Korean Beef Tacos and Quick Kimchi

Fun fusion food delivers the perfect flavors for your next game day event or Mom's night off. Enjoy these super tasty tacos in the comfort of your home with just a few steps.

Course Main

Cuisine Korean

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 10

Total Time 55

Servings

Calories 470kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

Quick Kimchi

1 large head napa cabbage, sliced into ¼ inch strips
water to cover
¼ cup (60g) kosher salt
⅛ cup (12g) red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon (4g) sugar
¼ cup (76g) fish sauce
½ head garlic, peeled and minced (6-7 cloves)
1 tablespoon (15g) minced ginger
3 scallions, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced thinly

Bulgogi Beef

2 pounds (950g) sirloin, sliced about ⅛-inch thick across the grain on a diagonal bias (I used flap beef)
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ yellow onion, diced
3 scallions, sliced
⅓ cup (80ml) low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons (30ml) sesame oil
3 tablespoons (12g) brown sugar
½ teaspoon (2-3g) black pepper
1½ tablespoons (30g) gochujang (fermented Korean red pepper paste)

For the Tacos

24 6-inch corn tortillas
8 ounces (230g) sour cream
sriracha for drizzling
4 tablespoons (36g) toasted sesame seeds
4 tablespoons (4g) cilantro, finely chopped
1-2 avocados, peeled, seeded, and diced
2 limes, cut into wedges

Instructions

Quick Kimchi

In a large bowl, add sliced napa cabbage with enough water to cover the cabbage. Add salt, mix well, and set aside for about 10 minutes.
Combine the red pepper flakes, sugar, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, scallions, and shredded carrots into a paste. Set aside.
Drain the napa cabbage, rinse thoroughly, and pat dry. Add the paste to the sliced cabbage and thoroughly mix with your hands.
Pack the kimchi mixture in a jar or plastic container. Press the contents down to protect the kimchi from being exposed to air. Use it right away or keep it at room temperature to ferment for a few days (make sure it's submerged under brine if fermenting). The flavor will intensify if allowed to ferment.

Bulgogi Beef

In a large bowl, combine garlic, onion, scallions, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, black pepper, and gochujang.
Add beef to the marinade and mix well, thoroughly coating the meat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Heat a large skillet or fry pan over medium-high heat until hot. Then add the beef and cook to desired preference, 3 minutes or more per side. (Or grill it.)
Remove from heat, chop into bite-sized pieces, and set aside.

Assembly

Heat the tortillas in a skillet, flipping each tortilla until hot and pliable. Or heat them in the microwave for a few seconds.
Serve using two corn tortillas per taco or one flour taco. Add the bulgogi, kimchi, sour cream, sriracha, toasted sesame seeds, cilantro, avocado, and a squeeze of lime. Serve hot.

Notes

For longer fermentation, sprinkle the salt at a 2-3% ratio of salt to cabbage. If the napa cabbage weighs a kilo, add 20-30 grams of kosher salt. Mix well, cover, and let set for about three hours. The salt will extract the juice of the cabbage for your brine. Add the paste, mix well, and pack into glass jars. Make sure the brine covers the cabbage at all times. Add more brine as needed and let ferment for about three days.
Double the bulgogi marinade for the beef and reserve some for additional sauce for the tacos. Simmer it for a few minutes to kill bacteria from the raw meat, and serve it on the side.
Please use kosher salt with NO iodine for lacto-fermentation because the iodine affects the fermentation.
Kathleen's recipe
Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.

Nutrition