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Overhead view of four Korean BBQ tacos laying on a white plate.
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4.19 from 173 votes

Korean BBQ Tacos with Quick Kimchi

Make elements ahead for an easy weeknight meal! I like to cook the pork overnight and shred in the morning so it's ready to go at dinner time.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time4 hours 15 minutes
Total Time4 hours 45 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: Korean
Keyword: Korean, Tacos
Servings: 12 tacos
Calories: 249kcal

Equipment

  • CrockPot

Ingredients

For the Pulled Pork

  • 2-3 pounds pork shoulder/butt
  • ½ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon pepper

For the Korean BBQ Sauce

  • ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
  • ¼ cup water
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 teaspoons chili paste such as Sambal Oelek more or less to taste
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons water

For the Quick Kimchi

  • 6 cups shredded cabbage 16 oz bag of store-bought works great!
  • 3 tablespoons canola oil
  • 6 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons chili paste such as Sambal Oelek more or less to taste
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger fresh or powdered
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons sesame oil
  • ½ teaspoon each salt & pepper more to taste

For Serving

  • 1 package corn tortillas
  • 1 cup Mexican shredded cheese store bought
  • ½ cup diced green onions green part only
  • sesame seeds to sprinkle on top

Instructions

For the Pulled Pork

  • Place the pork butt/shoulder in a slow cooker. In a separate bowl stir together the remaining ingredients. Pour over pork, cover and cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high—until it falls off the bone. 
  • Once meat is cooked through and falls apart easily, shred with a fork and discard bones. Return meat to slow cooker to soak up the sauce. 
  • Turn broiler on to high and let heat for a few minutes. On a dark baking sheet, lay out a single layer of shredded pork, draining some of the sauce when you transfer to the cooking sheet. 
  • Place on the top rack of the oven and let meat get some slightly crisp areas. This takes about 5-10 minutes, stirring once. Check it often so you don't burn it. This step adds flavor intensity and texture variation.
  • Once meat has been broiled, transfer to a bowl to store for later or serve now. 

For the BBQ Sauce

  • Add all ingredients, except for 2 tablespoon water and cornstarch, to a skillet over medium heat. Bring to a boil. In a separate bowl, combine water and cornstarch until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Add cornstarch mixture to sauce and continue to boil until sauce thickens (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside to serve. (If you like sauce, then double this recipe, it's amazing and you'll want a lot of it!)

For the Quick Kimchi

  • Place cabbage in a large bowl. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. Pour over cabbage and mix well. Set aside for serving right away, or store in an airtight container until ready.

Assemble

  • Wrap corn tortillas in a wet paper towel and place on a microwave-safe dish. Microwave on high for 2 minutes or until tortillas are very hot. This step helps your tortillas stay together while you're eating! 
  • Add meat, sauce, cheese and kimchi to each taco. Top with green onions and sesame seeds. ENJOY!

Notes

I make all of these elements ahead of time and then toss the meat with some sauce in a skillet to heat before serving. But you can also just drizzle the sauce on top.

Nutrition

Serving: 0g | Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 651mg | Potassium: 319mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 103IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 2mg