Asian inspired recipes are a whole other level for me. There’s always a nice spice, perfect marination, and a slight tang/zest to them. This recipe is pretty much everything I could ask for in an entree– well marinated pieces of beef, cooked with sesame oil and Korean chili sauce, grilled with red peppers and jalepenos, and topped with a pinch of lime zest! Seriously- what could you possibly add to this perfection?!
To be honest, I think 90’s cartoons/memories made me super hesitant to experiment with beef in cooking. I always have a mini flash to like cafeteria-style soggy, barely cooked beef (this is a great intro to a beef recipe, right?). Anyways, I usually lean away from cooking with beef for that reason. Chicken is just easier- it’s ridiculously hard to mess up, super easy to marinate, and always delicious. And, for some reason, I just don’t like minced meat. Raw or uncooked- it looks weird and I don’t wanna mess with it. But the issue is…I really love beef entrees. Well marinated steaks, delicious burgers, and now- Korean BBQ tacos.
Thankfully for me, my friends are freaking experts at cooking (and lucky me because I get to record their skills & recipes and of course- eat up every last bite of their delicious meals.) #shoutouttomytalentedfriends #thankyouandpleasecookformeagainsoon
The story of these tacos: well, about two months ago, my friend offered to make beef tacos for lunch. I (wrongly) assumed they meant some lame minced beef tacos soooo I asked if they could make another one of their delicious dishes. But another week later, they brought it up again..and again. So I decided it was time to finally try out these “amazing tacos”…and then I immediately wanted to go back and kick myself for not trying them sooner. Seriously. Since they’ve cooked it the first time, I’ve already annoyed them into making these about 5 times more for me. After the last time, I realized I should probably stop bugging them & just get the recipe so I could have it (and share their secret concoctions online with you guys —you’re welcome!)
- 1 serving of lean ground beef (114g)
- 2 flour tortillas
- 20 grams Mexican shredded cheese
- Sesame seed oil
- Vegetable oil
- Salt and Pepper
- 1 red chili pepper, sliced
- 1/2 jalapeno, sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
- Green onions, chopped
- 1 lime, zested
- Gochujang (Korean Chili Paste) sauce
- Place a 12 inch sauté pan on medium high heat. Pour vegetable oil and wait for it to get hot
- Season ground beef with salt & pepper and form into 1-inch pieces
- Place beef in pan and cook until they are crispy and brown
- Remove the ground beef onto a plate with a paper towel to soak up excess oil
- Reduce heat to medium. Pour 2 tablespoons of sesame seed oil into pan
- Add garlic, ginger, red chili pepper, and jalapeno
- Sauté together and then add beef back into pan for a minute
- Place back onto plate and add gochujang sauce. Toss together until pieces are lightly coated with sauce. Set aside.
- Cook tortillas in same pan (with residual sesame seed oil)
- Once tortillas are browned, place in plate and add cheese. Add half of the beef mixture. Finally, top with green onions and lime zest (lime juice optional). Enjoy!
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