Spicy Korean Steak Tacos

Marinated flank steak tacos with beef broth white rice topped with gochujang hot sauce and romaine lettuce.

These Spicy Korean Steak Tacos are a vibrant fusion of bold flavors and textures, featuring thinly sliced flank steak marinated in soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, green onions, sesame oil, and black pepper. Grilled to perfection, the steak is layered on warmed flour tortillas with spicy rice, cooked in beef broth and seasoned with Gochugaru for extra heat. Topped with a drizzle of gochujang sauce and crisp romaine lettuce, these tacos offer a delicious balance of sweet, savory, and spicy, blending traditional Korean flavors with taco-style comfort.

Servings

6-8

Prep Time

2 hours 30 minutes+

Cook Time

20 minutes

Total Time

3 hours+

Ingredients

2 pounds flank steak
1 cup white rice
2 cups beef broth
Flour tortillas
Romaine lettuce, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon Gochugaru (Korean-style red pepper flakes)
Korean gochujang hot sauce, for topping

Marinade
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup garlic, minced
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup sesame oil
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

Prepare Steak & Marinade
Trim excess fat from flank steak and cut into thin strips against the grain (partially freezing helps). In a bowl, whisk soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, green onions, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and black pepper. Add steak strips, coat well, and transfer to a sealed container. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight for best flavor.

Cook the Spiced Rice
Bring beef broth to a boil. Stir in rice, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add Gochugaru flakes, stir, and keep covered until ready to serve.

Grill the Steak
Preheat grill to high heat (about 500°F). Oil grates and sear marinated steak 2 minutes per side, or until desired doneness. Remove from grill and rest briefly.

Prepare the Tortillas & Toppings
Warm flour tortillas in a dry skillet, about 1 minute per side. Thinly slice romaine lettuce.

Assemble the Tacos
On each tortilla, layer spicy rice, grilled steak, a drizzle of gochujang sauce, and romaine lettuce. Serve immediately.

Tips
Adjust Gochugaru and gochujang to your heat preference. Add cilantro, lime wedges, or sliced radishes for freshness and crunch.

Serving Suggestion
Serve tacos with kimchi or a cucumber salad for a cooling contrast.

Trim the flank steak of excess fat and cut into thin strips across the grain. It is easiest to cut evenly if the steak is partially frozen. Place the thin cut strips into a sealable container to add the marinade.

Mix the marinade by first cutting up the green onion, mincing the garlic, and stirring together with the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and black pepper.

Pour the marinade over the meat and thoroughly mix in. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours to overnight.

Once you are ready to cook, prepare 2 cups of beef broth to cook the white rice. Bring the broth to a boil and add the rice. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes. Then remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of gochugaru red pepper flakes.

Meanwhile, heat the grill to high heat 500 degrees to cook the meat hot and quick. Once the grill is hot, oil the grates with high heat oil and add the beef and sear about 2 minutes. Flip the beef cuts and cook about 2 more minutes.