Whether you prefer your Korean tacos meaty, packed with seafood, or vegetarian, we have a wealth of Korean Taco recipes for you to try.
Korean fusion tacos are an amazing collision of food cultures. You do not need to be very well versed in the cuisines of Mexico or South Korea to appreciate or even make food inspired by both cultures.
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What are Korean Tacos?
Korean fusion tacos are an amazing collision of Korean cuisine with the concept of Mexican tacos. You don't need to be very well versed in the cuisines of Mexico or South Korea to appreciate or even make food inspired by both cultures.
Here are some of the common ingredients you'll find in Korean tacos:
Taco Shells - Korean Tacos are commonly held together with corn or flour tortillas but creative recipes also include lettuce shells, fried wonton wrappers and more.
Protein - You'll typically find grilled, marinated or braised meats such as bulgogi (marinated and grilled beef), dak galbi (spicy grilled chicken), galbi (marinated and grilled short ribs), or spicy tofu in Korean Tacos.
Korean Marinade/Sauce - The meat is typically marinated in a Korean taco sauce in order to fuse it with authentic Korean flavors. Sauces may include gochujang sauce, sesame sauce or soy sauce with ingredients such as garlic, ginger, sesame oil, brown sugar, and Korean chili paste (gochujang).
Korean Taco Toppings - Common Korean toppings include cabbage, cucumbers, sesame seeds, red onion, pickled daikon radish, carrots, ginger, kimchi (spicy fermented cabbage). Mexican inspired toppings may also be fused with tacos such as jalapeños, cilantro, avocado, salsa, onions or lime juice or wedges.
What do you serve with Korean tacos?
- Cucumber salad
- Mango salsa
- Kimchi
- Steamed rice
- Daikon radish salad
- Sweet and sour radish salad
- Korean pickled radish
- Spicy Korean rice cakes
- Squid jerky
- Korean corn cheese
- Korean braised potatoes
- Potstickers
- Seasoned green beans
- Korean fried zucchini
- Korean seasoned spinach
Korean Taco Recipes
Whether you prefer your Korean tacos meaty, packed with seafood, or vegetarian, we have a wealth of Korean Taco recipes for you to try.
Korean Beef Tacos (Bulgogi) Recipe
These Korean Beef Tacos are loaded with Bulgogi steak, cabbage cilantro, avocado and drizzled with a Sriracha-lime crema taco sauce.
Spicy Korean Pork Tacos
These spicy Korean pork tacos are bursting with Korean flavors including Korean gochujang (hot pepper paste), hoisin sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil.
Slow Cooker Korean Street Tacos
Ginger, garlic, sriracha, beef, and tomatoes simmer in the slow cooker until ready to be topped with napa cabbage slaw and kimchi.
Caramelized Ribeye Tacos
No Korean Taco recipe list would be complete without including a Roy Choi Kogi BBQ recipe complete with his renowned Kogi BBQ sauce.
BBQ Korean Chicken Tacos
This taco is the perfect blend of sweet and savory from the juicy, succulent chicken, Korean BBQ sauce and other tasty ingredients.
Korean-Mexican Fusion Blackened Salmon Tacos
Blackened salmon tacos meets Korean-Mexican fusion with the addition of a Korean radish salad made with Korean chili flakes, fish sauce, sugar, toasted sesame seeds, garlic, and vinegar.
Korean Fried Chicken Tacos
Korean fried chicken tacos is a fusion of sticky, spicy double-fried popcorn chicken (dakgangjeong) with Korean coleslaw and kimchi.
Korean Style Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends Tacos
This Korean taco recipe adds a nice twist with smoked pork belly burn ends and a spice rub with Korean red chili flakes (gochugaru).
Korean Steak Tacos with Kimchi & Gojuchang Aioli
Korean-Inspired Steak Tacos with Gojuchang Aioli!
Spicy Korean Pork Taco with Soy Lime Vinaigrette
This Spicy Korean Pork Taco is made with thinly sliced pork in a Korean chili paste, Korean chili flakes, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil sauce.
Korean Tacos with Kalbi and Napa Cabbage Slaw
Korean kalbi is a special-cut beef short rib that is boneless and comes from a different cut than the traditional bone-in short ribs.
Orange Fried Lobster Tacos
Another Kogi BBQ recipe complete with a recipe for their Secret Weapon Slaw and tasty fresh lobster meat.
Bulgogi Taco Bar
This recipe shows you how to create your own DIY Bulgogi Taco Bar using authentic Korean ingredients.
