With the Olympics coming up in February, I keep thinking back to our time spent in South Korea 4 years ago. One, it’s so crazy that it’s been 4 years since we all traveled across the world to watch Red compete. We’re so excited for this year’s Olympics in Bejing (but bummed we can’t be with Red and Hailey this time). My memories of Korea have me craving those Korean flavors we all enjoyed while there.Surprisingly, the Korean taco is more of an LA thing, but the flavors are just so delicious. These tacos are inspired by those famous LA food truck tacos. I did a little bit of my own thing here and they turned out so good! Everyone really loved these.
I actually used Korean short ribs from Five Mary’s Farms, which were so awesome. You could also use regular short ribs (though I would just use boneless). A flank steak works in a pinch too.
The sauce is a mix of soy sauce (I use Tamari, which is just gluten-free soy sauce…I actually think it’s better), rice vinegar, and honey with lots of ginger and garlic. Brown sugar is traditional, but I wanted to use something healthier. The pear also sweetens the sauce slightly too.
Pour the sauce over the meat, then cook low and slow in the slow cooker. You can also use the instant pot or even the oven.
Just before serving, I like to put the shredded meat under the broiler to caramelize it and get some of it a little crispy. Delicious.
I stole this name from the creamy pink sauce often served at Japanese steakhouses alongside steaming plates of food. Everything I found online was a little different for the sauce, which is tomato-based and made with a little butter.
It’s so delicious, so I thought it would be fun to just call it yum yum yummm sauce.
Do these tacos up with a quick homemade slaw. Then top with that yum yum yummm sauce. If you love sauces like we do, you can also make a simple sesame salsa verde with store-bought salsa verde and sesame seeds.
There’s a lot happening with these tacos. Lots of sauce, slaw, and, of course, that caramelized Korean beef. Definitely not your average taco, but so flavorful and delicious. These are the perfect tacos to switch things up any night of the week!
Lastly, if you make this Crockpot Korean Inspired Tacos with Yum Yum Yummm Sauce, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!