Korean Inspired Beef Tacos

thetipsyhousewife
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Get Your Asian Fusion Fix at Home

Korean beef tacos

Korean Inspired Beef Tacos are a delicious way to get your taco fix. These tacos have several Asian flavors like soy sauce, sesame, garlic, ginger, and onions.

They cook up quickly on the grill so this is a great make ahead recipe. It can be prepped the day before and quickly cooked when ready to eat.

The use of an Asian bagged salad kit makes the prep super easy. You avoid the time consuming task of slice cabbage and carrots.

The components for Korean beef tacos including tortillas, cucumbers, green onion, and an Asian salad kit
This bagged salad kit can be found in the refrigerator section of the produce department .
The toppings for the Korean beef tacos including green onions, Asian salad, and crispy wonton noodles
I separate out the salad so the tacos can be customized. I save the dressing packet that comes with for another time.
Beef marinating in a glass dish

Ribeye Steaks

I use ribeye steaks for this recipe but you can swap out any steak that you like, whether for taste or budget reasons. I would recommend using sirloin steaks if you want to save on your food budget.

You can usually find ribeye steaks pretty affordably at Aldi though. I add my beef to a shallow dish so that the marinade really gets into the steak.

I do flip the steaks at least once during the marinating time.

A spoon of grated ginger held over the marinade
Grated ginger adds great flavor. If you don’t want to grate your own ginger, they sell grated ginger in a jar that lasts a very long time.
A lime being grated over cucumber slices
The zest of lime adds a great fresh flavor to this salad that you use to top the tacos with.
Two pieces of grilled steak on a red plate

Grilling Steak

In my full, printable and Pinterest Pin(able) recipe below, I share the cook time for the steaks.

Please note that the thickness of your steaks makes a difference in the cook time. The type of grill you have also makes a difference.

It is always my advice to buy a meat thermometer to use at least until you learn the feel of the meat when it is to your desired level of doneness. The steaks pictured above are to medium rare and when they are done they feel semi firm in the center with a little softness in the very center.

Pieces of steak on tortillas
The Korean taco marinade in a pot

Reserving The Marinade

I save the marinade from the beef, because the sauce is so good. Since there was raw meat in the marinade, you MUST boil and simmer the marinade to cook out the bacteria.

Please do not skip this step, as you will get sick if you do not!

I boil mine for about 15 to 20 minutes at a fairly high heat so that it is safe to use. This makes a very delicious sauce that will be lovely on the crunchy cabbage and carrots.

A close up of a Korean inspired beef taco
A beef taco being held up

Korean Inspired Beef Tacos

Korean Inspired Beef Tacos

These Korean Inspired Beef Tacos are easy to make and delicious to eat. They are perfect for the grill but can also be seared off in a skillet if grilling isn't your thing. Marinated ribeye steaks in a marinade that is sweet and salty. Grilled and served on tortillas with crisp, quick pickled veggies and nutty sesame seeds.

Ingredients

  • 2 medium to large ribeye steaks
  • 1/2 cup of soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup of sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon of grated ginger or 1/2 teaspoon of dried ginger
  • 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds
  • 4 cloves of crushed garlic
  • black pepper to taste
  • 6 green onions, sliced thin, white and green parts separated
  • 1.5 tablespoons of white sugar
  • 3 cups of sliced cucumbers, I use the seedless cucumbers or the small Persian ones
  • 1/2 cup of rice wine vinegar
  • 1 lime
  • 1 jalapeño, remove the seeds and dice small
  • kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon of white sugar
  • 1 bagged Asian Salad kit (found in the refrigerated section of the produce department)
  • 1 package of small "street taco" size flour tortillas
  • "optional" green onions sliced thin, lengthwise
  • *all ingredients are measured according to MY preferences, feel free to adjust to your personal preferences or dietary needs
  • **further clarification along with pictures are in the blog post

Instructions

  • Add the ribeye steaks to a shallow dish, I use a pie plate.
  • Whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seed, garlic, ginger, white parts of the green onion, sugar and black pepper. Pour over the steaks, cover and refrigerate 4 hours and up to 8 hours. Flip once while marinating.
  • When ready to cook, remove the steaks and let sit out on a plate at room temperature for 30 minutes. Reserve the marinade.
  • Slice your cucumbers, I wash but do not peel, add to a bowl, add the green onions and the diced jalapeño. Add the salt, sugar and rice wine vinegar. Zest the whole lime into the bowl and then juice the lime into the bowl. You can serve this right away or let it sit overnight for even better flavor.
  • Get your grill really hot, I cooked at about 500 degrees. Add your ribeyes and cook for medium rare about 7 minutes on each side. The thickness of your steaks and your grill will make a difference on the cook time. My steaks were about one inch thick. Remove the steaks when cooked to your desired temp and let rest under foil for about 10 minutes.
  • Warm the tortillas on the grill.
  • Add your marinade to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool it down.
  • Toss your bagged salad with the crunchy bits and the cucumbers. I save the dressing packet for another time and use the simmered down sauce when it's cooled.
  • Slice your steaks thin, I trim some of the larger peices of fat. Serve on the tortillas with the salad and a drizzle of the sauce as well as some chili crunch sauce.
    • © thetipsyhousewife
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