Instant Pot Korean BBQ Pork Tacos
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Tender pork made in the Instant Pot then topped off with a sweet and spicy Korean BBQ sauce and a quick kimchi all served on tortillas for a tasty taco that’s ready in under an hour.
I’ve been making a lot of Korean BBQ recipes over the last few years. I love the sweet and spicy combination along with the umami elements that come in this type of cooking.
What is Korean Barbecue?
Typically Korean BBQ is a type of dining popular in Korean cuisine where people grill their own meat at their table. Korean BBQ sauce is a flavorful marinade or dipping sauce used in Korean barbecue. It’s known for a rich umami flavor that is balanced with sweetness, saltiness, and a hint of spiciness.
I enjoy meals with the Korean BBQ sauce because the flavor is so good. We have this Korean BBQ Tofu Bowl 2-3 times a months. For a quick meal I enjoy this Korean Style Barbecue Salmon. I’ve even made a fusion of Asian and American food with these Korean BBQ Sloppy Joes.
One of the things I like making the most of Korean BBQ tacos. They have such a great flavor and I love pairing them with pickled vegetable on a fresh tortilla.
While this recipe was originally written for a slow cooker, I changed it to make it in the Instant Pot. I love using my Instant Pot because it makes dinner so much quicker.
I chose to make these tacos with pork but you could totally use the same method and make them with chicken or beef. All three of these meats get tender in the Instant Pot and are able to be shredded.
I made a quick kimchi as the pickled vegetable on these tacos. This Asian Carrot Cucumber Salad would be really good on top of it as well. You could even top them with a vinegar based slaw.
What is KimChi?
Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish made from fermented vegetables like cabbage and radish. It’s seasoned with gochugaru, garlic, ginger, and fish sauce. It is spicy and tangy.
Ingredients:
- pork roast (pork loin, pork shoulder, or or pork butt work well here)
- soy sauce
- sesame oil
- rice vinegar (I like seasoned rice vinegar but plain is fine)
- garlic cloves
- fresh ginger (I often use a fresh ginger paste)
- brown sugar
- salt and pepper
- (or other chile paste)
- cornstarch
- cabbage
- tortillas (you can use corn or flour)
- Mexican blend cheese
To make the pork simply place the pork roast, soy sauce, water, sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, and black pepper in an Instant Pot. Cook on high pressure for 40 minutes. Release pressure and shred meat.
To make the BBQ sauce combine soy sauce, water, brown sugar, garlic, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, and Sambal Oelek in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Combine water and cornstarch in a small bowl and add to the sauce. Stir well to combine and continue heating for 1 minute.
To make the quick Kimchi place the cabbage in a large bowl. Mix the oil, vinegar, Sambal Oelek, ginger, sugar, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Pour over top of the cabbage. Toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
These tacos are so good! They are a complex mix of flavors. The pork is tender and is packed with flavor. The BBQ sauce is both sweet and spicy and works so well with the pork.
The quick kimchi adds a bit of tartness and freshness to the tacos along with a nice crunch. All together these are truly the perfect bite!
How do I store these tacos?
I find that storing all the parts separately works best. The pork can be store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The BBQ sauce can be stored in an air tight container or mason jar with a lid in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The Kimchi can be stored in the refrigerator or at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Instant Pot Korean BBQ Pork Tacos
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Pork:
- 2-3 pound pork roast
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon pepper
For the Korean BBQ Sauce:
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoons chili paste like Sambal Oelek
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons water
For Quick Kimchi:
- 6 cups cabbage shredded
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons chili paste like Sambal Oelek
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
For serving:
- 12 tortillas flour or corn
- 1 cup cheddar or Mexican shredded cheese
Instructions
- Place the pork in the bottom of an Instant Pot.
- In a small bowl combine the soy sauce, water, sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic cloves, ginger, and black pepper. Pour over top of the pork in the pot.
- Cook on high pressure for 40 minutes. Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes then release remaining pressure.
- Shred the pork and return to the Instant Pot.
- To make the Korean BBQ sauce combine the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, garlic cloves, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, pepper, and Sambal Oelek in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Bring the sauce to a boil for 5 minutes.
- Mix the water and cornstarch in a bowl and add to the sauce. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
- To make the kimchi place the cabbage in a large bowl.. In a small bowl combine the oil, rice vinegar, Sambal Oelek, sugar, sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Mix and pour over top of the cabbage. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- To assemble the tacos place pork on each tortilla, top with Korean BBQ sauce, cheese, and quick kimchi. Enjoy.
Notes
