Instant Pot Korean Bulgogi BBQ Tacos.
Instant Pot Korean Bulgogi BBQ Tacos. Shredded chicken in a sweet and spicy Korean inspired Bulgogi BBQ sauce. All made in the instant pot (along with slow cooker or stove-top variations). And topped with a quick roasted tomatillo sesame salsa, lettuce, and cheese. It’s a fusion of Mexican and Korean flavors. These are some of the best tacos to really switch up your weekly taco night. Bonus, these tacos can be made and ready in less than 25 minutes. Making them the perfect dinner for any night of the week!
This post is sponsored by ButcherBox.
I’m often asked if I ever have trouble sourcing certain foods because of the remote area where I live in Colorado. The answer? Yes! Sometimes I can get lucky and find amazing produce, meat, and other items. But more often than not, I look to source the more specialty items, like edible flowers and high quality meat, via online retailers that deliver. For the longest time I had the hardest time with meat. I am very picky about the meat I cook and serve to my family and friends. If I’m going to cook meat of any kind, I like to know where it’s coming from, and that it’s of the highest quality.
Thankfully, I found ButcherBox. ButcherBox delivers 100% grass-fed beef, free range organic chicken, and heritage breed pork…directly to your door (with free delivery). The meat comes vacuum sealed and frozen. All I have to do is unpack it and throw it into my freezer.
I can’t tell you what a game changer ButcherBox has been for me. They offer such a cost efficient way to buy meat. Not only do they save me the time of trying to pick out good cuts of meat at the grocery store, but by buying in bulk on a monthly basis, I’m actually saving money. Above all, the taste of their meat is far superior to anything I’ve found. Their tag line says, “think of us as the neighborhood butcher for modern America”, and for me that’s 100% true.
I also love that they raise all of their animals humanely and free of antibiotics. And because they have access to the whole animal, they introduce you to cuts that you would never find at your local grocery store, but will end up loving! There are so many different options to make your monthly box just right for you.
For our first recipe together I decided on Korean inspired tacos. Thanks in large part to my love for Korean food. Oddly these tacos were inspired more by the tacos that you might find on the streets of LA, versus the streets of South Korea. They’re southern California Mexican meets Korean fusion, so flavorful and so delicious.
If you were to find a similar taco in LA, it most likely would be grilled. But I wanted to keep things as easy as possible. So I decided to let my instant pot do all of the work for us. Don’t worry, for those of you who don’t own an instant pot I’ve included grilling and stove-top directions as well.
Simply toss in your ButcherBox chicken thighs or breasts (use what you love most), add the ingredients for the sauce, and cook 10 minutes. Then simply shred the meat. That’s pretty much it for the chicken.
While the chicken is cooking, make the salsa. This is a spicy roasted tomatillo sesame salsa. It’s so different from anything you’ve probably ever had before. It’s just delicious. The perfect sauce to spoon over the sweet, tangy, and spicy Korean BBQ shredded chicken.
Lastly, finish each taco off with a little cheese, fresh mango, and cucumbers. Done.
Simple, but also so flavorful and different. Excited to make these for Cinco de Mayo this Sunday! These are the perfect tacos to switch things up…just add a margarita and your Mexican fusion meal is complete!
Lastly, I’m excited to be working with ButcherBox this year. To kick off our partnership they are offering $10 off, plus 3 pounds of chicken breasts and bacon to those who sign up through my link. Such a good deal, I honestly highly recommend them! And if for any reason you don’t feel the same as I do, you can always cancel at any time. You can sign up here.
If you make these instant pot Korean BBQ tacos, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Instant Pot Korean Bulgogi Tacos.
