Slow Cooker Korean-Style Shredded Beef (Easy + Tender!)

Shredded beef in sauce garnished with sliced green onions and sesame seeds inside a slow cooker, with serving forks placed on the side.

Slow Cooker Korean-Style Shredded Beef (Easy + Tender!)

Tender, fall-apart beef in an easy homemade savory-sweet sauce, this slow cooker Korean-inspired shredded beef is deeply flavorful with almost no effort. Everything goes into the slow cooker (no searing or pre-cooking!) for an easy weeknight win that still feels like something you’d order out.

Course dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Diet Low Lactose

Keyword slow cooker Korean-inspired shredded beef

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 8

Total Time 8 5

Servings servings

Calories 397

Author Robyn Conley Downs

Equipment

Slow Cooker

Ingredients

2½-3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, fat trimmed if desired
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, freshly grated
⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon gochujang (see notes)

To Add at the End

2 teaspoons cornstarch (optional, for thickening)

Instructions

Prep the Beef: Place the beef in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker insert. Scatter the onion evenly over the top.
Make the Sauce: In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and gochujang, until smooth and the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove ¼ cup of the sauce and set aside. Pour the remaining sauce over the beef.
Cook Until Tender: Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 5-7 hours, or until the beef is fall-apart tender. Note: If the beef is not super-tender, it means you need to cook it longer. Keep adding time until it easily shreds with a fork.
Shred: Transfer the beef to a cutting board and shred with two forks. Add the reserved ¼ cup sauce to the slow cooker.
Thicken: If you'd like a thicker sauce, turn the slow cooker to high (if not already). Whisk 2 teaspoons of cornstarch with 2 teaspoons of water, stir into the sauce, cover, and cook on high for 5-10 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
Return the shredded beef to the sauce and stir to coat.
Serve: Spoon the beef and sauce over rice or noodles, or wrap in lettuce leaves. Top with sliced green onions and sesame seeds to taste.

Notes

Gochujang: If you’ve never used gochujang before, this is a good intro! The Korean fermented chili paste melts into the sauce and brings a savory-spicy warmth without overpowering anything. Find it at most well-stocked grocery stores, including Trader Joe's. If you don’t have it, you can swap in a little chili garlic sauce or sriracha. It’s not exactly the same, but will give a similar vibe.
For Serving: Steamed rice, noodles, lettuce wraps, sliced green onions, sesame seeds.
Spiciness: This recipe is not spicy. If you want more of a kick, you can double or even triple the gochujang, and I definitely recommend serving with your favorite hot sauce.
Sweetness: I feel like this one leans sweet, which my family really loved, but if you want to reduce the sweetness, just use 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar.
Nutrition Info: Will depend on weight of chuck roast and whether it's trimmed of fat or not.

Nutrition