Go Back
Korean beef tacos with slaw and sauce on white platter.

Crazy Good Korean Beef Tacos

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 4 hours 35 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours 47 minutes

Ingredients

Korean Beef:

  • ½ cup soy sauce, I use low-sodium
  • ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
  • ¼ cup brown sugar, light or dark
  • ¼ cup toasted or regular sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger or ginger paste
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic, about 4-5 cloves
  • 2 pounds flank or skirt steak, cut into thin 1/4-inch slices across the grain
  • 1-2 tablespoons oil, for cooking

Quick Slaw:

  • 4 cups shredded napa, red or green cabbage
  • 1 cup shredded or grated carrots
  • 1 cup chopped cucumbers
  • ¼ to ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons oil, like avocado or olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Sriracha, to taste

Sauce to End All Sauces:

  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

For serving:

  • Corn or flour tortillas
  • Avocado slices
  • Fresh lime wedges

Instructions 

  • For the beef, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, ginger and garlic until the sugar is mostly dissolved. Place the sliced beef in a shallow dish (like a 9X13-inch pan) and pour the marinade over, tossing to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
  • When ready to cook, heat the oil in a cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot and rippling. Dump in the steak and marinade and cook, turning the beef, until sizzling and cooked through. If you want the beef more caramelized, only add half the steak at a time and cook in a single layer and then repeat with remaining beef. Remove the steak from the pan to a plate or dish and simmer any remaining sauce in the pan until caramelized and slightly thickened. Pour the sauce over the beef.
  • For the slaw, in a large bowl, combine the cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, and cilantro. In a small bowl whisk together the lime juice, soy sauce, olive oil, salt and pepper (start with a pinch of each and add more to taste, if needed), and sriracha. Pour the dressing over the slaw and toss to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve (it can be made 4-6 hours in advance).
  • For the sauce, stir together all the ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve (it can be made several days in advance).
  • For serving, place cooked steak in tortillas and top with slaw, sauce, avocado slices (optional), and serve with fresh lime wedges (also optional).

Notes

For a Grilling Option: leave the steak whole/unsliced and marinade. Grill the steak to desired doneness, let rest for 10-15 minutes, slice thinly across the grain. Pour marinade into a pan and simmer on the stove for 10-15 minutes (add a couple teaspoons of cornstarch prior to simmering for a thicker sauce). Serve sliced steak with the sauce.
Slaw: we like to load our tacos up with the slaw. Like, lots of it. If you don't think you'll pile on as much and don't want leftovers, you could halve the slaw ingredients.