Crispy baked tacos are hugely popular right now, and this is my Korean spin on them. The ground beef cooks with ginger, garlic, honey, soy sauce and gochujang until it’s sticky and caramelized, then gets tucked into flour tortillas with mozzarella and baked until crispy. The best part comes after they’re out of the oven, when you open them up and add spicy mayo, thin slices of cucumber and shredded lettuce, so every bite is hot and crunchy on the outside and cool and fresh in the middle.
My 5-year-old is surprisingly obsessed with these, so I’ve gotten into the habit of keeping the cooked beef, chopped veggies and spicy mayo in the fridge and baking a few whenever she asks for them, so they’re always fresh and crispy. If you love these flavours, my Korean shredded beef tacos are a slow-cooked version for the weekend, and my Korean beef bowls use a similar caramelized ground beef served over rice. A handful of quick pickled red onions adds even more flavour, or if you want to go a more traditional route, fill them with the best taco meat instead.
Key Ingredients You Will Need
- Gochujang: You really can’t make these tacos without it. This Korean fermented chili paste goes into both the beef and the spicy mayo, and it’s what gives them that deep, savoury, slightly sweet heat. You’ll find it in the Asian aisle of most grocery stores, usually in a red tub.
- Ground beef: I find lean or extra lean ground beef works best because it doesn’t get too oily. Regular ground beef releases more fat, and that grease ends up in the tortillas, which makes for greasy tacos. Thanks to the honey in the sauce, the beef caramelizes as it cooks, giving it a sticky, browned texture you don’t get with traditional Mexican taco meat. You could even swap in ground turkey or chicken.
- Kewpie mayo: I personally love the sweeter, creamier flavour of Kewpie in the spicy mayo, and it balances the heat from the gochujang really well. Regular mayonnaise can easily be swapped in if that’s what you have.
- Mozzarella: I found mozzarella was the best option here. It melts and holds the tacos together as they bake, and gives you that stringy cheese pull when you bite in or break one apart, without adding so much flavour that it competes with the beef and spicy mayo.
How To Make Korean Baked Tacos
1. Cook the beef. Keep cooking after the sauce goes in until it has cooked down and clings to the beef, and the edges start to look glossy and caramelized. A wet filling will steam the tortillas from the inside instead of letting them crisp up.
2. Fill the tortillas. Soften the tortillas in the microwave for 10 to 12 seconds, rub each one in the oil on the baking sheet, then spoon the beef onto one half and top with mozzarella. Keeping the filling to one side makes them easy to fold and press closed.
3. Fold and bake. Fold each tortilla over and press down firmly so the melting mozzarella holds it closed. They’re ready when the tortillas are golden and the cheese around the edges has turned brown and lacy.
4. Add the toppings. Gently open each taco while it’s still warm and add the spicy mayo, cucumber and lettuce. Adding the fresh toppings after baking keeps them cold and crisp against the hot, crunchy shell.
Tips For Making the Best Korean Baked Tacos
- Prep the components ahead. I keep the cooked beef, chopped veggies and spicy mayo in separate containers in the fridge, then fill and bake as many tacos as we need. That way they’re always freshly crispy instead of soggy leftovers.
- Oil the pan, not the tortillas. I found it much easier to spread the oil over the baking sheet and rub each tortilla in it than to brush every tortilla individually. It’s quicker, there’s no pastry brush to wash, and the undersides still get evenly coated.
- No need to flip. I tested flipping the tacos halfway through baking and it only made them slightly crispier, so I don’t bother.
- Don’t overfill them. About 1/4 cup of beef per taco is plenty. Any more and the tacos are much harder to keep closed while they bake, so resist the urge to pile it in.
- Make extra spicy mayo. I always serve these with more spicy mayo on the side for dipping or drizzling over the top.
Ways To Customize These Baked Tacos
Tortillas: Swap the flour tortillas for corn tortillas.
Gluten free: Use corn tortillas or grain-free tortillas such as Siete, and swap the soy sauce for tamari or coconut aminos. Check the label on your gochujang too, since many brands contain wheat.
Add kimchi: Tuck a little chopped kimchi in with the cucumber and lettuce after baking for extra tang and heat.
Swap the lettuce: Finely shredded cabbage is a great option in place of the romaine and adds even more crunch.
How To Store & Reheat
Storage: Store the cooked beef, chopped veggies and spicy mayo separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days, then assemble and bake as needed.
Reheating: If you have leftover baked tacos, take out the lettuce and cucumber and reheat the tacos in the oven at 400°F for 5 to 8 minutes until crispy again. The microwave will make them soft.
Freezing: The cooked beef freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge before filling and baking.
If you make these Korean Baked Tacos, let me know in the comment section below. I would love to hear what you think, or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram. I love seeing your photos!
Korean Baked Tacos with Gochujang Beef
Ingredients
Korean Beef
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- ⅓ cup finely diced red onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp finely grated ginger
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp gochujang paste
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
Spicy Sauce
- ½ cup kewpie mayo or regular mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp gochujang
- 1 tbsp honey
Tacos
- 1 tbsp neutral oil such as avocado oil olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1 cup finely shredded romaine lettuce
- 1 persian cucumber very thinly sliced
- 6-8 small flour tortillas
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
- Bring a large skillet to medium high heat. Add in the sesame oil and red onion and saute for 3-4 minutes until the red onion begins to soften. Add in the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute before adding in the ground beef and use a wooden spoon to break it up into a crumbly texture as it cooks. When the beef is no longer pink add the honey, gochujang paste and soy sauce and stir to mix the sauce into the beef. Cook for an additional 4 to 5 minutes until the sauce has cooked down and clings to the beef, and the beef looks browned and slightly caramelized. Set aside.
- To make the spicy sauce in a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, lime juice, gochujang and honey
- Microwave the tortillas for approximately 10-12 seconds to soften them slightly.
- Add the neutral oil to a baking sheet and spread it around slightly. Lay the tortillas on the baking sheet ensuring that they are oiled on the underside. Place approximately ¼ cup of ground beef onto 1 half of each tortilla. Add a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese on top of the meat mixture and then fold the other half of the tortilla on top to close it. Press down firmly on the tortilla to ensure that it stays closed.
- Transfer to the oven to bake for 15 minutes until they are crispy and the cheese is melted
- Remove from the oven and gently open each of the tortillas and spread a thin layer of the spicy mayo inside along with a few slices of cucumber and a bit of shredded lettuce. Close the tortillas.
- Serve them with more spicy mayo on the side for dipping or to drizzle overtop.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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