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 the flank steak and cut into thin strips against the grain (partially freezing the steak makes slicing easier). In a bowl, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic, chopped green onions, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and black pepper to make the marinade. Place the steak strips in a sealable container, pour in the marinade, and ensure the meat is well-coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight for the best flavor.

Prepare Spiced Rice

Bring beef broth to a boil, add rice, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in Gochugaru red pepper flakes and set aside, keeping the rice covered.

Grill Marinated Steak

Preheat grill to high heat (around 500°F). Oil the grill grates and sear the marinated steak for about 2 minutes per side, or until desired doneness is reached. Remove from the grill.

Prepare Tacos

While the steak is grilling, warm flour tortillas in a skillet over medium-high heat for about 1 minute on each side. Thinly slice romaine lettuce.

Assemble Tacos

On each warmed tortilla, layer spicy rice, grilled steak strips, gochujang hot sauce, and sliced romaine lettuce. Serve immediately while warm.

Tips

Adjust Gochugaru and gochujang levels to control spiciness. Add fresh ingredients like cilantro, lime wedges, or sliced radishes for extra flavor and texture.

Serving Suggestion

Pair these tacos with kimchi or a cucumber salad for a refreshing contrast to the spicy, savory flavors.

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.

Remove the meat from the grill into a large bowl.

Heat the flour tortillas over med-high in a large skillet about 1 minute each side to warm and prepare thin cut romaine lettuce for topping.

To assemble the tacos, layer the rice, then the beef, then the gochujang hot sauce, and top with the romaine lettuce.