Shredded chicken in a sweet and spicy Korean inspired Bulgogi BBQ sauce. All made in the instant pot (along with slow cooker or stove-top variations). And topped with a quick roasted tomatillo sesame salsa, lettuce, and cheese.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- 3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons Gochujang (Korean chile paste)
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 8-10 corn or flour tortillas warmed
- 1 small mango, diced
- kimchi, shredded lettuce, sliced cucumbers, crumbled feta, or queso, for serving
TOMATILLO Sesame Salsa
- 6 tomatillos, skins removed (see notes, for creamy sauce)
- 6 green onions
- 2 tablespoons Gochujang (Korean chile paste)
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- juice of 2 limes
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
Instant Pot
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1. In the bowl of your instant pot, combine the chicken, soy sauce, vinegar, honey, Gochujang, ginger, and garlic. Cover and cook on high pressure/manual for 8 minutes. Once done cooking, use the natural or quick release function and release the steam. Shred with two forks and stir in the cilantro.
2. Meanwhile, make the salsa. Preheat the oven to broil. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
3. On the prepared baking sheet, arrange the tomatillos and green onions. Transfer to the oven and broil 3-5 minutes, until the tomatillos are lightly charred.
4. To a blender, add the roasted tomatillos, green onions, Gochujang, sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, lime juice, and cilantro. Pulse until smooth. Stir in the sesame seeds.
5. Stuff the kimchi, lettuce, and chicken into the warmed tortillas, and top with the salsa, mango, cucumbers, and cheese. Enjoy!
Slow Cooker
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1. In the bowl of your slow cooker, combine the chicken, soy sauce, vinegar, honey, Gochujang, ginger, and garlic. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours. Once the chicken is done cooking, shred with two forks and stir in the cilantro.
2. Follow the directions as directed above for steps 2-5.
Stove-Top
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1. In a medium size pot, combine the chicken, soy sauce, vinegar, honey, Gochujang, ginger, and garlic. Set over medium heat, partially cover and cook 20-15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. If the sauce is thickening too quickly, add 1/3 cup water. Once the chicken is done cooking, shred with two forks and stir in the cilantro.
2. Follow the directions as directed above for steps 2-5.
Recipe Notes
To Make a Creamy Sauce: Replace the tomatillos with 1/2 a cup plain Greek yogurt, sour cream, or mayo.
Our Favorite Recipes
Cream Cheese Swirled Coconut Tres Leches Cake.
such an easy, fun and pretty recipe! I love that it can be ready in 15 minutes, a real plus for those with hungry kids and husband! Will be trying this soon! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much Nikki! xTieghan
So this might be a silly question but do you defrost the butcher box chicken first or do you put it in straight from the freezer? Only because I know the instant pot can cook from frozen. Thanks!
Hi Lauren! I like to thaw the chicken first, but if you would like to cook from frozen, add 3-5 minutes additional cooking time on high pressure. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
looks delicious! can you throw the chicken in still frozen or does it have to be thawed out?
Hi Rachel! Yes, you can! Add 3-5 minutes onto the cooking time for frozen chicken. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I found gochujang chili sauce at the store is that the same thing?
HI Maggie! Yes, that will be perfect! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Made this tonight….incredible! I didn’t have fresh mangoes – so I substituted some frozen (thawed) and some mango chutney…It got rave reviews from my hubby and his friend… This is a keeper recipe…Thanks Tieghan! I will definitely make this again and it’s sooo easy! I used a crock pot on low (6 hours) and we were shocked how fall-apart tender this chicken was….and the combo of Korean and Mexican flavors was a perfect fusion…yummy!
Thank you so much Kris! I am so glad you loved these tacos! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan ! This recipe looks awesome and I’m so happy about the metric conversion on your site now (or maybe it was there and I never saw it?), being French it’s now in my language ahah even though I did invest in some measuring cup in order to do your recipes !
I don’t think I see your cooking instructions for stove top, could you help me with the cooking time ? Thanks in advance ! Xx
Thank you so much Isadora! It is new and I am so glad you are loving it! xTieghan
Made this last night. The chicken was super good, loved the sauce it was in. The salsa turned out really runny so I added an avocado and blended it in too, which gave it more body. An overall fun twist on tacos with the kimchi and the mango. Once I run out of tortillas I’m planning to make some rice and eat it bowl-style. It definitely took more than 15 minutes of prep time, and more than 10 minutes of cooking time (with waiting for the IP to come to pressure and roasting the tomatillos).
