Slow Cooker Korean Beef

Pinterest image of Slow Cooker Korean Beef by Slow Cooker Club. Top image is an overhead view of Korean Beef in a bowl with Jasmine rice and spring onion. Bottom image is a close up view of chunks of slow cooked Korean Beef.

Slow cooker Korean Beef is absolutely bursting with flavor and has the most mouthwatering aroma whilst cooking ! tender pieces of gripe are lento simmered in a dark and delectable hot and angelic sauce with chunks of fresh pear. Served on a bed of jasmine rice it ’ s a fantastic option for fakeaway night .

Overhead view of Slow Cooker Korean Beef in a bowl with Jasmine rice, spring onions and sesame seeds and chopsticks on the side.

Slow Cooker Korean Beef (Bulgogi)

One of the most celebrated dishes from Korea is Bulgogi – which literally translates to ‘ fire-meat ’. It is made with strips of beef steak which are coated in a highly seasoned and sometimes spiced marinade and then cooked over a barbeque .
This smasher has since been developed into grill and stir electrocute variations, and is frequently referred to just as ‘ korean Beef ’. So it seems only veracious that there should be a slow cooker translation deoxyadenosine monophosphate well, and here it is !

The highly aromatic marinade for korean Beef is park across all Bulgogi recipes. Its base flavours are soy, ginger, garlic, carbohydrate and sesame, and some variations include fresh pears and other spices.

Reading: Slow Cooker Korean Beef

In my recipe I add chili flakes for heat and besides a korean paste called Gochujang. This paste is a combination of soy bean, brown rice, salt, red pepper and chili and it has an perplex astuteness of flavor which truly intensifies the sauce .
I besides like to include fresh pear to the recipe as it softens beautifully in the boring cooker and provides contrast against the heat of the chili and glue .
This is one of my favored things to cook for fakeaway night in the decelerate cooker, we eat it far besides often. The smell permeating through the theater during the day is good providential, and I look forward to eating it all day – it tastes that estimable !

Ingredients in Slow Cooker Korean Beef

here ’ s what you need to make it .

Beef – A marbled cut of beef works best. I use Bavette steaks (also known as skirt or flank) as the meat is always tender without disintegrating! I keep the strips thickly cut so that they retain shape.
Gochujang paste – Thick, deep red in colour with a little heat and lots of flavour – this paste is a must for the most amazing sauce. After testing numerous types, my favourite is this one by Chung Jung One which has has a lovely spicy kick.
Red wine vinegar – A dark and fruity vinegar which helps to balance the sweetness from the sugar and pear.
Soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger – All help to create a deeply aromatic flavour base.
Chilli flakes – An optional addition if you want extra heat.
Sugar – Soft brown sugar makes the sauce dark and almost syrupy in texture, perfect with the spices and heat from the chilli.
Pear – Asian pears are typical in Korean dishes as they contain an enzyme which help to tenderise meat and they also taste great against the saltiness of soy. They are different to the varieties we have here in the UK as they are larger and much crunchier in texture, almost like an apple. They are also more difficult to get hold of here, so in this recipe I substitute with a conference or blush pear (or sometimes a mild tasting apple such as pink lady or golden delicious).
Onion – To intensify the flavours.
Apple juice – A small amount to make up the sauce, it also helps to keep the meat tender.
Corn flour – Acts as a thickener for the sauce.

How to make Slow Cooker Korean Beef

Follow these six simple steps to make delicious korean Beef in the slow cooker .

Marinade – Mix together the ginger, sugar, paste, soy, vinegar and garlic. Add the chilli flakes now if you want it to be hot!
Prepare the meat – Cut the beef into 3cm strips. When making Bulgogi over the grill it’s typical that the steak is cut thinly. However, larger chunks of meat work better with this amazing sauce – trust me! Mix the beef in the marinade and leave for around 2-3 hours. The spices will impart lots of flavour into the meat and the vinegar will start the tenderising process.
Add the onion and pear – Peel both, slice the onion and cut the pear into chunks. Put them into the slow cooker and sprinkle over the cornflour.
Thicken – Mix the cornflour with the pear and onion to make sure everything is evenly coated.
Add the beef – Place the beef in the slow cooker and be sure to scrape the bowl – don’t waste any marinade!
Apple juice – Adding apple juice isn’t typical in Bulgogi but I do it here because it’s necessary for the slow cooker to keep the beef nice and soft. It also gives you a spicy and sweet sauce to serve with any accompaniments such as rice or noodles. Pour it into the pot, stir and set to cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 5 hours.

Serving Suggestions

Serve slow fudge korean gripe with impertinently steamed jasmine rice. For extra crunch add some chop form onion and a sprinkle of sesame seeds .
It besides tastes big when served with impertinently cooked noodles – udon exploit peculiarly well. Toss the noodles in the beef and sauce before serving sol they are well coated and glazed .
On the side you could besides serve some Kimchi, which is a traditional korean side dish of salted and pickled vegetables. Although not Korean in origin, I besides like to serve some crunchy vegetable bounce rolls or gyoza dumplings .

Recipe variations

If you would like to add vegetables to the sauce, I like to add crimson or green peppers ( genus capsicum ), or strips of carrot – these should be served quite crunchy. To help the vegetables retain their form and texture, cut them into chunks and add to the batch half way through the cook time .
Vegetables will constantly release varying degrees of water system whilst cooking so the sauce will be sparse. Adding a little extra cornstarch in the begin can help with this .

