Crock Pot Korean Beef (Printable)
Tender beef slow-cooked in a flavorful Korean-inspired sauce, creating a delicious and easy meal.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Beef
01 - 2 lbs beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into large chunks
→ Sauce
02 - ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
03 - ⅓ cup brown sugar
04 - ¼ cup water
05 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
06 - 2 tablespoons sesame oil
07 - 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
08 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean chili paste) or 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
10 - 1 pear, grated (preferably Asian pear, or use a ripe Bosc pear or apple as substitute)
11 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch (for thickening)
→ To Serve
12 - 4 cups cooked jasmine or short grain rice
13 - 2 green onions, sliced
14 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
# How-To Steps:
01 - In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, gochujang, and grated pear until well combined.
02 - Place beef chunks in the bottom of the crock pot. Pour the sauce over the beef, ensuring all pieces are coated.
03 - Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or until beef is incredibly tender and shreds easily with a fork.
04 - Remove beef from the crock pot and shred with two forks.
05 - Skim excess fat off the sauce in the crock pot. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water to form a slurry. Stir the slurry into the sauce.
06 - Return shredded beef to the crock pot. Stir to coat the beef in the thickened sauce. Cook on high for another 15 minutes, or until sauce thickens.
07 - Serve hot over cooked rice, garnished with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sauce does something magical during those long hours, turning tough chuck roast into something that falls apart at the mere suggestion of a fork
- Its the kind of meal that makes you look like you put in way more effort than you actually did
02 -
- Dont skip the pear in the sauce, even if it seems odd, because it genuinely makes a difference in how tender the beef becomes
- Letting the beef cool slightly in the sauce before shredding actually makes it easier to handle and less likely to dry out
03 -
- Pork shoulder works beautifully here if you want to switch up the protein, just keep the cooking time the same
- Double the sauce ingredients if you want extra for drizzling over rice or noodles later