Tangy Korean Tacos

I occasionally watch Studio 5 - a local TV show. It has a cooking segment that often gets my attention. Someone demonstrated these Korean Tacos and I had to try them. It was Greg's Birthday on Sunday--perfect time to try a new food! I had some of my kids home so the timing was great.  Now, I am no stranger to Korean food. My brother spent a two year mission for our church (the Mormons) there. He often cooks Korean Feasts and invites us to share. Korean is delicious. Give it a try!

Tangy Korean Tacos

Korean Salsa
1 pint cherry tomatoes (very plentiful right now)
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
2 cloves garlic minced or pressed
1 teaspoon fish sauce
Turn your broiler on, with the rack in the upper third. On a foil lined baking sheet toss the tomatoes and  onions with the olive oil. Broil for 15 minutes, stirring half way thru until the onions are soft and the tomatoes have collapsed and are browned. Watch closely. You don't want to burn things and start over (how do I know?) Place the cooked onions and tomatoes in a tall sided container. Add the gochujang, garlic and fish sauce. Using an immersion blender--blend till smooth. Salt to taste.

Korean BBQ Sauce
3/4 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup gochujang
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 clove garlic--pressed
Place all ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil, lower temperature and simmer for 5 minutes.

Korean Cabbage Slaw
3 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon fish sauce
3-4 cups of finely shredded Napa  Cabbage
2 finely diced scallions
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup finely diced red pepper
3/4 cup chopped cilantro
In a large bowl whisk the oil, lime juice and fish sauce Add the rest of the slaw ingredients and toss. Allow to sit at least 20 minutes or as long as 6 hours before serving.

Now what do we do with all this?? To make tacos grill chicken breasts or tenders--baste with part of the Korean BBQ Sauce. I used thawed tenders--about 12-14 on a cookie sheet. I broiled them about 4 minutes on each side basting often. I then put them on a cutting board and sliced them. Meat is ready.
Warm or grill corn tortillas, we like the little ones--look for a fresh package (they bend easily). Put some meat on your warmed tortilla, add some slaw and a decent amount of Korean Salsa. Enjoy!! And do it again and again. You might also want to add a little more of the Korean BBQ Sauce. All of the flavors work so well together. It really is one of the best meals we have had in ages!   Printable Recipe 

 FYI, you can use Rotisserie Chicken and just add the BBQ Sauce to it--I have done both. I personally prefer cooking and basting the tenders. But the Rotisserie Chicken gets dinner on the table quicker! The sauces can be made days ahead; the slaw the day of. So it really can be a quick meal.
Don't be afraid of fish sauce--it is stinky no doubt but it gives a wonderful flavor that adds to the deliciousness of this dish. The gochujang (Korean Red Pepper Paste) was purchased at a Korean market. Walmart has a Korean BBQ Sauce that may be close but it has other ingredients not found in the gochugang from the Korean Market. Read labels the Korean Market gochujang has Glutinous Rice, Hot Pepper Powder, Soy Beans, corn syrup, salt and water. That is what you are looking for! I found some on Amazon--it's pricy about triple what you would pay at the Korean Market. So look for a Korean market!

I also think this would make a great salad. Put the slaw on your plate, top with BBQ sauced chicken. Add salsa to taste--yummy!