Korean Tacos filled with grilled bulgogi beef bring together the absolute best of Mexican and Korean cuisines.
If you love tacos and you love spicy Korean bulgogi beef, this recipe is going to blow your mind. Juicy, tender steak is marinated in a sweet, spicy, and savory combination of gochujang (Korean fermented chile paste), honey, soy sauce, and sesame oil.
The meat is grilled to medium-rare perfection on a barbecue grill. Next it is sliced and loaded into corn tortillas along with a spicy and tangy kimchi pico de gallo salsa. A drizzle of sriracha mayo finishes it off.
Who invented Korean tacos?
Korean tacos are one of the most delicious examples of fusion cuisine. These days, you’ll find them all over the country, mostly sold from food trucks. But these Asian tacos were invented and popularized on the West Coast.
The story is now legend. Chefs Roy Choi and Mark Manguera, who worked together at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, wondered why no one had tried putting Korean barbecue into tacos. And so they did.
Korean tacos, specifically the Koji taco recipe, were born in 2008. That’s when Choi and Manguera began selling corn tortillas stuffed with spicy pork, chicken, and tofu from their Kogi Korean BBQ trucks in Los Angeles.
Choi and Manguera seasoned their fillings with gochujang and other Korean flavors. And they topped the tacos with savory-spicy Korean-influenced toppings like kimchi, sesame-dressed slaw, sriracha mayo, and more.
What ingredients do you need to make korean beef tacos?
For such a flavor bomb of a dish, you’ll be surprised by how short the ingredient list actually is.
- Steak (use any good barbecuing steak. I love flatiron, and also often use flank or skirt.)
- Gochujang (Korean fermented chile paste)
- Soy sauce
- Honey
- Sesame oil
- Corn tortillas
- Kimchi
- Tomatoes
- Onions
- Cilantro
- Mayonnaise
- Sriracha
What is gochujang and where do you get it?
Gochujang is a Korean fermented chile paste. It is made from hot chiles, soybeans, rice, and salt. It’s is a thick, dark red paste. The flavor is spicy, but it is also loaded with intense umami, and a little hint of sweetness, too.
It comes in small and large tubs, which I buy at a local Korean Market (if you’re local to me in the East Bay, I go to Koreana Plaza on Telegraph and 27th in Oakland. It’s amazing!) It is also available in larger Asian markets or online.
Because it is a fermented condiment, like miso paste or soy sauce, gochujang will last a very long time in your refrigerator. Go ahead and buy a good-sized tub of it. I always surprise myself with how quickly I go through it. These days, I buy 2 or 3 tubs at a time.
You can also use gochujang to make my Air Fryer Korean Fried Chicken or Gochujang Chicken and other scrumptious Korean dishes.
How do you make Korean tacos?
- Making Korean tacos is almost as easy as eating them. Start by mixing gochujang, soy sauce, honey, and sesame oil together. Add the meat and turn to coat.
- Cover the meat and refrigerate it for at least an hour or as long as 48 hours.
- Remove the meat from the marinade (sadly, the marinade gets discarded at this point.) Grill over medium-high heat on a barbecue grill or grill pan until the steak reaches your desired doneness (hint: medium-rare.)
- Remove the meat from the grill and let rest for at least 5 to 10 minutes. Slice thinly across the grain.
- While the meat is resting, you can prep your tortillas and fillings.
- Heat the tortillas however you normally like to heat them. I do them one-by-one on the flame on my gas cooktop. You can also wrap a stack of them in a damp dishtowel and heat them in the microwave for a minute or so. Or wrap in foil and heat in a 400ºF oven for 10 minutes or so.
- To make the salsa, chop kimchi, tomatoes, onion, and cilantro and toss to combine.
Tips for success
Be sure to let the steak rest before you slice it! This will ensure that your steak is tender, juicy, and delicious.
If you don’t want to grill your meat, you can slice it thinly when it is raw and then marinate the slices. Stir fry the meat with thinly sliced onions in a large skillet.
For the salsa, you can skip chopping tomatoes, onions, and cilantro and just use a store-bought pico de gallo instead. Just add chopped kimchi.
For extra spicy tacos, add pickled jalapeno slices or extra sriracha. I like to add saamjang, a spicy Korean condiment made of seasoned soybean paste, chiles, and other ingredients.
korean beef tacos Frequently asked questions
Kogi’s original Korean taco recipe called for a filling of spicy pork bulgogi. My Korean beef tacos have similar flavors but are made with bulgogi beef instead of pork. I top them with a tangy-spicy kimchi salsa and a drizzle of sriracha mayo.
The ingredients for this beef bulgogi include steak, soy sauce, gochujang, honey, and sesame oil.
Choose a steak that is really good for grilling, something nicely marbled and very tender. Good choices include tenderloin, New York strip steak, skirt steak, flank steak, or flatiron. In this case, look for a boneless steak since you’ll want to slice it after cooking.
You’ll need corn tortillas to make the tacos. You can add whatever toppings you like to your Korean tacos. I like to add a spicy and bright kimchi salsa and a creamy sauce made of sriracha and mayonnaise. You can also add shredded cabbage, chopped fresh cilantro, scallions, or toasted sesame seeds.
What to serve with Korean tacos
The fiery filling begs for a refreshing, crisp salad. A green salad or a crunchy slaw with sesame- or miso-based dressing would be a great choice. This Kale Salad with Miso Dressing is perfect.
Japanese Cucumber Salad would also be a refreshing partner. Or serve guacamole and chips alongside.
More great recipes you’ll love
- Mexican Corn Salad
- Zucchini Salad with Almonds and Corn
- Fried Green Tomato Fritters
- Quick Pickled Turmeric Tomatoes
- Thai Chicken Satay
Korean Tacos
Ingredients
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons gochujang
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 pound flatiron steak
- 1 large ripe tomato, diced
- 1/2 small onion diced
- 1 cup chopped kimchi
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sriracha use more or less to taste
- 8 corn tortillas
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the garlic, soy sauce, gochujang, and honey and mix well.
- Add the steak and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
- Remove the steak from the marinade, discarding the marinade. Grill for 5 to 7 minutes per side, until desired doneness is reached.
- Remove the steak from the grill and let rest for at least 10 minutes.
- While the steak is resting, make the salsa. In a bowl, combine the tomato, onion, kimchi, and cilantro and toss to mix.
- Make the sriracha mayo. In a small bowl, stir togehter the sriracha and mayonnaise.
- Slice the steak thinly across the grain.
- Heat the tortillas either wrapped in foil in the oven, wrapped in a damp dishtowel in the microwave, on the grill, or 1 at a time on a gas burner.
- To assemble the tacos, fill each with some of the meat, some of the salsa, and a hefty drizzle of the sriracha may.
