Slow Cooker Korean Beef with Melt-In-Your-Mouth Tenderness Recipe
Slow Cooker Korean Beef is a tender, flavorful dish made with seared beef chunks simmered in a rich, sweet and savory Korean-inspired sauce. This easy and hands-off recipe combines soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and optional gochujang for a touch of heat. The beef becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender after slow cooking, perfect for serving over steamed rice or wrapped in lettuce. Garnished with green onions and toasted sesame seeds, it’s a comforting and delicious dinner that requires minimal effort.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high
- Total Time: 6 hours 20 minutes to 8 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients
Scale
For the Beef:
- 3–4 pounds boneless beef short ribs or chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or neutral cooking oil, for searing
For the Korean Sauce:
- 1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup rice vinegar (not seasoned)
- ¼ cup toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely grated or minced
- 6–8 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean chili paste), optional
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup, optional
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For Aromatics and Garnish:
- 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 4–5 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced (reserve some white parts for cooking, green tops for garnish)
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- Optional: Red pepper flakes, for extra heat
- Optional: Fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
For Serving:
- Steamed white or brown rice
- Lettuce leaves (butter lettuce or romaine) for wraps
- Kimchi
- Steamed or roasted broccoli, asparagus, or other green vegetables
Instructions
- Prepare the Beef: Trim excess fat from the beef and cut into 2-inch chunks. Pat dry thoroughly with paper towels to ensure good searing.
- Sear the Beef: Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear beef chunks for 2-3 minutes per side until deeply browned on all sides. Transfer seared beef to the slow cooker.
- Prepare Aromatics: Roughly chop the yellow onion and add to slow cooker with beef. Mince garlic and grate ginger finely.
- Make the Korean Sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, ginger, garlic, gochujang (if using), honey or maple syrup (if using), and black pepper until sugar dissolves and sauce is smooth.
- Combine and Slow Cook: Pour sauce over beef and onions in slow cooker, gently stirring to coat. Cover with lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours for maximum tenderness or on high for 3-4 hours.
- Check Doneness: Test beef around minimum cooking time by shredding with two forks. If tough, continue cooking and recheck every 30-60 minutes until tender.
- Shred the Beef: Remove beef from slow cooker and shred into bite-sized pieces using two forks.
- Thicken Sauce (Optional): To thicken, whisk 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2-3 tablespoons cold water to make slurry. Stir slurry into sauce in slow cooker and cook on high for 15-30 minutes until thickened, or reduce sauce on stovetop over medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes. Return shredded beef to sauce and stir to combine.
- Prepare Garnishes: Thinly slice green onions, separating green tops for garnish. Toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant and lightly golden.
- Serve: Serve the Korean beef over steamed rice or wrapped in lettuce leaves, garnished with green onions, toasted sesame seeds, and optional red pepper flakes or cilantro. Pair with kimchi and steamed or roasted vegetables for a complete meal.
Notes
- Searing the beef before slow cooking enhances flavor but can be skipped for convenience.
- Adjust gochujang amount to control spice level or omit for no heat.
- Low setting on slow cooker yields more tender, fall-apart beef than high setting.
- Use toasted sesame oil for deeper, nuttier flavor in the sauce.
- Leftover beef is delicious in lettuce wraps or fried rice the next day.
- Make sure to pat beef dry before searing to get a good crust.
Keywords: slow cooker Korean beef, Korean beef recipe, slow cooker dinner, Korean BBQ beef, easy Korean beef, beef short ribs, slow cooked beef, Korean sauce
