Slow Cooker Korean Beef (Printer-friendly)

Tender beef braised in savory-sweet Korean sauce with soy, sesame, garlic, and gochujang.

# What You'll Need:

→ Beef

01 - 2 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 2-inch pieces

→ Sauce

02 - 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
03 - 1/3 cup brown sugar
04 - 1/4 cup sesame oil
05 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
07 - 1/4 cup rice vinegar
08 - 2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chili paste)
09 - 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds, plus more for garnish
10 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

→ Vegetables & Garnish

11 - 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
12 - 4 green onions, sliced
13 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional, for thickening)
14 - 2 tablespoons water (optional, for thickening)

# How to Prepare:

01 - Place beef pieces and sliced onion in the slow cooker.
02 - In a bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, gochujang, sesame seeds, and black pepper.
03 - Pour the sauce over the beef and onions, tossing gently to coat evenly.
04 - Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours, until the beef is very tender.
05 - If a thicker sauce is desired, mix cornstarch with water to make a slurry. Stir into the slow cooker during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
06 - Shred the beef using two forks and mix with the sauce.
07 - Garnish with sliced green onions and extra sesame seeds. Serve with steamed rice or in lettuce wraps.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The beef becomes impossibly tender, practically falling apart at the mere suggestion of a fork
  • The sauce balances sweet, salty, and spicy so perfectly youll want to spoon it over everything
  • Eight hours of hands-off cooking means you get all the credit for almost zero effort
02 -
  • Chuck roast really is the best cut here, something lean like sirloin will turn tough and stringy after hours of slow cooking
  • The sauce will taste quite salty before cooking, but remember it mellows and balances out as the beef releases its juices
  • Resist the temptation to lift the lid too often, every peek adds about 15 minutes to your cooking time
03 -
  • Pat the beef dry before adding it to the slow cooker, excess water can dilute your sauce
  • Let the finished beef rest for 10 minutes before shredding, it stays juicier that way

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