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5 from 3 votes

Spicy Korean Pork Tacos

Cook time listed is for the Instant Pot. Slow Cooker times vary. See details in recipe card.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Main or Side
Cuisine: Asian/Korean
Keyword: korean food, pork shoulder, pork tacos, slow cooker pork, tacos
Servings: 6
Author: Alice Choi

Equipment

  • Pressure Cooker or Slow Cooker

Ingredients

FOR THE PORK:

  • 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
  • 3 tablespoons Korean gochujang (hot pepper paste)
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar I like to use brown rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh ginger peeled and grated
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons sesame oil for cooking if using the instant pot
  • 2 to 2 1/5 lbs. boneless Boston butt pork roast or pork shoulder cut into large chunks

FOR THE KOREAN GOCHUJANG SAUCE*:

  • 2 tablespoons Korean gochujang (hot pepper paste)
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil + more if needed
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon brown rice vinegar

FOR THE TACOS:

  • 1 small bag corn or flour tortillas toasted or warmed
  • shredded lettuce: romaine, butter lettuce or iceberg
  • chopped kimchi for garnish
  • green onions diced, for garnish
  • sesame seeds
  • radishes thinly sliced for garnish
  • lime wedges to serve

Instructions

FOR THE PORK USING A SLOW COOKER:

  • Whisk all of the sauce ingredients, from the soy sauce to the ginger, together in a bowl. Add the pork (cut up into large chunks) into the slow cooker, add the sauce and toss to coat. Cover and slow cook the pork on low for about 6 to 8 hours. Start checking the pork at about the 4 or 5th hour if possible.
  • When the pork is ready, remove it from the slow cooker with a slotted spoon and place it on a cutting board, large plate or large shallow dish or bowl. Shred the pork by pulling the pieces apart with two forks. You can place back into the slow cooker to mix the pork with the sauce if desired.

FOR THE PORK USING AN INSTANT POT:

  • Whisk all the sauce ingredients, from the soy sauce to the ginger, together in a separate bowl.
  • Turn on Instant Pot to the sauté setting. Once heated, add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. Alternatively, you can use 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Working in batches, add the pork and sear on all sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer the seared pork to a plate. Turn off the sauté function.
  • Place all of the seared pork back into the Instant Pot and pour in the sauce. Mix together well and ensure all of the pork is nicely coated in the sauce. Place the lid on, lock the lid into place and make sure the valve is set to seal. Set to cook on HIGH pressure for 50 minutes. Once the cook time is finished, you can do a manual release to release all of the pressure.
  • Remove the lid. Remove the pork from the insert and onto a large plate or large shallow dish or bowl. Using two forks, shred all of the cooked pork. Return to the Instant Pot and mix with the sauce if desired.

FOR THE KOREAN GOCHUJANG SAUCE (for serving):

  • Whisk all of the ingredients together until smooth. Taste and adjust any ingredients as needed. Set aside.

TO ASSEMBLE YOUR TACOS:

  • Lightly warm your corn tortillas in a pan or on the stove over medium high heat. Place tortilla on your plate, top with some of the shredded pork, then the lettuce, and the kimchi. Drizzle the gochujang sauce over the entire taco and garnish with diced green onions, radishes and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top. Serve with lime wedges if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

*This is the gochujang sauce to drizzle over the tacos before serving