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You can make these Korean shredded beef tacos in the crock pot or instant pot! They’re easy, healthy, and full of flavor. The Korean sauces and seasonings are the perfect pairing for the chuck roast and there are endless healthy toppings to add to them.

Look for more Mexican recipes? Try birria tacos, ground pork tacos, or chorizo tacos next!

shredded beef tacos

Why You’ll Love These Korean Shredded Beef Tacos

I’m a huge taco fan. If you follow me on Instagram, it’s no secret I’m obsessed with them. We have some sort of tacos once a week in our house. They’re a great weekly go-to for a dinner the whole family will love. Or you can plan a date night and make them together for a fun taco night in.

Beef is the centerpiece of any upscale dinner—or Valentine’s meal. Premium roasts, like ribeye, rib, and Tenderloin are really popular. But a more affordable option is a roast, like the chuck roast for these shredded beef tacos. After Feller’s mishaps last week, we’re definitely going with the economical option this year!

This recipe was inspired by my sweet potato beef stew and my Mongolian beef because the meat just falls apart and it’s got a fun, Asian flair. Next taco night, step away from traditional tacos and mix it up with Korean food!

shredded beef taco recipeshredded beef taco crock pot

Ingredients in Korean Shredded Beef Tacos

Here are the simple ingredients for these Korean tacos. Most are pantry staples and easy (and affordable) to find at the grocery store. Jump down to the recipe card for exact measurements.

  • Chuck roast is the star of the show here. When you put it in the instant pot or the slow cooker the tender beef falls apart.
  • Fresh ginger gives the sauce an Asian feel.
  • Coconut aminos (Or soy sauce) also gives the tacos their Korean flavors.
  • Pure maple syrup adds just a touch of sweetness but you can definitely leave this out for a Whole30 option to this recipe.
  • Tapioca flour thickens the sauce a bit so it really coats and sticks to the meat when it’s in your taco. (You can also use Arrowroot starch.)
  • Onion is a great complimentary flavor and adds some depth to the sauce and beef.

All of these flavors create the most delicious shredded beef for your tasty Korean beef tacos. Scroll to the bottom to see my sriracha spicy mayo sauce and other toppings. Plus, enjoy a healthy margarita recipe to pair with it for a fun date night with your significant other!

How to Make Korean Shredded Beef Tacos

These Korean BBQ Tacos are easy to make, like traditional chocolate brownies. But here are the step-by-step instructions, with photos, to make sure they turn out perfect every time.

Sear and cut beef. Pat your chuck roast dry and sprinkle both sides of beef with pepper. Turn on saute and add the 1 tablespoon of oil then sear both sides of chuck roast for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove beef from the instant pot and cut the beef into 6 large chunks. It will still shred, this just helps the beef cook faster.

Saute seasonings. With it still on the saute setting, add the other tablespoon of oil and melt in the pan. Add garlic, grated ginger, sesame oil, onion, ¼ cup coconut aminos (or soy sauce), and maple syrup to the instant pot. Mix well and place the chuck roast back on top of the sauce ingredients.

Cook the beef and prepare spicy mayo. Close the lid of the instant pot and seal the pressure gauge. Set the Instant Pot to manual on high pressure and cook for 45 minutes.

Mix all of the sriracha mayo ingredients together in a small bowl, cover, and leave in the fridge until ready to use.

When the beef is done cooking, release the pressure, carefully remove the roast, and place it on a cutting board.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix together the tapioca starch or cornstarch with the remaining ¼ cup coconut aminos until dissolved. Turn the instant pot back to saute mode and add the tapioca starch mixture to the sauce and stir until thickened. Add the beef back to the thickened sauce and shred using two forks. Close the lid and place back on warm setting while you assemble the taco ingredients.

Top and serve. Serve Korean beef in warm tortillas topped with chopped cilantro, diced red onion, sesame seeds, avocado, kimchee, or sriracha mayo. Also, serve with a batch of skinny margaritas for the perfect date night!

how to make shredded beef tacos

Recipe FAQs

What is Mexican shredded beef called?

A lot of times shredded beef is called carne asada or barbacoa. You can put shredded beef in several Mexican dishes including chimichangas, enchiladas, and burritos, but today we’re putting this shredded beef in tacos. And it’s got a Korean flair!

What cut of beef is used for shredded beef?

The best cut of beef for these Korean shredded beef tacos is a beef chuck roast. This cut comes from the shoulder of the animal and contains a lot of connective tissue that softens during cooking, especially if you cook it low and slow. This is what makes it super tender and easy to pull apart and shred. Which is exactly what we want in this recipe!

If you’d like to use a different cut of meat on your tacos like flank steak or skirt steak, check out our guide to different cuts of beef to help you choose.

What to Serve With Shredded Beef Tacos

There are so many things that pair well with shredded beef tacos! Serve the beef flour tortillas or corn tortillas. Here are a few of my favorite toppings, sides, and drinks:

Toppings: Kimchee, sriracha mayo, and sesame seeds add authenticity to these Asian tacos. If you like spicy flavors, gochujang paste is a thick, spicy sauce that gives some extra kick.

Add purple cabbage slaw and red onions, sour cream avocado, cilantro, chopped green onions, and freshly squeezed lime juice or lime wedges for traditional Mexican flare.

Sides: Cilantro lime rice, easy healthy guacamole, or cabbage slaw to give the dish a fresh crunch.

Drinks: I’ve got a great recipe for skinny margaritas that pair so well with this recipe! Make this recipe for a date night to go with your tacos! It’s perfect for a Valentine’s date night in.

slow cooker shredded beef tacos

Meal Prep and Storage

If you and your significant other love tacos then you need to make this recipe for Valentine’s Day together! You can either put it in the slow cooker in the morning and spend the evening preparing all the toppings and margs or you can prepare it together and throw it in the crock pot for a couple hours.

