Slow Cooker Korean Beef

Slow cooker Korean Beef is absolutely bursting with flavour and has the most mouthwatering aroma whilst cooking! Tender pieces of beef are slowly simmered in a dark and delicious hot and sweet sauce with chunks of fresh pear. Served on a bed of jasmine rice it’s a fantastic alternative for fakeaway night.

Slow Cooker Korean Beef (Bulgogi)

One of the most famous 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 barbecue.

This dish has since been developed into grill and stir fry variations, and is often referred to simply as ‘Korean Beef’. So it seems only right that there should be a slow cooker version as well, and here it is!

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

In my recipe I add chilli flakes for heat and also a Korean paste called Gochujang. This paste is a combination of soy bean, brown rice, salt, red pepper and chilli and it has an amazing depth of flavour which really intensifies the sauce.

I also like to include fresh pear to the recipe as it softens beautifully in the slow cooker and provides contrast against the heat of the chilli and paste.

This is one of my favourite things to cook for fakeaway night in the slow cooker, we eat it far too often. The smell permeating through the house during the day is just divine, and I look forward to eating it all day – it tastes that good!

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.

1. Marinade – Mix together the ginger, sugar, paste, soy, vinegar and garlic. Add the chilli flakes now if you want it to be hot!
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Thicken – Mix the cornflour with the pear and onion to make sure everything is evenly coated.
5. Add the beef – Place the beef in the slow cooker and be sure to scrape the bowl – don’t waste any marinade!
6. 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 cooked Korean beef with freshly steamed jasmine rice. For extra crunch add some chopped spring onion and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

It also tastes great when served with freshly cooked noodles – udon work particularly well. Toss the noodles in the beef and sauce before serving so they are well coated and glazed.

On the side you could also serve some Kimchi, which is a traditional Korean side dish of salted and pickled vegetables. Although not Korean in origin, I also like to serve some crunchy vegetable spring rolls or gyoza dumplings.

Recipe variations

If you would like to add vegetables to the sauce, I like to add red or green peppers (capsicum), or strips of carrot – these should be served quite crunchy. To help the vegetables retain their shape and texture, cut them into chunks and add to the pot half way through the cooking time.

Vegetables will always release varying degrees of water whilst cooking so the sauce will be thinner. Adding a little extra cornflour in the beginning 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 beef 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.

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