This Korean burrito combines the delicious Korean marinated bulgogi with the fresh condiments of a classic burrito. This is a great fusion creation combining Mexican and Asian cuisine, similar to my Kalbi taco and chicken teriyaki taco.
✅ Why This Recipe Works
Easy to make – No hours of prep needed. All you need is to cook the bulgogi and put all the burrito components together.
Flavorful and well-balanced – By utilizing traditional Korean recipes to make the bulgogi and Mexican recipes to the burrito fillings, you can make a restaurant-quality Korean burrito from the comfort of your home.
Low in calories and macro-optimized – This recipe was specially developed by yours truly to be low-calorie and macro-friendly, so you can enjoy this delicious Korean burrito while staying fit
🍎 Calories and Nutrition – Make It Healthy
In this recipe, I used portion control and ingredient swaps to make this Korean burrito healthy. This resulted in a burrito with 478 calories with 36 grams of protein, 24 grams of fat, and 51 grams of carbs.
I used similar techniques as used in my healthy chicken burrito recipe to achieve this. Here’s what I did to make it healthier:
- Portioned the beef – I used 4 ounces of beef chuck for the bulgogi
- Wrap in a low-calorie tortilla – Tortillas can run from 250 to 300 calories a piece. Thankfully, low-calorie tortillas are now a staple at the grocery store, running at only 110 calories each. My favorite is the Mission Tortilla brand.
- Portioned the rice used – I used about 30 grams of rice and sautéd kimchi before mixing it in to make a delicious kimchi rice
- Omitted the beans, avocado, and sour cream – Given that I already had carbs from the tortilla and rice, I chose to omit beans and rice to keep the calorie content low. Sour cream is also a higher-calorie and high-fat ingredient that I chose to omit
- Portion the cheese – For me, no burrito is complete without cheese and I still have room to add some healthy fats into the mix. I portioned about 14 grams of cheese
Note that these portioning amounts are based on my personal preferences and macronutrient goals. For example, if you like sour cream more than cheese, there’s a way for you to swap out the cheese for a portioned amount of sour cream as well.
For a detailed breakdown of each ingredient, their portioning, and how they make up the nutrition profile of this Korean burrito recipe, you may refer to the table below:
📋 Ingredient Notes
To make a Korean burrito, you will need these key healthy ingredients.
Beef slices – Beef chuck or ribeye would work here. You can typically buy pre-sliced beef at your local Asian supermarket, or you can make your own beef slices. Check out this guide on cutting your own beef slices to learn how.
Bulgogi Marinade – The same marinade used in my bulgogi recipe, which comprises of garlic, ginger, onion, soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, sugar, and apple.
Kimchi Rice – Kimchi, a traditional Korean side dish, is a fiery, fermented delight bursting with bold flavors and a tangy kick that adds zest to this burrito. I sauté it and mix it with a small amount of rice.
Low-Calorie Flour Tortilla – I used a low-calorie flour tortilla from Mission Tortilla, which is only about 100 calories. Be sure to get the large tortilla for burritos, or you won’t have enough room to wrap all the ingredients.
Oaxacan Cheese – This Mexican melting cheese is often used in tacos, burritos, or anything with delicious melted cheese. It is similar to Mozzarella and is one of my personal favorites. You can get this at Whole Foods or your local Mexican grocery store. You may also substitute this for your cheese of choice – pepper jack, Monterey jack, or cheddar are a few that would also work.
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
📖 Substitutions and Variations
Salsa or hot sauce of choice – I didn't specify a specific salsa here but feel free to use pico de gallo, salsa verde, or your salsa of choice. Most salsas are all pretty low in calories so from a macro and calorie counting standpoint, it doesn’t matter which you choose. You can also use ssamjang, a popular Korean BBQ sauce, as a sauce for your Korean burrito.
Swap out cheese for low-fat sour cream – If you prefer sour cream to cheese, swap out the cheese for low-fat sour cream or spicy mayo to keep the burrito low in calories. If you have the calorie budget, feel free to use both in a portioned amount.
Make a burrito bowl – Swap out the tortilla for a serving of brown rice, Mexican rice, or white rice to make a delicious chicken burrito bowl recipe.
Additional filling ideas – Add some fajita veggies (bell peppers and onions), leafy greens, or some sweet corn salsa to bulk up your Korean burrito with vegetables.
🔪 Step by Step Instructions
Make the marinade – Mince the garlic, ginger, onion, and apple. Mix with the soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, and sugar.
Marinade the beef – Add the beef slices into the marinade and let marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Prepare the burrito fillings – Sauté the kimchi and mix thoroughly with the rice. Portion out the amount of cheese being used and slice the scallion into small pieces.
Cook the bulgogi – Heat a cast iron skillet or grill pan over the stove to medium-high heat. Cook the bulgogi for about 1 minute on each side, or until fully cooked.
Wrap burrito – Lay the tortilla on a flat surface, such as a cutting board. Add the bulgogi to the bottom third of the tortilla. Add the kimchi rice, cheese, and scallions. Tuck the sides of the burrito into a V-shape and continue to tuck and fold until the Korean burrito is fully closed.
Serve with salsa – Serve your burrito with a salsa of your choice and enjoy your delicious Korean burrito!
💭 Recipe FAQs
Folding the burrito properly takes some technique and practice. The key is to fold and tuck while you're rolling the burrito over. Check out this video to see how to roll a burrito.
You can buy pre-cut beef slices at your local Asian market. Alternatively, you can buy a piece of meat and slice it yourself. Refer to Just One Cookbook’s guide to slicing meat for more details.
Yes, you can make the Korean burrito recipe in advance and store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
💡 Expert Tips
Cook the beef in a single layer – This will ensure the beef is evenly cooked.
Don’t overstuff the burrito – This will result in a burrito that doesn’t fold properly.
🍽 Related Recipes
If you liked the Korean burrito, check out these related recipes.
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & if you REALLY like this recipe, consider a review further down the page. Thank you!
🍳 Recipe
Korean Burrito Recipe
Ingredients
Bulgogi Ingredients
- 4 oz Chuck Beef Slices
- 1 tablespoon Soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
- 1 teaspoon Mirin
- 1 tp Sugar
- 2 cloves Garlic
- ⅛ Yellow Onion (Minced)
- 1 teaspoon Grated Apple
Burrito Components
- 1 Low Carb Burrito Tortilla
- 14 g Oaxacan Cheese
- 30 g White Rice
- ¼ cup Kimchi
- 1 piece Lettuce
- Scallions
Instructions
- Make the marinade – Mince the garlic, ginger, onion, and apple. Mix with the soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, and sugar.
- Marinade the beef – Add the beef slices into the marinade and let marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Prepare the burrito fillings – Sauté the kimchi and mix thoroughly with the rice. Portion out the amount of cheese being used and slice the scallion into small pieces.
- Cook the bulgogi – Heat a cast iron skillet or grill pan over the stove to medium-high heat. Cook the bulgogi for about 1 minute on each side, or until fully cooked.
- Wrap burrito – Lay the tortilla on a flat surface, such as a cutting board. Add the bulgogi to the bottom third of the tortilla. Add the kimchi rice, cheese, and scallions. Tuck the sides of the burrito into a V-shape and continue to tuck and fold until the burrito is fully closed.
- Serve with salsa – Serve your burrito with a salsa of your choice and enjoy!
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