Store the meat in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store extra toppings and leftover sides separately. If freezing the meat, allow it to cool to room temperature, then place it in a freezer bag and store it for up to 4 months.

instant pot shredded beef tacos

If you make these, don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and tag me with #WhatMollyMade so I can see it and feature you.

This recipe is sponsored by Ohio Beef. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Check out their website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more yummy beef recipes.

Thank you to brands like Ohio Beef who believe in my recipes and allow me to keep sharing free recipes with you!

More Taco Tuesday Ideas

If you’re looking for more delicious recipes to serve up the next time you’re craving Mexican cuisine, we have plenty to choose from.

Tap stars to rate!
4.64 from 19 votes

Korean Shredded Beef Tacos

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 2 hours
Total: 2 hours 15 minutes
You can make these Korean shredded beef tacos in the crock pot or instant pot! They're easy and healthy and full of flavor. The Korean sauces and seasonings are the perfect pairing for the chuck roast and there's endless healthy toppings to add to them.

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Servings: 6

Ingredients

For the beef:

  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil ghee or coconut oil
  • 2.5 pounds chuck roast
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated optional but nice
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil optional but nice
  • 1 medium yellow onion thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup coconut aminos or soy sauce divided
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon tapioca flour (or cornstarch for non paleo version)

For the Sriracha Mayo:

  • ¼ cup paleo mayo
  • 1 tablespoon sriracha
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice

For the tacos:

  • Siete tortillas (or corn tortillas for non paleo)
  • Chopped cilantro
  • Diced red onion
  • Sesame seeds
  • Avocado
  • Kimchee

Instructions 

  • Pat your chuck roast dry and sprinkle both sides of beef with pepper. Turn on saute and add the 1 tablespoon of oil then sear both sides of chuck roast for 2-3 minutes on each side.
  • Remove beef from the instant pot and cut the beef into 6 large chunks. It will still shred, this just helps the beef cook faster. With it still on the saute setting, add the other tablespoon of oil and melt in the pan. Add garlic, grated ginger, sesame oil, onion, 1/4 cup coconut aminos (or soy sauce), and maple syrup to the instant pot. Mix well and place the chuck roast back on top of the sauce ingredients.
  • Close the lid of the instant pot and seal the pressure gauge. Set the Instant pot to manual (or pressure cook) on high pressure and cook for 45 minutes. You can also leave the roast whole and cook on low pressure for 2 hours.
  • In the 30 minutes before the beef is done cooking, make the sriracha mayo. Mix all of the sriracha mayo ingredients together in a small bowl, cover and leave in the fridge until ready to use.
  • When the beef is done cooking, you can either naturally release or quick release the pressure. Natural release is preferred, but if you’re short on time quick release is a great option. For natural release, don’t do anything when the time is up and just let the pressure cooker release the pressure naturally, which can take 5-30 minutes. You’ll know when the nozzle clicks and the lid unlocks. To quick release, carefully turn the knob to let the jet of steam out to release the pressure quickly. Once the pressure it released, carefully remove the roast and place on a cutting board.
  • In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix together the tapioca starch or cornstarch with the remaining 1/4 cup coconut aminos (or soy sauce) until dissolved. Turn the instant pot back to saute mode and add the tapioca starch mixture to the sauce and stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Add the beef back to the thickened sauce and shred using two forks. Close the lid and place back on warm setting while you assemble the taco ingredients.
  • Serve korean beef in warm tortillas topped with chopped cilantro, diced red onion, sesame seeds, avocado, kimchee or sriracha mayo.
  • Also serve with a batch of skinny margaritas for the perfect date night! See recipe notes for easy margarita recipe.
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review letting us know how it was!

Notes

Skinny Margarita Recipe: To make the skinny margaritas, shake 3 ounces high quality tequila with juice of 2 limes, 2 teaspoons of agave and 3 ounces of Cointreau (orange liquor). Pour equally into two glasses and then add ice. Fill the rest of the way up with club soda and serve with salt and lime wedge.
Crock Pot instructions: Sear both sides of the chuck roast on the stove over medium-high heat then follow the directions by putting everything in crock pot. Cook on low for 10 hours, remove then add the tapioca flour and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add beef back to the crock pot and shred.

korean shredded beef tacos

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Recipe Rating




9 Comments

  1. Mikaela says:

    5 stars
    Made this before and it was DELISH. Question – can I use bottom round roast instead of Chuck roast?

    Thank you!

    1. Molly Thompson says:

      Hey!! I wouldn’t use bottom round roast. It’s not going to give you the shredded, pull-apart final result!

  2. James says:

    5 stars
    This was really good. A hit with the fam even the really picky on said it was “Amazing!”

    1. Molly Thompson says:

      That’s when you know it’s a keeper!! Thanks, James!

  3. Yolanda says:

    This was amazing! The whole family loved it! The beef shredded so easily.

  4. Emmy says:

    5 stars
    These may be my favorite of all your recipes. Every time I make these I am blown away by the flavor and how amazing they are. Easy to make and so so good!

    1. Molly Thompson says:

      Wow this means so much! I love this one too!

  5. Emma says:

    5 stars
    Absolutely amazing! So much flavor and such a great source of protein to add to a tortilla for tacos or a bed of greens for a salad. I love fresh ginger taste and how simple it was to make. Going to make this again with my fiancé on Valentines with the skinny margs! Can’t wait! Thanks, Molly!

    1. Molly Thompson says:

      That’s amazing, Emma! Love to hear that:) Hope you have a great Vday!