot, cut it into smaller pieces first. Then, add the sauce, garlic, jalapeno, and red onion. Cook on the manual setting for 60 minutes. Either let the pot naturally release or carefully vent it. Shred the beef using two forks.

If the sauce looks too thin, mix two teaspoons of cornstarch with two teaspoons of water. Then, add the mixture to the pot and turn it to saute. Once the sauce simmers, let it cook for one minute and turn it off. Let the sauce rest for 10-15 minutes to thicken.

Can I prep this in advance and freeze it?

This recipe is great to prep and keep in the freezer. To do so, add everything to a Ziploc bag or freezer-safe container in its raw state.

When you are ready to cook, please remove it from the fridge the night before and let it defrost overnight. Then, cook it as directed.

If you need to defrost it more quickly, run it under warm water until it loosens enough to remove it from the bag easily. However, cooking may take slightly longer if it is still somewhat frozen.

How can I reduce the amount of sugar?

If you are concerned about the amount of sugar in this recipe, you can reduce the sugar in a few ways. The one I use the most often is replacing half the sugar with unsweetened apple or pear sauce.

When replacing the sugar, use twice the amount of apple or pear sauce. I wouldn't recommend replacing all of the sugar since the fruit puree isn't as sweet. You could also use an alternative sweetener like honey or maple syrup.