Bulgogi (aka Korean style beef) is one of my favourites and this slow cooker version is so easy to make! You basically just throw the beef and all of the ingredients into the slow cooker and let it cook until the beef is falling apart tender! Normally Korean style beef would be made with a tender cut of beef, such as rib eye, that’s thinly sliced; it’s marinated in a sauce and then quickly cooked. This version uses a cheaper cut of beef, such as chuck, that’s cubed and slowly braised until super tender. The sauce is a pretty basic bulgogi sauce with salty soy sauce, sweet brown sugar, mirin, honey, and pear along with onion, garlic, ginger, and some spicy gochujang (chili paste). I like to throw it all into the slow cooker in the morning and by the time I get home from work it’s ready to go, just needing to be finished off with some aromatic toasted sesame oil, seeds and green onions! This beef is great served over rice, noodles or even in quesadillas or tacos!
Slow Cooker Korean Beef
Sweet and tasty Korean style beef, slowly braised in a slow cooker until it’s melt in your mouth tender!
ingredients
- 1 (3 pound) beef roast, cut into bite sized cubes
- 1/4 cup soy sauce (gluten-free for gluten-free)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons mirin* (optional)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 cup pear (or apple), grated
- 1/4 cup onion, grated
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced/grated
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced/grated
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon gochujang* (optional) (gluten-free for gluten-free)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch* (optional)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (optional)
- 2 green onions, sliced (optional)
directions
- Place the beef in the slow cooker, mix the remaining ingredients, except the sesame oil, seeds and green onions, and cook on low for 8+ hours or on high for 4-6 hours.
- Mix in the sesame oil, seeds and green onions and enjoy!
Note: Gochujang is a Korean style chili paste that can be found in Asian grocery stores. It adds some spicy heat; you can omit it, use more for more heat, or less for less heat.
Note: The cornstarch is added to help thicken the sauce and it can be omitted.
Option: Brown the beef in oil in a pan before placing it in the slow cooker for some more flavour!
Option: Serve over rice, or pasta, or in quesadillas, tacos, etc.
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wonderful, another change of flavors for me, and a great alternative to my Sunday roasts, thank you!
The meat was very tender. I enjoyed it over rice and in a tortilla!
I don’t own a slow cooker so I used my dutch oven. I put it in the oven on 325º for 3 hours and the beef ends up a tad overcooked, but the taste was heavenly. I think next time I’ll just cook it for 2 hours instead.