Crock Pot Korean Beef (Printable)

Tender beef slow-cooked in a savory-sweet Korean-inspired sauce with pear and gochujang for authentic flavor.

# What You'll Need:

→ Beef

01 - 2 lbs beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into large chunks

→ Sauce

02 - ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
03 - ⅓ cup brown sugar
04 - ¼ cup water
05 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
06 - 2 tablespoons sesame oil
07 - 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
08 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean chili paste) or 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
10 - 1 pear, grated (Asian pear preferred)
11 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch

→ To Serve

12 - 4 cups cooked jasmine or short grain rice
13 - 2 green onions, sliced
14 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

# Directions:

01 - Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, gochujang, and grated pear in a medium bowl until well combined.
02 - Place beef chunks in the bottom of the crock pot. Pour the sauce over the beef, ensuring all pieces are evenly coated.
03 - Cover and cook on low setting for 6-7 hours until beef becomes incredibly tender and shreds easily with a fork.
04 - Remove beef from the crock pot and shred using two forks.
05 - Skim excess fat from the sauce in the crock pot. Mix cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water to form a slurry. Stir the slurry into the sauce.
06 - Return shredded beef to the crock pot. Stir to coat thoroughly in the thickened sauce. Cook on high for 15 minutes until sauce reaches desired consistency.
07 - Serve hot over cooked rice, garnished with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce creates itself while you go about your day
  • Leftovers somehow taste even better the next morning
  • Everyone assumes you spent hours mastering Korean cooking
02 -
  • The sauce will look thin and unimpressive for the first five hours, then suddenly transform into something gorgeous
  • Asian pear is worth the special trip to the Asian market, it makes a noticeable difference
03 -
  • Marinating the beef overnight in the sauce before cooking amps up the flavor
  • Let the cornstarch slurry come to room temperature before adding to prevent lumps

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