Hi Lauren! Thank you for trying this recipe! I am so glad you enjoyed it! xTieghan
Made this yesterday – sooo good ! Everyone loved it
Thank you!
Thank you so much Rania! xTieghan
Made this yesterday! The flavor was unbelievable! I think my favorite part was that salsa – so fresh and bright! I used a mix of breasts and thighs in the crockpot, and all I had to do was stir the chicken at the end to have it fall apart perfectly. I served my tacos with shredded coleslaw mix (red and green cabbage, matchstick carrots) instead of shredded lettuce, for a little more crunch. Definitely keeping this recipe for rainy days this summer! So easy and tasty!
I am so happy to hear that Kate! Thank you so much! xTieghan
We really enjoyed these. Sadly I forgot the kimchi and my mango was no good but they were still delicious tacos. I think we will try the leftovers as a bowl over rice – but with the kimchi and mango. Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you Lynn! xTieghan
Made it on Friday night for my girlfriend and it was soooo delicious! Have so many leftovers!! the mango and kimchi were a perfect added touch to this dish. The honey was a lot, so i would consider lower the amount of honey and soy sauce since it came out very saucy and sweet… still amazing though will be making this again!
Thank you so much India! I am so glad this turned out amazing for you! xTieghan
Made these on Sunday for Cinco de Mayo…. what a fantastic recipe – will be making over and over for sure! Thank you for your great content! I always look forward to seeing what you come up with next.
Amazing!! Thank you Anni! xTieghan
I wish I could give more than five stars – this was so good! There were so many layers of flavor, and they just kept delighting my tastebuds. My husband drank some of the salsa right out of the bowl. It was all just heaven. The sauce for the chicken was toasty, the salsa was tangy and smoky, and the kimchi added a layer of fresh KER-POW! Everything had a sweet savory quality. The array of flavors went very well together. Incredibly delicious.
Tieghan, you’ve done it again. You’re a genius.
Wow this is so sweet! Thank you so much Julie! xTieghan
If I wanted to make an Asian slaw (need to use up some red cabbage) to top the tacos instead of kimchi, do you have a recipe suggestion that would complement the flavors? Thank you!
HI! Linked to a good Asian slaw recipe below! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/asian-slaw-recipe-1913307
Just delicious. I don’t have an instant pot so made on stove top (cooked covered about 1 1/2 hours). Kids and adults all went crazy for it. Not a bite left. Thank you!
I love to hear that! Thank you Sarah! xTieghan
Can I use a crockpot? If so, how do I adjust the recipes?
Hi Amanda, the crockpot directions are listed directly below the instant pot instructions. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
So excited to make these today! Would love your thoughts on substituting flank steak for the chicken? Thank you! We love ALL your recipes!
Hey Lizzy! Flank steak will be so good! I would add it whole to the instant pot, then shred the steak once done cooking. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Do you think I could do a 2lb pork shoulder in place of the chicken??
Hey Bee! I am sure that will be so great! I would cut the pork into 4 pieces for even cooking. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Just bought myself an InstantPot and this was the first meal I made in it!
Yum! I was skeptical about the salsa — but, made it as written! SO delicious!
My chicken was very juicy. I was wondering if the natural release played
A factor in that? I think next time after I take the chicken out to shred —
I will set the IP to sauté and reduce the sauce and/or add a cornstarch
slurry. But we LOVED this recipe! Thank you! Next… Butter Chicken!
Mary
Hey Mary! The IP just locks in so much moisture that chicken always comes out super juicy! It’s so great, right?!? I am so glad you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Ahh!!! This recipe is outrageously amazing!! I had some friends over for dinner tonight and was nervous about what to make because one of them is on a diet (eye roll)… but this was insanely easy and CRAZY DELICIOUS!!! I honestly cannot wait to have more people over to impress them with this one. Thank you so much!!!
