Take your taco Tuesday to the next level with these incredible Korean beef BBQ tacos with quick pickled cucumbers, they’re so good you’re going to want to put them on the weekly rotation.
I had one lone cucumber that needed to get used. I was also craving tacos (always am) and remembered I’d once had a Korean BBQ taco that had cucumbers on it and thought that would be perfect! So I googled far and wide and could not find a recipe for Korean beef BBQ tacos that didn’t require a slow cooker or hours and hours of time- maybe I was googling the wrong thing? Who knows. I just threw my hands in the air and said a mental “F-it” and decided to wing it, and I gotta tell you – these were some of the tastiest tacos ever!!
Normally I’m not one for dishes that have a ton of ingredients – there are a few exceptions to that rule: tacos (like these slow roasted chicken tacos with radish and avocado slaw) or that time I made those ahi tuna poke bowls (here). I did not mind one bit that this dish required three bowls, multiple spoons, and ingredients galore, because the flavors come together like whoa. The beef is marinated and cooked in a slightly sweet, tangy sauce. The cucumbers are quick pickled and provide a nice crunch, and these are truly quick pickled, they’re ready in 30 minutes, and then there’s a spicy mayo sauce that ties it all together and then the tacos are topped with fresh cilantro. Bite after bite of deliciousness!!
I’m kind of obsessed with this recipe. There’s normally more of a lag time between when I make a recipe and when it actually sees the light of day on the blog, but with this recipe…I made it on Thursday, and then again on Friday, and I’m making it again this week…you get the point. I had to share it and hope you enjoy these Korean BBQ beef tacos with quick pickled cucumbers.
Other recipes you might enjoy:
- Quick and Easy Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Salsa
- The Best Ground Turkey Tacos
- 5 Ingredient Cheesy Beef and Egg Noodle Casserole Recipe
Korean Beef BBQ Tacos with Quick Pickled Cucumbers
Ingredients
- For the beef:
- 1.5-2 lbs top sirloin beef thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves pressed
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon gochujang chili paste
- For the quick pickled cucumbers:
- 1 large english cucumber seedless, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 jalapeno finely sliced
- pinch of salt
- For the spicy sauce:
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise light
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 1 garlic clove pressed
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon gochujang chili paste
- For the tacos:
- 12 flour tortillas I like using small ones
- 1 cup fresh cilantro mint or combination of fresh herbs
Instructions
- For the beef: finely slice beef. In a bowl combine all ingredients for the marinade and mix to combine, then add in the beef and let marinade for 30 minutes or covered in the fridge up to 24 hours. Tap off excess marinade and put beef slices in a large skillet over high heat. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no more pink shows.
- For the quick pickled cucumbers: slice cucumbers very thin (I use a mandolin) and put in a bowl, then add in rice wine vinegar, sugar, chopped jalapeno and pinch of salt, stir, and let sit in the fridge until ready to enjoy.
- For the spicy sauce: Mix all ingredients in a bowl and set in the refrigerator. If you like spicy-spicy, add more gochujang, this sauce as is is mild to medium.
- Warm the tortillas before serving.
- To assemble tacos, spread a spoonful of spicy mayo on one side of a taco, spoon a few pieces of meat into the tortilla, and spoon cucumbers into the tortillas and then sprinkle a pinch of fresh herbs on top and repeat until all tacos are assembled, then enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
Chris Snelling says
I tried this recipe out last night. I left the jalapeno out due to having a 10 year old who doesn’t like hot things but kept everything else in the recipe. I actually added shredded carrots in on top of the cucumbers. It was great. I have a local brewery here in Vermont that serves a very similar recipe and it tasted almost identical to theirs. I am definitely going to cook this again!!!
Sweetphi says
Hi Chris, thank you so much for your feedback. I’m so happy to hear you loved the recipe, and how neat that it tasted like a brewery there in Vermont. Korean BBQ tacos are totally a fave of ours too 🙂
Kelly Morgan (dad/chef-not-so-extraordinaire) says
These were SOOOO good! Thank you for the awesome recipe. Even my 8 yr old girls loved them… without the pickled cuc of course. Wow! Will definitely make again and again!
Sweetphi says
Hi Kelly, wow, thank you SO MUCH for your incredible comment and feedback. I am so happy your family loved this recipe, this is definitely one of my faves too 🙂
Rita says
I’m going to make these phi, they sound great.
Love ya, rita
Sweetphi says
Can’t wait to hear what you think Rita, hope you love them!
Jess says
Love how all this started with one lonely cucumber! This looks delicious, and I’m sure it would be a huge hit around here. Thank you for always keeping your recipe so fresh and delicious !
Sweetphi says
One lone cucumber definitely inspired this amazing meal, I need to have lone cucumbers hanging out in my fridge more often because they were SO good 🙂
Cheri says
These will definitely show up in my weekly rotation, looks amazing. Thanks Phi!
Sweetphi says
They’re definitely worth repeating over and over, i’m even making them next week too because they’re so good!
ThatGalKelly says
Aw man…I gotta make room on my already-done meal plan for these babies. Quick pickles. Marinated beef. Spicy mayo. In a taco. SOLD!
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much for your sweet comment, I think you would definitely love these 🙂
Karen @ Seasonal Cravings says
My kids would love these babies and I’m all over those quick pickled cucumbers! Cheers!
Sweetphi says
I think your kids would definitely love these, and girl, YES, the quick pickled cucumbers are amazing, and they’re actually quick – less than an hour, vs. some that are ‘quick’ pickles but it’s really like ‘oh hey, overnight them’ lol
Sues says
Gorgeous!! And these sound so, so flavorful and yummy 🙂
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much, these are some of the best tacos I’ve ever had!
Susanne says
Oohh this looks really good! I’ll be putting this on my menu for next week!
Sweetphi says
Yay! I’d love to know what you think when you make them. Thank you so much for commenting!