After a long day of work, the struggle to get dinner on the table is real! Classic ground beef tacos are a weeknight staple for a reason - they are easy to make and satisfying. But sometimes you want to change things up a bit. Enter Korean Beef Tacos!
They're the perfect way to spice up your next Taco Tuesday (or any night, really!) and add a delicious twist to your usual weeknight routine.
When serving tacos you really don't have to add much else to make a meal. You can top them with thinly sliced cabbage or shredded carrots if you want to add some extra veggies. You could also add a simple green salad as a side dish or do something like this Asian Quinoa Salad.
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These tacos take the standard components of classic beef tacos - ground beef, toppings and tortillas - and mix them up a bit by adding Asian-inspired flavors. Slightly char flour tortillas and you have the perfect combo!
If you are trying to simplify your weeknight dinner routine, implementing Taco Tuesday as part of your regular menu is a great way to do it!
Ingredient Notes
A few important notes about the key ingredients in this recipe:
- Ground beef: When making tacos I generally use 90% lean ground beef. It gives you a little fat for added flavor but not enough that you'll need to drain it before adding the seasonings.
- Fresh ginger: Sometimes I'm a fan of using ground ginger in recipes but for this one, you really want to take the time to mince fresh ginger.
- Mirin: This is a Japanese sweet rice wine. It gives a bit of acidity to a dish. You can find it in most large grocery stores or you can order it on Amazon.
- Gochujang: This is a fermented chili sauce that can be found in most larger grocery stores. It's also available online.
Recommended Tools
Saute Pan - A 10" pan is the perfect size to use for this recipe. I think a non-stick pan works best for browning meat.
Simple steps for making tacos
For this recipe, I wanted to create a unique, flavorful taco that can be made just about any time. You can easily make these for a weeknight meal, but they are also great for casual entertaining.
Step 1 | Pickle the onions: Since you want to give the onions some time to pickle, this is the first step. Simply place the sliced onions in a jar or other container with a lid and add the vinegar, sugar, salt and water. Let them sit in for at least 15 minutes, though 30 minutes or longer is ideal.
Step 6 | Heat the tortillas: I like to warm my tortillas up a bit. You can wrap them in foil and put them in your toaster (or regular) oven. You can also wrap them in a paper towel and warm them in the microwave for about 20 seconds. If you like a bit of char on your tortillas and you have a gas cooktop, you can turn a burner on low and heat them right on the burner. Be sure to keep a very close eye on them so they don't catch on fire!
Step 7 | Serve. To assemble the tacos top each tortilla with some ground beef. Add some cucumbers and a good amount of pickled onion. Finish with the sauce. For extra flavor you can add a bit of chopped cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Meal prep tips: If you are doing weekly meal prep, you can easily make the ground beef at the beginning of the week. You can also make the pickled onions and the mayo a couple of days in advance. I recommend making the cucumbers the same day to keep them crisp.
More taco recipes
If you are looking for some other great taco recipes, check out these Grilled Fish Tacos or these Grilled Pork Tacos.
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Korean Ground Beef Tacos Recipe
Ingredients
For the pickled onions:
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced red onion
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup warm water
For the cucumbers:
- ⅓ cup sliced seedless cucumber
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon tamari
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Mirin
For the spicy mayo:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon sriracha
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
For the beef:
- ¾ pound lean ground beef
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon tamari
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Mirin
- 1 -2 teaspoons gochujang
For the tacos:
- 4-6 flour taco size flour tortillas
- chopped cilantro
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Pickle the onions: Add the sliced onions in a jar or other container with a lid and add the vinegar, sugar, salt and water. Let them sit in for at least 15 minutes, though 30 minutes or longer is ideal.
- Season the cucumbers: Spread the cucumber slices on a plate and sprinkle with salt. Let them sit for 5 minutes. Mix the tamari, vinegar and mirin in a small bowl and then pour the mixture over the cucumber slices. Let sit for 15 minutes or while you cook the beef.
- Mix the mayo: Add the mayo, sriracha and lime juice to a small bowl. Mix well.
- Cook the ground beef: Heat a large saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until crumbly. Turn the heat to medium and add the garlic and ginger. Saute for 1 minute. Add the gochujang a teaspoon at a time, tasting after each addition until you have the right amount of heat for your taste. Add one tablespoon of water and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Char the tortillas: Use a gas burner on your cooktop to heat the tortillas over low heat. Be sure to keep a very close eye on them so they don't catch on fire!
- Serve: Place 2-3 tortillas on each plate. Top with ground beef, pickled onions, cucumbers, spicy mayo and chopped cilantro. Add a squeeze of lime juice if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If you don't have a gas cooktop you can wrap the tortillas in foil and put them in your toaster oven. You can also wrap them in a paper towel and warm them in the microwave for about 20 seconds.
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