Kalbi Taco (Korean Short Rib Taco) Recipe

A close up shot of 4 kalbi tacos on a wooden board.

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5 from 1 vote

Kalbi Taco (Korean Short Rib Taco) Recipe

Kalbi taco is a mouthwatering fusion creation combining Korean barbecue with tacos that is super easy to put together.

Prep Time2 5

Cook Time15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Fusion, korean, Mexican

Diet: Low Calorie

Servings:

Calories: 446kcal

Author: Clara

Ingredients

Kalbi and Marinade

¼ lb Short Rib
1 clove Garlic
¼ lb Yellow Onion
1 teaspoon Sugar
1 tablespoon Mirin
2 tablespoon Soy sauce
½ tablespoon Sesame Oil
½ Pear

Taco and Toppings

4 Low Carb Street Taco Tortillas
⅛ Onion
10 sprigs Cilantro
1 Radish
1 Lime

Sauces

2 tablespoon Salsa Verde
2 tablespoon Ssamjang

Instructions

Make the marinade – Add the garlic, onion, sugar, mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil, and pear into a blender. Add a tablespoon of water at a time as needed to help the mixture blend properly.
Marinade the beef – In a large flat bowl, pour the marinade over the beef and let marinade for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Prepare the taco toppings – When you’re about ready to make the tacos and the meat has been fully marinated, prepare the taco toppings. Mince the onion and cilantro into small pieces, slice the radish, and limes, and set aside. Also, set aside the tortillas you are using at this point.
Cook the Kalbi – Heat a cast iron skillet or grill pan over the stove to medium-high heat. Dry the beef as much as possible and cook the beef for about 3 minutes on each side for a medium–rare doneness. If you have a meat thermometer, I would recommend using one for precision, as various meat thicknesses will change this time.
Let the meat cool for about 5 minutes so the juices will flow back in before cutting it into small pieces.
Assemble the taco – Lay the tortilla out on a flat surface, then add the beef, then the cilantro-onion relish, along with the radish. Serve with salsa verde and ssamjang and enjoy your delicious kalbi tacos!

Notes

Substitutions and Variations

Use low-carb corn tortillas – You can also opt to use low-carb corn tortillas from Mission taco if you prefer corn tortillas.

Switch up the sauces and salsa – I used salsa verde because it’s my personal favorite, but feel free to swap it out for pico de gallo 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.

Expert Tips

Fully dry the steak before cooking – Cooking the beef in a pool of liquid will cause it to boil instead of giving it a nice sear.

Nutrition