Thank you Rosemary!! xTieghan
Made this recipe in my IP and it came out amazing. I subbed pork on the bone for chicken and it didn’t shred the way I wanted so i cut it up and put it back in and it still came out amazing. I’d love to try this again with a meat this will shred but over all this was incredible and everyone loved it. I love that this cooked up in less than 20 minutes. I don’t mind recipes that take more time or all the time but sometimes you need a recipe that can cook up quick and I’m glad this recipe is in my arsenal now. Muchas!
So glad you loved this recipe Sharona! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
Made this last night and my husband and I loved it! We didn’t find that we needed any toppings besides some crumbled queso fresco and the salsa. Very flavorful. I’m going to use my leftover salsa for mexican salads next week, as I find the batch I made to be almost a quart! Will definitely make this again.
Thank you so much Charlotte! So glad you both loved it! xTieghan
I made these for a big family dinner and while I’m sometimes skeptical of fusion recipes, these turned out great! I doubled the recipe so I could have leftovers, which my parents even asked to take home (unusual – they must have really liked it!). I made a few tweaks: sauteed half an onion sliced thin in some oil with the garlic and ginger before adding the rest of the chicken ingredients, then added a few tablespoons of lime juice, sriracha, and a slurry of cornstarch/water at the end to give it more zing and stickiness. I have neither crockpot nor instantpot so it needed to cook on low with the lid on for about 45 minutes before the chicken was shredded, then another 45 minutes after shredding to tenderize and absorb the sauce. The skins weren’t easily coming off of the tomatillos so I just threw them in whole, which worked just fine. We ate it with tortillas, mango, crumbled aged queso, and some chopped avocado, with rice and beans on the side. Really good the night of and the next day for lunch as well.
So glad you loved this recipe Holly! And had leftovers for lunch. YES! Thank you! xTieghan
Hi! Just about to make this but we dont have tomatillos in England! do you have any suggestions as a substitution?
Thanks
Zoe
Hey Zoe! I recommend using an equal amount of tomatoes! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Such a tasty recipe. My husband loved it. My picky 1 year old did not (not a surprise). Second time I made this instead tacos I served over rice noodles added some fresh raw veggies (thin sliced peppers and carrots) and it was amazing.
That is so great to hear! Thank you so much Nicole! xTieghan
So so delicious. This has become my husband’s favorite dish and I even used it in a friendly cook-off against my brother in law. So much flavor, so delicious!
Love to hear that! I am so glad you all loved this Lacy! Thank you! xTieghan
Thank you
i will give to my friends your recipes.
So i will make tacos.
Aw thank you so much! I hope your friends love it as much as you! xTieghan
This sounds PERFECT. I’m curious about using other types of meat with this dish (pork/beef- these are my husbands favorite). Do you have any suggestions on cuts to use for pork or beef? Would cooking time be the same? Thank you!
Hi Lizz,
You could totally use pork or beef for this recipe! I would keep everything the same. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This was amazing! So creative too. I didn’t have Korean chilli paste but I used bulgogi Korean bbq sauce instead.
Love it! I am really glad this turned out so well for you Misty! xTieghan
Hello,
Can I make this a freezer meal then put in instant pot?
Freeze: chicken, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, fresh ginger, grated, garlic
Thoughts?
Thanks Jeanne
Hi Jeanne,
This sounds like a great idea! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi! This recipe sounds amazing, but I’m not a big fan of spicy food. Can I use just 1 tablespoon of the gochujung or omit it all together or will it not be too good that way. Thanks!
Hi Gillian,
Sure I would just reduce to 1 tablespoon. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This sounds so good! I am going to try to substitute jackfruit to make it vegetarian. Can’t wait for next Taco Tuesday!
Ooo love that idea! I hope these turn out amazing for you Kim! Thank you! xTieghan
Can you include the stove top instructions please? I’d love to try this but only have a stove.
Hi Wendy,
The stove top instructions are already included! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Love it. Did in the instant pot And used chicken thighs. Just the right amount of heat and sweet.
