The Oscars are fast approaching and I know that a lot of you will be hosting Oscars parties (because what isn’t better than hanging out with friends, eating and watching all your fave celebs in one place?!). As such, I wanted to share a delicious Korean bulgogi tacos recipe that is sure to wow your guests, and happily satisfy their tummies!
Korean Bulgogi Tacos with Gochujang Sauce
Hold up, hold up, I hear you say. What the heck is bulgogi and what is gochujang? A great question and very valid–honestly, I was pretty unfamiliar with these terms until just a year ago!
For starters, bulgogi is a delicious Korean dish which involves marinating sliced beef and then grilling it (or cooking it on a cast iron skillet, as we did hehe). Gochujang is a fabulous Korean paste made from red chili, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans and salt. It features in a huge variety of Korean dishes and adds a huge boost of flavor to any dish.
I decided to make this Korean inspired taco because I’ve been experimenting a lot more with Korean food in general. I’ve always loved typical Korean foods, such as kimchi, and felt like I needed to branch out and make a wider variety of Korean foods. A new found love is jjigae, which is the Korean version of a stew, and incredible when made with kimchi (here’s the recipe I always use)!
Healthified Tacos
Well, my Korean bulgogi taco features a variety of vegetables and fruit! I chose Asian pears to feature in this dish because a) I wanted to run with the Asian theme and b) my husband’s parents actually grow Asian pears.
You can buy these taco holders here!
Furthermore, the gochujang sauce is light and low-calorie. It packs a lot of flavor, so you don’t need to use too much for it to satisfy you. I hope you love this recipe and that it becomes a regular staple in your household, for parties and “normal” lunches and dinners.
Korean Bulgogi Tacos with Gochujang Sauce
Ingredients
- BULGOGI MARINADE
- 1.5 pounds skirt steak cut into 3x3/4 inch strips
- 1 tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sake or red wine
- 6 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 3 scallions or green onions chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped ginger or paste
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- Salt and pepper
- CARROT AND RADISH PICKLE
- 5 radishes 1/16th inch slices
- 3 small carrots julienned
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup vinegar apple cider or rice vinegar
- Pinch of salt
- GOCHUJANG SAUCE
- 2 tbsp gochujang can be found at any Asian supermarket
- 2 green onions finely chopped
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 cloves of garlice minced
- 2 tbsp of grated and chopped ginger or paste
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- TACO FILLINGS AND TOPPINGS
- 1 orange bell pepper julienned
- 1 yellow bell pepper julienned
- 1 small onion coarsely chopped
- 1/4 head cabbage shredded
- 1 Asian pear thinly sliced
- 1/8 cup cotija cheese crumbled
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 10 small corn tortillas
Instructions
- Firstly, pickle your radishes and carrots.
- Julienne your carrots and thinly slice your radishes--having a mandolin helps.
- Put the julienned carrots and sliced radishes in your pickling liquid and let it sit for 20-minutes to an hour.
- Next, cut steak into strips and then marinade (mix all marinade ingredients together in a bowl) for at least 30-minutes.
- Warm 2 tbsp of olive oil in a cast iron skillet and then add vegetables (bell peppers and onion). Add pinch of salt and saute at medium to high heat until browned (about 5-7 minutes).
- To make the gochujang sauce, add all ingredients to a medium pot, or bowl, and whisk until smooth.
- Bring mixture to a boil in a pot and reduce to desired thickness. Add water to make sauce thinner.
- To prepare the steak, bring your cast iron skillet to a medium to high heat and add the steak for 6-7 minutes (6-7 minutes per batch, if skillet is small). Set aside when done.
- Warm a dry pan to medium-high heat and add corn tortillas in for 15-30 seconds per side.
- Now you can assemble your tacos! I like putting the chopped cabbage in first, the bell peppers and onion mixture, Asian pears, beef, picked radishes and carrots and finally top with cotija cheese and green onions. Enjoy!
Please share this recipe with your friends or take a photo of your re-creation and tag me on Instagram at @honestlyfitness. I can’t wait to hear what you all think of this fun Asian twist on this classic Mexican dish, much beloved by Americans.
Honestly yours,
Alice
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