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Slow Cooker Korean Beef

Slow Cooker Korean beef is braised until tender and easily shredded, then thickened into a glossy sweet-soy sauce. Serve it over white rice with green onions, sesame seeds, and an optional sriracha drizzle for a quick Korean-American meal.
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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: 760
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

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

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Slow cook the beef
  1. Place the beef pieces into the slow cooker, spreading them into an even layer so they cook through consistently.
  2. Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, and black pepper until the sugar looks dissolved and the mixture is glossy.
  3. Pour the sauce over the beef, ensuring most pieces are covered.
  4. Cook on low for 6–7 hours or high for 3–4 hours until the beef is very tender and shreds easily when pressed with a fork.
Thicken and coat
  1. Remove the beef and shred it with two forks into bite-size strands.
  2. Whisk cornstarch and cold water together, then stir the slurry into the sauce in the slow cooker.
  3. Cook on high for 15 minutes, stirring once, until the sauce is visibly thicker and coats the back of a spoon.
  4. Return the shredded beef to the sauce and toss until every strand looks evenly coated.
Serve
  1. Serve the Korean beef over cooked white rice so the sauce can pool slightly at the bottom.
  2. Top with sliced green onions, sesame seeds, and a drizzle of sriracha if using.

Notes

For the best texture, shred only after the beef is fully tender on your chosen setting (low 6–7 hours or high 3–4 hours). Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 4 days; freeze the beef and sauce up to 2 months. To make it gluten-free, use gluten-free soy sauce in the same amount.