Korean Tacos Recipe with Kimchi – Delicious Dishes to Cook

On a lazy Saturday evening, when everything feels too dull, I pick up my phone and order tacos from our family’s favorite food joint.

That flavourful meat and fresh veggie stuffing wrapped in a tortilla shell can lift any mood at any time. I mean you too gotta admit tacos are one of the go-to snacks which we absolutely cannot go wrong with.

But do you know what’s better than simple tacos available in local markets?

The answer is super delicious Korean Tacos Recipe with Kimchi. Now some of you might raise an eyebrow as Korean tacos are not available at every shop and they might be a bit more expensive than regular ones for their insane popularity.

But this would be a lame excuse to miss out on a juicy top taco experience. I am here to share my top 3 favorite Korean taco dishes with you.

It’s time you surprise your friends and family with your excellent culinary skills. Before diving deep into our taco world, let’s understand our hero of the moment: Korean tacos fast.

Korean tacos are a bit different from the yummy Mexican ones, therefore the prep style will also be different. Without wasting any more time, let’s start learning how to make Korean Tacos Recipe with Kimchi.

How to Make Korean Tacos?

This Korean- Mexican fusion dish first originated in the streets of Los Angeles. It got the best of both worlds from Mexico and Korea.

The core difference between Mexican and Korean tacos is their filling. Korean tacos use bulgogi or kimchi as their filling. The Korean-style fillings are wrapped with Mexican corn tortillas.

The Star element of any taco is always it’s meaty filling. When it comes to Korean tacos, the bulgogi is something that makes the dish remarkable. Having a bite of a Korean taco is like a blast of flavors in your mouth.

To share the basic idea of a Korean tacos recipe, I will be sharing Korean beef bulgogi as its stuffing. To elevate the taste furthermore, I am going to use a fresh mango-pear slaw topping in it.

Process of Making Korean Tacos

So to make this Korean beef taco recipe we first got to prepare the beef bulgogi stuffing. I will break the recipe into 3 parts for your better understanding.

Beef Bulgogi

To prepare it first we need to marinate it well. In a bowl add the following ingredient to make the marinade.

Add soya sauce, rice wine, ginger, Asian pear, garlic, brown sugar, pepper, and gochujang. Now, mix, mix, mix! Combine all the ingredients well.

Take out your beef steak and dip it in the bowl to coat it well. I believe the longer you marinate the meat the juicier it becomes, so marinate the beef at least for 45 mins.

To get the best flavors marinate it overnight and do not forget to put the lid on. Heat some sesame oil on a pan, you need to make 4-5 batches of the meat to cook.

A little tip here, use the tong (to get rid of excess marinate) to transfer your first layer of meat from the bowl to the pan. Cook it for like 2 mins, flip and then again cook for 2 more minutes.

By this time you should see the brown color but the meat is not cooked yet. Transfer this to a plate then cover it with tight foil wrap then repeat the same process to cook.

Sauce & slaw

It is needless to mention the importance of taco sauce. Don’t you enjoy it when the flavourful dip oozes out from the taco while grabbing a bite,  I know you do. So we will be using gochujang crema for the sauce.

Just take a bowl whisk mayonnaise,  gochujang, sour cream, and some lime juice together voila your sauce is ready.

Now I want my tacos to have the richness of the meat and freshness of fruits and veggies therefore I am using this mango pear slaw as the topping.

To make this fresh topping in a bowl add red cabbage, mango, pear, green onions, and cilantro. Top it with some lemon juice and mix well.

Assemble the Korean Taco

As you have already prepared the fillings and the sauce all you gotta do is to assemble it properly. Take out your tortilla wrap and you can char it too.

Then add the beef and be generous while adding it. Top that with freshly prepared slaw and drizzle the crema on top of it. The next step is just to eat and enjoy this.

Now that you know how to make Korean tacos let me introduce you to my top 3 popular Korean Tacos Recipe with Kimchi preparations.

Beef lovers also check Hungarian Goulash Recipe with Dumplings here!

#1. Korean BBQ Tacos

This is one of the easiest yet so delicious taco preparations that I have recently come across. Now the best part about this dish is you can make it with any meat filling that you want.

I will share my house’s favorite pork one with you all. The Korean BBQ chicken tacos recipe will be a quick variation of this dish.

So, to make this flavourful dish the list of ingredients that you will require are listed below-

Ingredient List for Korean BBQ Tacos

For the Meat Filling

• 2-3 pound pork butt
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• ½ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
• ½ tsp pepper
• ½ cup water
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 3 garlic cloves minced

For the BBQ Sauce

• ¼ low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp sambal oelek
• 1 minced garlic clove
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• ½ tsp ground ginger

For the Kimchi

• 6 cups grated cabbage
• 1 and ½ tsp sesame oil
• 3 tbsp canola oil
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp sambal oelek
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 6 tbsp rice vinegar
• Salt and pepper according to taste

For Serving

• 1 package corn tortilla
• Sesame seeds
• 1 cup Mexican shredded cheese
• ½ diced green onion

The best part about making tacos is you can prepare everything beforehand and at the serving time just assemble it.  Follow the methods mentioned below to make your taco.

Process

#1. BBQ Sauce Preparation

• In a skillet add ¼ cup of water and all the other ingredients. Then add some cornstarch and bring that to a boil. Now in another bowl add 2 tbsp water with cornstarch, and mix it till the cornstarch gets dissolved.

• Pour this mixture onto the skillet to make it thick. After 2-3 minutes remove it from the heat, and the bbq sauce is ready.

