Korean Beef tacos, a Korean inspired street tacos, are loaded with tender and flavorful Korean BBQ bulgogi beef, tangy, nutty sesame slaw, and spicy mayonnaise. They are assembled together on a soft flour tortilla, bring a fun Asian twist to tacos!
This is a simple, flavor-bursting, thoroughly satisfying 30-minute recipe perfect for busy weeknights. For best taste, set aside an hour to marinade the beef. But if you are short on time, skip the long marinade and it’ll still be pretty yummy!
Love tacos? Be sure to also check out my Fish Tacos with Mango Peach Salsa, Smash Burger Taco, Chipotle Chicken Tacos and Grilled Steak Tacos!
Korean BBQ Beef Tacos (aka Bulgogi Tacos)
There is this place in Austin called Chi’Lantro that makes Korean fusion bowls, tacos and burritos, bringing together Korean inspired flavors and Texas classics. These Korean BBQ tacos are reminiscence of some of the dishes served at Chi’Lantro.
Baked Chicken Tacos, Crispy Beef Tacos, BBQ Chicken Tacos, Fried Avocado Tacos are often in our dinner rotation, and I knew it wouldn’t be long before I get my favorite Asian flavors into a taco as well.
Korean beef tacos brings tender slices of Korean BBQ marinated beef, also known as bulgogi in a warm soft tortilla. Then pile on some zesty crunchy slaw along with this magical homemade spicy mayo sauce that ties the whole thing together.
We make all the key ingredients from scratch because it’s actually not that hard and totally worth the effort for the freshest and best tasting Korean BBQ bulgogi tacos.
Need more convincing? Here’s why you need to make these:
- Ready under 30 minutes – so quick! Faster than ordering takeout!
- Minimal cooking – lots of no-cook items (slaw and sauce) and a simple searing of the bulgogi beef.
- Versatile – don’t like slaw? Throw in a different veggies! Don’t like sriracha mayo? Skip it! Or use gochujang instead.
- So yummy – We are talking about big flavors and incredible textures in every bite!
Ingredients
Most of these ingredients are super simple, pantry-friendly ingredients, and for some of the Asian sauces you can find them in regular grocery stores in the U.S.!
Here are all the ingredients you will need to make all the components of the Korean BBQ tacos:
Korean BBQ (Bulgogi) Beef
- beef – Most cut of steak will work. However, high quality meat such as ribeye and sirloin will make this even more delicious. Slice them thinly and cross grain for best texture.
- soy sauce – the key umami flavor of the Korean BBQ marinade
- sesame oil – an important ingredient to get that nutty flavor in the marinade. This is slightly different from regular cooking oil and very distinct in flavor, so avoid substituting it or omiting it!
- garlic – use fresh minced garlic! Highly recommend not using garlic powder for this.
- ginger – I use minced ginger, which can be found in the refrigerated section along with the produce. Fresh ginger will need to be peeled and minced finely, but can be used as well. In a pinch, use garlic powder
- brown sugar – traditional bulgogi marinade actually uses pear to sweeten it, but for the ease of this recipe, I substituted it with brown sugar. White sugar can be used in place.
- black pepper – giving the marinade a bit of a punch and spice.
Crunchy Slaw
- cabbage slaw – you can make the slaw yourself by combining shredded cabbage and shredded carrots, or buy a pre-made coleslaw mix. Either works fine.
- cilantro – gives a great fresh flavor, but okay to omit if you don’t like it.
- rice vinegar – brings tangy flavors to the slaw, which goes great combined with the BBQ flavored meat. White vinegar can be used as well.
- sesame oil – a nutty aromatic oil commonly used in Asian cooking. Used not just on the meat marinade but for the slaw as well.
- honey – or sweetener of your choice – maple syrup, agave, granulated sugar etc.
- Salt – a pinch of it to open up the flavors in the slaw.
Spicy mayo Sauce
- kewpie mayo – this has more flavor depth than regular mayonnaise but in a pinch, just use regular mayo.
- sriracha – one of the most popular hot sauces there is! The flavor of sriracha is unique and brings this sauce a one of a kind flavor. Be careful with the amount you use based on your spice tolerance
- garlic
- salt
How to Make Korean Beef Tacos
Let’s walk through step-by-step how easy it is to make this Korean beef taco recipe!
Marinate Beef
Korean style BBQ is probably one of the most popular Korean dish . The meat comes out super flavorful, touched with sweet and salty flavors, using a flavorful combo in its marinade.
We are making a simple but very delicious bulgogi that is true to its authentic flavors. It has very similar taste to the traditional bulgogi beef dish.
To start, let’s marinate the thin slices of beef in this mixture:
- soy sauce
- brown sugar
- sesame oil
- freshly minced garlic
- ginger
- black pepper
Make sure meat is cut into smaller, thinner slices and that it is thoroughly coated in the soy sauce mixture.
Cover and let it sit for one hour in the fridge, so the flavors can absorb into the meat slices.
If you don’t have a full hour to spare, try to soak it in the marinade as long as you can. Prepare the sauce and cabbage mixture first while the meat sits in the marinade.
Make the spicy mayo sauce
We will also be making this delicious spicy mayo sauce to drizzle on the Korean tacos when they are fully assembled.
The sauce is creamy, tangy with a hint of spicy.
Whisk together kewpie mayo, sriracha, fresh minced garlic and a pinch of salt to open up the flavors.
Set is aside in the refrigerator so that when the mayo is cold the sauce is thicker in consistency.