Amazing! Thank you so much Lisa! xTieghan
Made these last night! Soooo good! They are going in the rotation! Next time I might see how avocado slices taste in addition to the recommended toppings!
Love that!! Thank you so much Emily! xTieghan
I made this tonight for dinner and it was DELICIOUS! so easy + flavorful. I have a lot of chicken left over, I should have cut the recipe in half lol but I think leftovers will be good over rice!
Thank you so much for trying this one, Sarah! I am so happy it turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This looks great! i was only able to find Korean BBQ sauce “bulgogi” at my grocery, how could I modify this recipe to use that ingredient? Thanks!
Hi Jamie,
I would use that as is! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
So sorry I didn’t take a photo when I made these Korean Bulgogi tacos but these are absolutely amazing & delicious! I just wanted to keep eating them even though I was full. The mingling of zesty, tangy spicy, smoky flavored deliciousness was so refreshing! Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe and for the beautiful work you do with your videos and gorgeous photography that make the recipes look so simple and delectable! You are a true food artist.
Aw you are too sweet! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
The underlying flavor is delicious but this is incredibly salty! I used liquid aminos and with 3/4 cup that is apx 12,600 mg of sodium. Granted you’re not consuming all the sauce for one serving but even if you divided the entire recipe into four servings that over 3,000 mg of sodium for one serving alone. Will maybe try again with coconut aminos. Will still end up being a lot of sodium at 3/4 cup so will try only 1/2 cup to see how that turns out.
Hi Lisa! I am sorry this was a bit too salty for you! Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help! xTieghan
These tacos were the first recipe from HBH I have made and I LOVED them (and so did my whole family for that matter). I did not use tomatillos in my sauce and alternated for sour cream and even though it was thin it was so tasty and I slathered my tacos in it and was looking for other uses for this sauce- because it was SO good. I loved the mango topping as it balanced everything out perfectly and added a layer of sweetness. Cant wait for leftovers tomorrow and to make the thai meatballs tomorrow (and many more recipes in the future).
Hi Maddy! That is so amazing to hear! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! I hope the leftovers are even better!! xTieghan
Planning to make these tonight-can’t wait! I’m trying to remember on your Instagram video a substitution you suggested for the Gochujang if you can’t find it? Not much variety in my rural town! Thanks!
Hi Addie,
You can use chili paste or sriracha. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Long time follower, first time commenter 😉
This was delicious! Great flavors, as always, and made loads of food. I really appreciated how quickly it all came together. We subbed hard shell tacos (because it was what was on hand) and later in the week made it a salad with spinach/arugula and tortilla chips/broken taco shell bits. This is definitely going into the “Quick and easy Go-To” file! Thank you!
Thank you so much Kait! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you!! xTieghan
Omg these tastes like restaurant tacos!! Even my picky husband liked them. I made the creamy sauce that was in your instagram story version and topped them like traditional tacos with cilantro, onion, avocado, and jalapeños. 100% doing this again!!!!
Thank you so much Katherine! xTieghan
Amazingly flavorful and easy. Make a double batch of the sauce. You will want more of it!
Thank you so much Jennie! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I made this in the Instant Pot and followed the recipe exactly with chicken thighs (even used about 1/4 lb more). I did use gluten free low sodium soy sauce. The chicken turned out very tender. However, it was all way too salty – almost hard to eat and felt like it took away from any other flavors. Any suggestion on how to fix the saltiness?
Hey Lisa,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am sorry it was too salty for you. Next time I would just reduce the soy sauce to your liking. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
How do you toast up your tortillas in your recipes with that nice rustic looking char?
Hey Pamela,
I put them directly over the stove top flame. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Made these in the instant pot last night. My family devoured them. Who knew feta would go so wonderfully on a Korean taco?
Hey Steve,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try. I am so glad that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
SO GOOD! The chicken was on the salty side for us, even with low sodium soy sauce. I couldn’t find tomatillos at the store, so I bought tomatillo salsa and customized it with the sesame seeds, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, lime, etc. – which actually worked really well! Will definitely make again.
Hey Lexy,
Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan