Korean Beef Tacos: Bulgogi in a Corn Tortilla with Gochujang Slaw

⏱ Marinate: 1 hr 🔥Cook: 15 min 👤Serves: 4 🌮Korean-Mexican

Korean beef tacos are bulgogi, thin-sliced beef in a soy, pear and sesame marinade, seared until the edges caramelise, served in charred corn tortillas with a quick gochujang slaw and a spoonful of gochujang mayo. The combination was invented by Roy Choi at the Kogi BBQ truck in Los Angeles in 2008 and became one of the most influential dishes in modern American street food. The reason it works is simple: bulgogi is sweet, savoury and slightly smoky. Corn tortillas are earthy and slightly bitter. Kimchi and slaw provide the acid. Gochujang mayo ties everything together.

The technique that matters most is how you cook the bulgogi for tacos. The marinade contains sugar and fruit, both burn easily. A ripping hot cast iron pan, small batches, 60–90 seconds per batch. You want caramelised, slightly charred edges, not grey steamed beef. Those charred edges are the flavour of the taco.

Ingredients

For the bulgogi beef

• 600g (1.3 lb) ribeye, sirloin or flank steak, partially freeze for 20–30 minutes before slicing, a slightly firm steak is much easier to cut into the required thin slices. Slice against the grain into 3–4mm strips. Ribeye has the most fat and flavour; sirloin is leaner; flank is the most economical and works well for tacos where the marinade does much of the work.
• ½ small Asian pear or Fuji apple, grated, the natural enzymes tenderise the beef fibres during marinating. Also adds a clean sweetness. Fresh only, canned or jarred pear doesn’t contain active enzymes.
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon gochujang, adds heat and the characteristic Korean fermented depth. Adjust to heat preference.
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine or mirin, or dry sherry. Adds depth and helps the marinade penetrate.
• 4 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons neutral oil, added to the marinade, helps the beef sear rather than stick

For the gochujang slaw

• ¼ small green cabbage (about 250g), finely shredded
• 1 medium carrot, julienned or coarsely grated
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon gochujang
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, the acid that quick-pickles the slaw and cuts through the rich beef
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon honey or sugar
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• Salt to taste

For the gochujang mayo

• 4 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise (Kewpie), richer and slightly tangier than regular mayo. Regular mayo works but Kewpie is noticeably better here.
• 2 tablespoons gochujang
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Juice of ½ lime

For the tacos

• 16 small corn tortillas (or 8 flour tortillas), double-stacked corn tortillas are the classic Korean taco presentation, one tortilla alone tears under the weight of the filling. Char them directly over a gas flame or in a dry pan.
• ½ cup kimchi, roughly chopped, the fermented sourness is the natural partner to sweet bulgogi. Baechu (cabbage) kimchi is the standard.
• Fresh cilantro leaves
• Sliced green onion
• Lime wedges
• Sesame seeds

Step by step

1. Slice and marinate the beef. Partially freeze the steak for 20–30 minutes until just firm, not frozen solid. Slice against the grain into 3–4mm strips. Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add the beef, toss thoroughly to coat every strip. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, overnight produces significantly more flavour penetration. The partial freeze is the most underused prep technique for home cooks. A slightly firm steak slices cleanly and evenly into thin strips with minimal effort. Room-temperature steak slips, compresses and tears as you cut.
2. Make the gochujang slaw. Combine the shredded cabbage, carrot and green onion in a bowl. Whisk together the gochujang, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey and soy sauce in a small bowl. Pour over the vegetables and toss thoroughly. Season with salt. Leave to rest for at least 15 minutes, the vinegar slightly softens the cabbage and the flavours come together. The slaw keeps refrigerated for 2 days.
3. Make the gochujang mayo. Whisk together the Japanese mayo, gochujang, honey and lime juice until smooth. Taste and adjust, more gochujang for heat, more honey to soften, more lime for brightness. Refrigerate until serving.
4. Cook the beef, high heat, small batches. Heat a cast iron skillet or heavy pan over the highest heat your stove allows until ripping hot, at least 2 minutes of preheating. Add 1 tablespoon of neutral oil. Add the marinated beef in a single, thin layer, do not crowd. Cook for 60–90 seconds without moving, then toss once and cook for another 30 seconds. The beef should have caramelised, slightly charred edges. Remove immediately. Cook remaining beef in batches the same way, wiping the pan between batches if the marinade residue starts to burn. This is the critical step. The bulgogi marinade contains sugar and fruit, both caramelise fast and burn faster. Small batches on maximum heat produce the charred edges that give these tacos their distinctive flavour. A crowded pan drops the temperature and the beef steams in its marinade liquid, turning grey with none of the caramelisation that makes the dish work.
5. Char the tortillas. Char corn tortillas directly over a gas flame using tongs, turning every 10–15 seconds until lightly blistered and flexible. Alternatively: heat in a dry pan over medium-high for 30 seconds per side. Double-stack two corn tortillas per taco. Wrap in a clean towel to keep warm and pliable while you assemble.
6. Assemble and serve immediately. Spoon a generous amount of gochujang mayo across the base of each double-stacked tortilla. Add the bulgogi beef. Top with gochujang slaw, a spoonful of chopped kimchi, fresh cilantro, green onion and a squeeze of lime. Scatter sesame seeds. Serve immediately, the tortillas soften quickly once topped.

