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Slow Cooker Korean Beef

Slow Cooker Korean Beef is tender, slow-simmered chuck roast with a glossy sweet-soy sauce. Cook low until it shreds easily, then thicken the sauce with a cornstarch slurry for a clingy finish over white rice.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Korean-American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef
  • 2 lb beef chuck roast cut into 1.5-inch pieces (or use flank steak)
Sauce
  • 0.5 cup soy sauce
  • 0.33 cup brown sugar packed
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger grated
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
Thickener
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp cold water
Serving
  • 1 cooked white rice
  • 1 green onions sliced
  • 1 sesame seeds
  • 1 sriracha optional

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Slow cook the beef
  1. Place the beef chuck roast in the slow cooker in an even layer.
  2. Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, fresh ginger, red pepper flakes, and black pepper until smooth.
  3. Pour the sauce over the beef so the pieces are well coated.
  4. Cook on low for 6–7 hours (or high for 3–4 hours) until the beef is very tender and shreds easily, with the sauce looking glossy and reduced around the edges.
Shred and thicken the sauce
  1. Remove the beef and shred with two forks until it pulls into strands.
  2. Whisk cornstarch and cold water together, stir into the sauce, and cook on high for 15 minutes until thickened and coats the back of a spoon.
  3. Return the shredded beef to the sauce and toss to coat until everything looks evenly glazed.
Serve
  1. Serve the Korean beef over cooked white rice.
  2. Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds, and finish with a drizzle of sriracha if using.

Notes

For the most tender shred, keep the lid on during cooking and avoid stirring until the end. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container up to 3–4 days; freeze for up to 2 months. To make it lower-sugar, replace the brown sugar with an equal amount of packed low-calorie brown sugar substitute and simmer a bit longer on high after thickening if needed.