Korean BBQ Tacos with Quick Kimchi

4.19 from 48 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 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Korean

Keyword: Korean, Tacos

Servings: tacos

Calories: 249kcal

Equipment

CrockPot

Ingredients

For the Pulled Pork

2-3 lb pork shoulder/butt
1/2 C reduced sodium soy sauce
1/2 C water
1 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp pepper

For the Korean BBQ Sauce

1/4 C low sodium soy sauce
1/4 C water
1/4 C brown sugar
1 garlic clove minced
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp chili paste such as Sambal Oelek more or less to taste
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp water

For the Quick Kimchi

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

For Serving

1 package corn tortillas
1 C Mexican shredded cheese store bought
1/2 C 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 Tbsp 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