Simple Korean Ground Beef Tacos with Slaw
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Ground beef is cooked quickly in a Korean barbecue sauce then topped off with slaw tossed in spicy mayo to make these easy Korean ground beef tacos. They are a twist on traditional tacos, with incredible flavor. Korean beef tacos are a healthy weeknight dinner that the whole family will love.
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This Korean tacos recipe couldn’t get any easier! It’s full of flavor and the perfect match for spicy and sweet. Serve them in warm tortillas or toss the ground beef filling into a salad.
Tacos are a perfect meal for when you’re craving something quick and easy with lots of options. Also, try these beef tacos with hidden veggies too on your next taco Tuesday!
Why you will love this recipe
- It’s a quick and delicious recipe that can be made in under 30 minutes.
- It’s versatile! Serve it as tacos in tortillas or add some lettuce for a low-carb salad.
Here is what you will need
This is a brief summary of the ingredients needed to make this Korean taco recipe and a convenient shopping list from my Instacart affiliate link. For a printable recipe card with exact measurements and detailed instructions, scroll down to the recipe card section.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Ground beef
- Cabbage
- Onion
- Fresh lime juice
- Kimchi Mayonnaise
- Korean BBQ Sauce
- Taco-size flour tortillas or corn tortillas
🥄Equipment
- Skillet
- Mandoline, Food Processor Sharp Knife
- Medium bowl
How to make Korean tacos with slaw
The complete list of ingredients to make this recipe is above. Below are notes about some of the ingredients, along with ideas for substitutes.
Prepare the Ingredients: Slice the onions thin, and shred the cabbage using a mandoline slicer, food processor or a sharp knife.
Step 1. Cook the meat. Heat the oil in a large pan at medium-high heat and brown the beef.
Step 2. Add the sauce. Once the beef is cooked, reduce from medium high heat to medium heat; add the sauce to the frying pan and allow the beef mixture to simmer for about 10 minutes.
Step 3. Make the slaw. Add the slaw ingredients (shredded cabbage, onions, lime juice and kimchi mayo) to a medium bowl.
Step 4. Combine the slaw ingredients. Mix the kimchi slaw ingredients together and assemble your tacos in a bowl with lettuce as a salad or in warm tortillas.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
Ground Beef. Look for lean ground beef (preferably grass-fed) that’s a minimum of 80/20 lean meat-to-fat content.
Substitute ground beef with ground turkey, pork or chicken.
Cabbage. Any color or type of cabbage can be used in this recipe. I like to mix red cabbage and green cabbage or Napa Cabbage.
Onion. I like to use red onion in this cabbage slaw, you can also use yellow or sweet onions.
Kimchi Mayonnaise. This mayo is perfect for making a quick spicy slaw. If you can’t find it in grocery stores, you can try blending 1/4 cup of kimchi in a food processor with regular mayonnaise or a 1/2 teaspoon of sriracha sauce with 1/4 cup mayonnaise for a sriracha mayo.
BBQ Sauce. If you don’t have Korean BBQ sauce, you can substitute it with 1/2 cup bbq sauce, 1 tablespoon of tamari or soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon of rice vinegar, 1 clove crushed garlic, and 1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger.
If you are looking for more easy and delicious ground beef recipes, check out these Grass Fed Ground Beef Recipes!
Check out ButcherBox for high-quality meat delivered to your door!
Serving Suggestions
Korean tacos taste great with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, chopped fresh cilantro, a dash of hot sauce and a simple side salad, or vegetables, such as kimchi, zucchini ribbons salad or cucumbers in vinegar.
Make Ahead Instructions
Even though this is an easy recipe, this is a great recipe that can be made ahead of time and assembled just before eating. Here’s how: cook the beef according to the recipe instructions and store it in the fridge for up to three days.
Chop the cabbage and onions and store them in a separate container for up to three days.
To serve, heat the beef over low heat on top of the stove; add the kimchi mayo and lime juice to the cabbage mixture and assemble the taco salad or tacos and enjoy.
Storing and Using Leftovers
Store leftover Korean BBQ tacos unassembled in the refrigerator for three to four days. Leftover tacos can be refrigerated and assembled, however, the flour tortillas may become soggy.
Freeze leftover ground beef in an airtight container or a reusable bag. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight.
Freezing cabbage is not recommended!
Recipe Variations
Korean Taco Rice Bowls. Add 1/2 cup of cooked rice to a bowl with the spicy slaw and ground beef for a Taco rice bowl.
Grilled Meat. Replace the ground beef with boneless chicken breasts, a flank steak, or a skirt steak that has been marinated and grilled in the kalbi sauce. Slice the grilled meat into thin strips and stuff it into a tortilla or a salad.
Vegetarian Korean Tacos. Instead of ground beef, crumble a block of tofu and brown it in a skillet; add 1/4 cup of sauce and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes and serve it with the kimchi slaw in a warm tortilla.
Korean Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps. Skip the flour or corn tortillas and serve these tacos wrapped in hearty bibb lettuce leaves.
Garnish Ideas. Top your tacos or taco salad with jalapeno peppers, lime wedges, sour cream, kimchi, pickled onions, sesame seeds or green onions.
Tips
- Save time and use pre-shredded coleslaw mix to make Korean beef tacos even easier.
- Make a double batch of the ground meat and freeze what’s left over for a quick dinner on a busy night.
Kimchi is a mix of spicy fermented vegetables, that vary, but it is usually centered around cabbage.
Yes, the slaw can be made with regular mayonnaise and a tablespoon of lemon juice or soy sauce.
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Easy Korean Beef Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 5 cups shredded cabbage
- 1 onion small, sliced thin
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1/2 cup Korean BBQ Sauce
- 1/4 cup Kimchi Mayonnaise
- 8 taco size flour tortillas
Instructions
- Shred cabbage with a food processor, mandolin, or sharp knife and slice the onion thin.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet at medium to high heat and brown the beef and cook for 5 to 8 minutes until it is cooked through. 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 pound lean ground beef
- Once the beef is cooked stir in the bbq sauce; reduce the heat to low to medium heat and allow the beef mixture to simmer for about 10 minutes. 1/2 cup Korean BBQ Sauce
- While the beef is simmering add the kimchi mayonnaise and lime juice to the shredded cabbage and onions and heat the tortillas. 1/4 cup Kimchi Mayonnaise, 5 cups shredded cabbage, 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- Serve your tacos as a salad with tortillas on the side or stuff the beef and slaw into the tortillas.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and can vary based on cooking methods and ingredients used
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