Korean Beef Bulgogi Tacos with Slaw and Pickled Cucumbers
These Korean beef tacos are made with ground beef bulgogi and topped with kimchi, cabbage slaw, & pickled cucumbers! A delicious way to enjoy Korean tacos!
Servings: 4
Calories: 440kcal
Ingredients
Korean beef filling:
- 1 lb ground beef
- ¼ cup white onion - chopped
- 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
Korean beef Sauce:
- 3 Tablespoons brown sugar - packed tightly
- 2 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger - grated
- ½ Tablespoon Korean red pepper flakes - (optional for spice)
- ½ Tablespoon gochujang - (optional for spice)
Red Cabbage Slaw
- 2½ cups shredded red cabbage
- 1½ teaspoons rice wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
Pickled Cucumbers
- 1 large english cucumber - thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
For serving:
- corn tortillas
- ½ cup cilantro leaves
- 1 Tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds - for garnish
- 2 stalks scallions - chopped for garnish
- 1 lime - cut into wedges
- ½ cup kimchi - (optional) chopped
Instructions
Make the pickled cucumbers
- Add the thinly sliced cucumbers and sea salt in a medium sized bowl and toss it around. Let it sit for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the salt draws out some of the liquid from the cucumbers.
- Gently squeeze the cucumbers to draw out more liquid and give it a taste. If it's too salty, rinse it under water and gently squeeze out the water. Add the sesame oil and gently toss it together. Set it aside.
Make the red cabbage slaw:
- In a large bowl, mix together the shredded red cabbage, rice wine vinegar, sea salt, and sugar. Let it sit until the cabbage starts to wilt and absorbs the dressing.
Make the beef filling:
- Mix all the ingredients for the Korean beef sauce in a small bowl and set it aside.
- Heat a pan on medium high heat and add the oil and ground beef. Break the beef apart into small pieces. When the beef is almost fully cooked, add the chopped onions and the sauce. Continue to cook for about 3 more minutes or until the beef is fully cooked and the onions have softened. Remove from the heat.
Assemble the tacos:
- For serving, spoon the Korean beef bulgogi on top of the tortillas and add the red cabbage slaw and pickled cucumbers. Top with any of the following - kimchi, sesame seeds, scallions, and cilantro leaves. Serve with lime wedges.
Notes
- Gochujang is a sweet and spicy Korean red pepper paste so if you plan to add more than 1 Tablespoon of gochujang, reduce the brown sugar by a third.
- Other toppings for Korean tacos:
- pickled radish
- pickled carrots
- pickled jalapenos
- avocado
- corn relish
Nutrition
Calories: 440kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 1237mg | Potassium: 637mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 894IU | Vitamin C: 42mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 3mg