Korean Pork Belly Tacos
This easy Korean taco recipe is made with pork belly and topped with corn cheese and kimchi.
Korean Chicken Tacos
This Kogi BBQ recipe has fried chicken strips topped with a sweet garlic teriyaki slaw on top of fried wonton shells.
Korean Shrimp Tacos
These Korean Shrimp Tacos are loaded with spicy gochujang marinaded shrimp, homemade lime crema, and delicious toppings.
Korean Ground Beef Tacos
These easy Korean Ground Beef Tacos are made with ground beef, cilantro lime slaw and a Sriracha crema.
Korean Vegan Tacos with "Beef"
The vegan beef is a combo of soy crumbles and lentils that are cooked in a gochujang sauce with onions and garlic. Add pickled zucchini, crunchy slaw and spicy mayo and you've got a simple, but so good vegan taco.
Galbi Taco (Korean-Style Taco with Beef Short Ribs)
These tacos pair Korean BBQ short ribs with a refreshing salsa made with kimchi, Korean pear and other crunchy vegetables.
Korean Style Mahi Tacos
Korean Style Mahi Mahi Tacos are made with mahi mahi, spicy kimchi, and drizzled with a slightly sweet, silky taco sauce wrapped with a warm flour tortilla.
Sweet & Spicy Korean Bulgogi Tacos
These sweet and spicy Korean Bulgogi Tacos are made with spicy beef strips, a creamy Gochujang sauce, coleslaw mix, and fresh cilantro.
Instant Pot Korean Beef Tacos
Instant Pot Korean Beef Tacos are a quick and easy way to create these street tacos.
Calamari Tacos
From the mind of Roy Choi, these delicious calamari tubes are lathered in a citrus teriyaki marinade over corn tortillas.
Not Your Traditional Korean Asian-Fusion Tacos Recipe
With ingredients like jalapeños, cilantro, lime juice, cabbage, soy sauce and sesame oil, this recipe takes fusion tacos to another level.
Korean Tofu Tacos
These Korean Tofu Tacos are made with crispy tofu, a crunchy slaw and quick pickles.
Crispy Fish Tacos with Kimchi
A simple crispy Korean Fish Taco recipe made with crispy cod, Kimchi and hard shell corn tortillas.
Korean BBQ Lamb Tacos Recipe
There is no shortage of creativity here with these Korean BBQ Lamb Tacos made with delicious Korean and Mexican flavors and an Asian marinade.
Korean BBQ Duck Tacos
A delicious mix of Korean and BBQ flavors topped off with Kim Chi Slaw.
Korean Fusion Taco Hacks
One of the best things to do when making any type of tortilla? Crisp them a bit in a hot pan so that they are slightly caramelized.
This helps for flavor but also to avoid a soggy tortilla. Fusion food can be tricky in the earliest stages; it's a smart move to pick two or three flavors to play off one another--garlic and lime, for example, with a splash of Hoisin sauce could be an instant classic with your fellow diners no matter what the taco filling. The idea is to give one flavor from each culture a chance to work together in the taco.
If you decide to use kimchi as a taco filling, your experience level with it will help in food prep. Those who eat it on a regular basis know that it's typically a good idea to open the kimchi container for the first time over the sink as some of the fish sauce in the jar may spill out.
The sauce is pungent enough to want to keep it off your clothes and countertops, but kimchi is delicious and the strong smell is one you eventually grow to love IF you are inclined to love this amazing South Korean staple.
Some fusion food can be a bit more challenging to newcomers. If you are cooking for others, it may be difficult to pair certain food culture classics with the food from elsewhere. For example, pozole is an amazing soup, but it likely works better as a standalone paired with fusion tacos. The same is true for the South Korean spicy soup Yukaejang.
That said, taking the meat cooked in either soup and using that as a taco filling could be an amazing experience. The trick to making tacos work in this case? Let the flavor of that meat be front and center; use more flavor-neutral fillings like cabbage or lettuce to round out a "pozole taco" or "Yukgaejang taco".
Fusion tacos can be at their most effective when there is an overall combination of sweet, savory, crunchy, and soft. Finding the balance can be tricky at first, but as you experiment with these flavors and textures you'll find things that work for you. The key is to start with small batches and expect to adjust your recipes as you go. Fusion food requires experimentation, and it really does pay off over time.
More Delicious Korean-Inspired Dishes To Try:
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- Fried Corn on the Cob Recipe - March 30, 2024
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