#2. Meat Filling Preparation

• Take a bowl and add all the ingredients mentioned in the ingredient section except for the pork. Mix all of it then in a slow cooker place the pork.

• Now pour the bowl mixture on top of it and cook for about 8 hours on low flame and 4 more hours on high flame. Here you gotta cook till the meat falls off the bone.

• Next, once the meat is cooked, shred the meat from the bone with the help of a fork. Now return the meat to the slow cooker so that it can soak up the sauce. Turn the broiler on high heat and let it be like that for a few minutes.

• On a baking tray lay down one single layer of the pork while draining some of the sauce while you transfer it.

• You want your pork to get crisp from the side areas so you put the tray in the oven and cook for about 5-10minutes. Stir and check in between so that you do not burn it.

• Once your meat is broiled, transfer it to a separate bowl. It is ready to go into a taco.

#3. Kimchi Preparation

• In a bowl add all the kimchi ingredients except for the cabbage. Mix all of that well, add cabbage to a separate bowl then put the mixture on top of it. Combine all these well, your fresh kimchi is ready.

#4. Serving Preparation

• Wrap your tortillas on a wet towel and place them on a microwave-safe dish. Then microwave it for about 2 minutes. It helps the taco to stay tight while you eat.

• Now add the meat, and sauce kimchi to each taco. Top it with sesame seeds and fresh green onions. Your BBQ taco is ready.

It’s time we learn another pork taco recipe next.

#2. Korean Pork Tacos with Kimchi Slaw

This one is a personal favorite, it got the perfect balance of sweetness and spiciness. While writing the Korean Tacos Recipe with Kimchi  I’m already drooling, trust me this dish is an absolute winner.

This has the authentic flavor of Korea when you get that spicy flavor of Korean pepper then it also has its very own Mexican root engraved in it. Follow the ingredient list shared below carefully-

Ingredients

For The Meat Filling

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons gochujang
• 2–1/2 to 3-pound boneless pork shoulder

For Braising Liquid

• 3 tablespoons gochujang
• 3 cups (24 ounces) of water
• 1 teaspoon gochujang
• 3 to 4 anchovies packed in oil
• 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons white miso
• 3 to 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

For Kimchi Slaw

• 2 cups (8 ounces) of your favourite kimchi, coarsely chopped
• Cilantro leaves, picked from stems
• 2 cups (6 ounces) shredded green cabbage
• 2 green onions, white and green parts thinly sliced
• Juice of 1 lime
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For Mirin Crema

• 2 tablespoons mirin
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• Zest of 1 lime

For Serving

• Warm corn tortillas
• Gochujang pepper flakes, to taste
• Fresh cilantro leaves, picked from stems
• Lime wedges

Once you have all the ingredients handy you can start preparing for the actual cooking part.

Process

• First, you need to marinate the pork. Cut the large piece of pork into halves and sprinkle generous amounts of salt and pepper on it. Give a good massage to the pork with the gochujang paste. Marinate it for a day.

• Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, in the mixer mix all the braising liquid ingredients until it gets smooth. In a heavy-bottomed dutch oven place the pork, pour the liquid, and bring it to boil on medium heat. Transfer to the oven and cover leaving a little space so that the gravy can get thick.

• Need to cook the pork for about 3 and half hours till it gets shredded from the bone. When the meat is cooked after cooling it down, cut the pork into bite-size pieces. Return it to the cooking liquid then stir and coat it well.

• Combine all the kimchi ingredients to prepare the kimchi slaw and in a separate bowl mix all the mirin crema ingredients to make it.

• It’s time you take the tortilla wraps and put a generous pork layer on them. Then add kimchi and mirin crema on top of it. Sprinkle gochugaru flecks on top of it and serve it with the mentioned serving requirements.

Last but not least we will see the chicken tacos recipe next.

#3. Korean Chicken Tacos

This Korean tacos chicken recipe with  Korean shredded chicken is an absolute crowd-puller. Let’s check out what we will need to prepare the Korean chicken recipe and the other things as well.

Ingredients

• 8 5-6 inch white corn tortillas, heated according to package directions
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ⅓ cup snipped fresh cilantro
• Korean barbecue sauce (optional)
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 3 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 teaspoon packed brown sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon Asian chili-garlic sauce
• Fresh kimchi preparation (follow any previous kimchi recipe)

This is a very easy recipe that can be made with the following 3 simple steps.

Process

• In a mixing bowl add soya sauce, ginger, garlic, lime juice, brown sugar, and chilly garlic sauce along with the cornstarch to prepare the marinade.

• Now heat oil on a skillet and add the chicken to that. Cook it for about 8-10 mins. Then pour the mixture on the chicken and cook till the sauce gets thick and bubbly.

• Take your tortilla wrap, add a generous amount of chicken to it then top it with your favorite kimchi and cilantro. You can also drizzle some BBQ sauce if required.

You must be wondering now what to serve with Korean Tacos Recipe with Kimchi, you can serve these delicious tacos with homemade kimchi or spicy pickled cucumber.

My personal favorites are lotus root chips and Korean rice cakes. Get your side dish ready to enjoy this full Korean taco meal.

So which one you would start with?

All the recipes here are absolutely beginner friendly. So, whenever you feel like gorging on Korean tacos, do not forget to follow my Korean Tacos Recipe with Kimchi.

Though I’m a big wanderer that has no fix kitchen still I never miss a chance to cook by myself. Trying out new places for food is fine but cooking the same in your own style makes a difference.

Thus let me know if you had something new to offer!

You can also check our Website for trending & flavorful dishes with their recipes around the world.