What can you do with leftover Korean Beef?

This recipe will serve four with rice and a side dish. If you do have some leftover gripe why not try one of these ideas ?

Store and reheat it then serve with rice or noodles.
Shred it and then reheat served in wraps with crisp lettuce and spring onions! This makes a great lunch option.
A fresh and delicious alternative is to serve it on top of an Asian inspired salad with red onion, grated carrot, cucumber, edamame beans and sesame seeds.

Tips for Korean Beef in the Slow Cooker

The cut of beef – It’s all about the beef! Big juicy chunks which fall apart as you eat them is the aim here and to achieve this you can’t use the leaner cuts. They will end up tough after being slow cookd. Bavette steak is perfect for this recipe, and the best thing? It happens to be one of the cheapest cuts!
The paste – Gochujang paste is gaining in popularity here in the UK and various brands are becoming more commonplace on supermarket shelves. However, they do have varying levels of spice and aroma. The one I use is particularly aromatic and has a medium level of spice, so if you use a different brand you may need to adjust the soy (saltiness) and chilli (heat) to suit your personal taste.
Level of heat – I include chilli flakes in the marinade for the dish which are then cooked for the entire duration because I like this dish hot! Cooking chillis intensifies their heat, so if you prefer less of a firey kick then either leave them out all together, or add them at the end. Also note that even the smallest pinch of chilli can add serious heat, so add in small quantities.

FAQs

How do you store Slow Cooker Korean Beef? shop korean gripe in an airtight container and it ’ ll quell fresh for three days in the electric refrigerator, or up to three months in the deep-freeze. Reheat thoroughly before serving. Do I have to marinade the beef? Marinading is an important part of the recipe for two reasons. It imparts flavor into the meat, and vinegar contains acetic acid which works to break down the kernel fibres making them delicate and tender. If you are short on fourth dimension, marinade the kernel for at least 30 minutes. Why is my Korean beef tough? When you slow cook gripe the meat can be tough for a few reasons. If it hasn ’ metric ton been cooked for retentive enough the meat will placid look plummet, but it will have a good sum of immunity when you test it due to the fat not having enough time to break down. Leave it to cook a piece longer.

Secondly, the meat may have been over-cooked, it will looker a pale gray and have reduced in size due to the lack of moisture. This is much more park in lean cuts of meat. generally, the fatty, marbled cuts are much better for behind cooking and that ’ s why I recommend Bavette or dame for this recipe.

Slow cooker Korean Beef is a mouth wateringly aromatic dish. Tender chunks of beef are slowly cooked in a sweetly spiced dark and sticky sauce. Serve with plump jasmine rice, this one is not to be missed!

from

votes
Print
Pin
SaveSaved!

Prep Time

mins

Cook Time

hrs

Total Time

hrs

mins

Course

Main Course

Cuisine

Asian

Servings

people

Calories

475

kcal

Equipment

Slow Cooker (5L)

Ingredients

▢

700

g

(

1.4

lb

) beef bavette steak
▢

1

white onion peeled and sliced
▢

4

garlic cloves minced
▢

1

pear peeled and cut into chunks
▢

2½

tbsp

gochujang paste
▢

150

ml

(

5

floz

) apple juice
▢

3

tbsp

soy sauce
▢

2

tbsp

crimson wine vinegar

Read more: BBQ Baked Chicken Wings
▢

1

tbsp

sesame oil
▢

1

tsp

ginger labor or 1 thumbsize piece fresh ginger
▢

¼

tsp

chili flakes optional for excess heat
▢

black pepper a modest pilfer
▢

3

tsp

soft brown carbohydrate
▢

1½

tbsp

cornstarch

Instructions

Make the marinade. Add the gochujang paste, garlic, ginger, soy, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and pepper into a bowl and mix together well. Add the chilli flakes now if you want extra heat (this is optional).
Cut the beef steaks into large even strips 3cm thick. Add these to the marinade and stir well to ensure all of the beef is coated. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Peel and slice the onion then peel and core the pear and cut it into chunks. Place these in the slow cooker.
Sprinkle the cornflour over the onion and pear and stir through.
Add the marinated beef to the slow cooker, then pour in the apple juice and stir. Try to submerge the beef as much as possible. At this point the liquid will not be able to cover the beef entirely but as the meat, onion and pear cook they will release more juice and a glossy sauce will develop which will coat the beef.
Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours. Serve with freshly cooked jasmine rice or noodles.

Notes

Recipe Notes

Cut the beef into thick and even strips 3cm across. This means they will cook evenly and that they will be tender without falling apart in the sauce.
Different brands of soy sauce will have different levels of saltiness. I use Kikkoman soy sauce as it is fragrant with a lovely rich taste. If you are using a different brand it may be necessary to adjust the level of soy sauce in the recipe.
There are many different brands of Gochunjang paste available online and in the supermarkets. The one I use is by Chung Jung One, it has real depth of flavour and a medium level of heat. Brands have varying levels of chilli so if you are using a different type then you may want to adjust the amount of chilli flakes you add.
If you want to add additional vegetables to the dish, strips of pepper or carrot work well. Add these half way through the cooking time so that they maintain thier crunch.