Claire’s note

The single thing that kills these tacos before they even reach the table: cooking the beef in one big batch in a crowded pan. All the marinade liquid releases, the temperature drops, and the beef steams into something grey and tender rather than searing into something caramelised and slightly charred at the edges. The charred edges are the flavour. Four or five strips of beef at a time in a very hot pan, 60–90 seconds, done. Work in batches and the whole thing still takes under 10 minutes. Skip the batches and you have a completely different tasting dish.

Serve with

Korean beef tacos are a complete meal, protein, slaw and sauce all in the tortilla. Alongside: gochujang potato salad makes an excellent side, or the Asian cabbage salad if you want extra vegetables. For more Korean cooking: the full Korean recipes collection.

Add Korean beef tacos to your weekly meal planner as a Tuesday night dinner, marinate the beef Sunday night, make the slaw and mayo on the day, and the whole meal is on the table in 20 minutes.

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Korean Beef Tacos

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• Author: Claire Bennett
• Total Time: 75 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Diet: None

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Description

Savory bulgogi beef tacos with a sweet and spicy gochujang slaw and mayo, served in charred corn tortillas.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 600g (1.3 lb) ribeye, sirloin or flank steak
• ½ small Asian pear or Fuji apple, grated
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon gochujang
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine or mirin
• 4 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons neutral oil
• ¼ small green cabbage, finely shredded
• 1 medium carrot, julienned or coarsely grated
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon gochujang
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey or sugar
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• 4 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise (Kewpie)
• 2 tablespoons gochujang
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Juice of ½ lime
• 16 small corn tortillas
• ½ cup kimchi, roughly chopped
• Fresh cilantro leaves
• Sliced green onion
• Lime wedges
• Sesame seeds

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Instructions

1. Slice and marinate the beef. Partially freeze the steak for 20–30 minutes until just firm. Slice against the grain into 3–4mm strips. Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add beef, toss thoroughly, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. Make the gochujang slaw. Combine cabbage, carrot, and green onion in a bowl. Whisk together gochujang, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, and soy sauce in a small bowl. Pour over vegetables and toss thoroughly. Season with salt and let rest for at least 15 minutes.
3. Make the gochujang mayo. Whisk together Japanese mayo, gochujang, honey, and lime juice until smooth. Adjust flavors as needed and refrigerate until serving.
4. Cook the beef in high heat, small batches. Heat a cast iron skillet over the highest heat. Add 1 tablespoon of neutral oil. Add marinated beef in a single layer and cook for 60–90 seconds without moving, then toss and cook for another 30 seconds.
5. Char the tortillas. Char corn tortillas over a gas flame or in a dry pan until lightly blistered and flexible.
6. Assemble and serve immediately. Spoon gochujang mayo on each tortilla, add bulgogi beef, top with slaw, kimchi, cilantro, green onion, and lime. Scatter sesame seeds and serve immediately.

Notes

Cook the beef in small batches to ensure caramelization. Marinate the beef a day in advance for enhanced flavor.

• Prep Time: 60 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Main Course
• Method: Grilling
• Cuisine: Korean-Mexican

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 taco
• Calories: 350
• Sugar: 7g
• Sodium: 600mg
• Fat: 15g
• Saturated Fat: 3g
• Unsaturated Fat: 10g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 35g
• Fiber: 4g
• Protein: 20g
• Cholesterol: 40mg