Slow Cooker Korean Beef (Print Version)

Tender beef in savory-sweet Korean sauce with garlic, ginger, and gochujang. Easy slow cooker meal ready in 8 hours.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Beef

01 - 2 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 2-inch pieces

→ Sauce

02 - 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
03 - 1/3 cup brown sugar
04 - 1/4 cup sesame oil
05 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
07 - 1/4 cup rice vinegar
08 - 2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chili paste)
09 - 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
10 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

→ Vegetables & Garnish

11 - 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
12 - 4 green onions, sliced
13 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional, for thickening)
14 - 2 tablespoons water (optional, for thickening)

# Steps:

01 - Place beef pieces and sliced onion in the slow cooker
02 - Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, gochujang, sesame seeds, and black pepper in a bowl
03 - Pour the sauce over the beef and onions, tossing gently to coat evenly
04 - Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours, until the beef is very tender
05 - If a thicker sauce is desired, mix cornstarch with water to make a slurry and stir into the slow cooker during the last 30 minutes of cooking
06 - Shred the beef using two forks and mix with the sauce
07 - Garnish with sliced green onions and extra sesame seeds. Serve with steamed rice or in lettuce wraps

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The beef becomes impossibly tender, practically shredding with just a fork
  • The sauce develops this incredible depth while slow cooking that stove methods just cant match
  • Your whole house will smell amazing for hours before dinner is even ready
02 -
  • Don't skip searing the beef first. Yes, you can put raw beef directly in the slow cooker, but searing it in a hot pan for just 2-3 minutes per piece adds incredible flavor depth.
  • The sauce will taste quite salty before cooking. This is normal and necessary because the saltiness mellows significantly during long slow cooking. Taste at the end before adding more salt.
03 -
  • Trim excess fat from the beef before cooking to avoid an overly greasy sauce. A little fat is good, but too much makes the sauce separate.
  • Use a slow cooker liner for cleanup. After cooking this rich, sticky sauce, you'll thank yourself for not scrubbing that slow cooker insert.

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