Make Sesame Slaw
In a medium sized bowl, toss together shredded cabbage, carrots, cilantro, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and honey. Let it sit for a few minutes while you cook the beef.
You can get bagged shredded cabbage for the slaw, or get a whole cabbage and slice them into thin strips.
As for the carrots, I like to get it julienned or thinly sliced so it looks like thin strips. Carrot matchsticks are similar to julienned carrots.
If you are craving Korean tacos , but just want to skip this slaw recipe, opt for a pre-made coleslaw slaw.
Cook meat
Once beef has marinated for at least one hour, go ahead and cook it.
Drizzle cooking oil onto the non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, and place slices of beef (do not pour marinade in) on a hot skillet being careful not to overlap.
Cook the meat for a few minutes, flip, and once meat is cooked, remove from heat promptly. Be careful not to overcook the beef or it will become tough and chewy.
You will probably have to cook the beef in a couple of batches depending on the size of your skillet and how much beef you have. Avoid overlapping the beef so that they cook evenly.
At the end, this beef will be flavorful, tender and tasty!
Assemble tacos
Now let’s get ready to assemble these Korean beef tacos!
First, warm up your tortillas – you can do that by microwaving them covered in a damp paper towel so they don’t dry out. Or warm it on the skillet or oven.
Place warm tacos on a plate, then go ahead and pile on the toppings:
- Asian sesame slaw
- bulgogi beef
- spicy mayo
Then enjoy this flavor explosion that is Korean BBQ beef tacos.
Lick your fingers, eat some more, and repeat as necessary. 🥰
Tips and Tricks
Hacks and tips on making Korean BBQ tacos like a pro:
- Marinate time: 30 to 60 minutes will produce amazing flavor, but if you have the time, marinate your strips of beef longer. If you are short on time, prepare the beef first and let it sit in the marinade for at least a few minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Thinly slice beef: Cut them into thin slices so that 1) they effectively absorb the marinade, thus making it more flavorful, 2) beef cooks quickly, and 3) it’s easier to eat and bite into.
- Slice beef against the grain: That means you’ll want to slice it perpendicular to the grain, in order to yield more tender beef. Slicing with the grain results in chewy, tougher bite.
- Avoid adding marinade to skillet: Avoid pouring the marinade into the skillet when adding the beef to sear. Keep the beef as dry as possible so that they will get a good sear. Some marinade will end up being transferred along with the beef to the skillet and that’s ok.
- Avoid overlapping beef when searing: Cook the beef in a couple of batches depending on the size of your skillet and how much beef you have. Avoid overlapping the beef so that they cook evenly.
- Do not overcook meat: Bulgogi beef slices cook really quickly, remove from skillet once they are no longer pink to avoid overcooking.
Variations and Substitutes
There are so many ways to make this your own!
- Other protein: bulgogi meat is traditionally made with beef, but feel free to use pork, chicken etc if you prefer. The marinade works great with any protein!
- More vegetables: I love adding kimchi (traditional Korean fermented cabbage), pickled onions, pickled daikon (another more traditional Korean dish), red bell peppers, carrots, white onions, cucumbers etc
- Other toppings: peanuts, jalapeños, apples, pineapple etc.
- Sauces: Instead of sriracha mayo, you can also just add Gochujang (Korean red pepper paste), sriracha, etc.
How to Serve
Here are some great sides to go with these bulgogi tacos:
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! I would suggest pork tenderloin (sliced into thin strips), thinly sliced pork belly, or thinly sliced chicken breast.
Korean BBQ is a type of cooking, and Bulgogi refers to the marinated beef used in Korean BBQ.
Most cut of beef (flank, round, skirt steak etc) will be fine because we are slicing it cross grain and thinly. However, sirloin and ribeye makes the tastiest most tender Korean beef.
You can if you want to! Make sure to chop them up into small pieces before topping the tacos with kimchi.
I recommend just freezing the Korean BBQ beef, and making the slaw and sauce from scratch if you want to make a big batch and freeze it.
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More Korean / Korean Inspired Recipes
If you love this recipe, don’t forget to check out these recipes as well!
- Korean Ground Beef Stir Fry
- Beef Bulgogi
- Bulgogi Fried Rice
- Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps
- Gochujang Chicken
Korean Beef Tacos
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb sirloin thinly sliced
- 6 flour tortillas
- cooking oil
Marinate
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1-2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ tsp ginger minced
- 1 tsp black pepper
Sauce
- ¼ cup kewpie mayo
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 pinch salt
Slaw
- 3 cup cabbage shredded
- 1 cup carrots matchstick
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp honey
- a pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, add the thinly sliced sirloin meat along with all of the marinate ingredients: soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and black pepper. Toss to fully coat the meat in the marinate. Cover and let sit for at least one hour.
- In a small mixing bowl, add the sauce ingredients: kewpie mayo, sriracha, garlic and salt. Mix well. Set aside until ready to use.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, add cabbage, carrots, cilantro, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey and salt. Mix well. Set aside until ready to assemble tacos.
- Once meat is well marinated, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, drizzle with cooking oil. Add the meat one by one (without dumping sauce into skillet), making sure meat does not overlap. Flip them half way through cooking. Once fully cooked, remove from heat promptly to avoid overcooking. Avoid overcrowding the skillet. If needed, cook meat in two batches
- Slightly warm up flour tortillas by popping in the microwave for a few seconds covered with a damp paper towel, or by warming them up on the cooktop.
- Place warmed tortillas on a plate. Layer slaw, meat and sauce.
- Serve and enjoy!
