A simple and easy slow cooker Korean beef lettuce wraps recipe with only 7 ingredients! Serve in lettuce wraps for a light and fresh dinner.
Slow cooker recipes can be such a lifesaver on busy weeknights. This Slow Cooker Sesame Ginger Beef with Snap Peas and this Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Beef are two great beef options, as are these Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps!
Slow cooker Korean beef is fall-apart-tender, and the sauce is sweet, salty, a little bit spicy and delicious! Plus, it’s super simple to make: no searing, no chopping, requires only 7 ingredients to throw together in the slow cooker, and cooks on low for 6-8 hours.
This is a perfect for meal prep ahead of time and serving as a healthy lunch or light dinner during a busy weeknight. It’s a great light and fresh option, but you could serve the beef in a number of ways (more on that below).
Reasons you’ll ♡ these Korean beef lettuce wraps
- perfect for meal prepping ahead of time – you can easily assemble when you’re ready to enjoy, or fully assemble after making and freeze for later
- incredibly flavorful beef wraps are satisfying yet still very healthy and lower in carbs
- recipe cooks for 8 hours in the slow cooker, making it a great dish to put together early in the day and then not bother with until the evening when you’re ready to serve
Recipe video
Wondering how to meal make these Korean beef lettuce wraps come together? Watch this 1 minute video to see how easy it is to prepare! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
Don’t forget to pin this recipe to save it for later!
Ingredients you’ll need…
For the slow cooker Korean beef:
- Beef roast – I prefer an inside round roast but you can use any lean, cheap cut in this recipe
- Soy sauce – for a gluten-free option, swap soy sauce with tamari
- Honey and brown sugar – adds the perfect hint of sweetness to balance the soy sauce and make the beef extra savory
- Rice vinegar + sesame oil- give it a little bit of tanginess and a mild sesame flavor
- Chili paste – adds a bit of spice to the recipe. Use garlic chili paste or for a more authentic Korean flavor, Gochujang paste.
To serve:
- Lettuce wrap– I used butter lettuce but if you’d like more crunch, romaine is a great choice!
- Veggies – cucumber, radish, carrots
- Sesame seeds– toasted for the best flavor
Meal prep tips
- You can use a variety of beef roast cuts for this recipe, but since we are cooking low and slow, it’s the perfect opportunity to cook tough and cheap cuts of beef like brisket or chuck roast, which will tenderize wonderfully during the long cook time.
- Shortcut: use a hand held electric mixer to shred the beef in seconds. An upright mixer with paddle attachment will work as well, too.
- This is mildly spicy as written. If you want to remove any spice, omit the garlic chili paste. If you want to amp it up, double the amount of chili paste.
- All slow cookers cook differently, and some people have found this recipe to start burning after 6 hours. I use crockpot brand slow cookers and have not had this issue even after 9 hours, but it’s a good idea to check on your slow cooker during the last 2 hours.
Find my favorite slow cooker, meal prep containers and more in my shop!
Recipe options
- To make it gluten-free: Simply substitute tamari for the soy sauce to make gluten-free Korean beef.
- Try it spicier: double the garlic chili paste recommended in the recipe.
- Make it more filling: serve with rice instead of or in addition to lettuce.
Can I make this recipe on the stove top?
You probably can, but I am unsure about the cook time for preparing. For a meal made on the stove, I would try this Korean Turkey recipe instead, which cooks quickly and works great with ground beef as well.
Can I make Korean beef in an Instant Pot?
While I haven’t made this in my pressure cooker, depending on the size and cut of your beef I would recommend cooking for 60 minutes and then doing a 10 minute natural release. Let me know in the comments if you try!
More slow cooker recipes:
- Smoky Turkey Chili
- Pulled Pork
- Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs
- Butter Chicken
- Caribbean Beef Tacos with Mango Salsa
Note: This recipe was originally posted in 2015. It has been republished with fresh photos, tips and a new video in 2020.
Slow Cooker Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
Slow Cooker Korean Beef
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons garlic chili paste (or use gojuchang paste)
- 1.5-2 lb beef roast (I used an inside round roast but you should be able to use any cheap cut in this recipe)
To serve
- cucumber (sliced into matchsticks)
- carrots (shredded or sliced into matchsticks)
- radishes (sliced thinly)
- 12-16 lettuce leaves (butter or romaine are great)
- toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
Slow Cooker Korean Beef
- In the base of a slow cooker combine soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, vinegar, sesame oil and garlic chili paste. Stir together until completely combined.
- Add the beef and toss to coat. You can also slice in half lengthwise to create two short pieces of beef and arrange in the slow cooker.
- Cook on LOWEST setting for 6-8 hours. *keep an eye on the beef during the last 2 hours of cooking.
- Remove beef from slow cooker to a large bowl. Shred with two forks or an electric hand mixer. Toss with remaining cooking liquid.
- Serve in lettuce leaves, topped with cucumber, carrots and radishes and sprinkled with sesame seeds.
Notes
Keep an eye on this during the last 2 hours of cooking. If the liquid over-reduces, add some additional water or stock to the pot. This recipe has a moderate spice. Reduce the garlic chili paste to reduce/eliminate any spiciness.
Emma
Hi! Looooooved this recipe! Could you give me some tips on freezer storage? I’m new to meal prepping and a little lost. How do you store them in the freezer and how long can they last?
Denise Bustard
Hi Emma! For this recipe, you can portion out the beef in a freezer bag or meal prep container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw, reheat, and spoon into lettuce (or tortillas) for an easy dinner. I hope this helps, and please let me know if you need further clarification 🙂
Carrie
Absolutely wonderful. The kids just gobbled this up and didn’t even complain that they were eating lettuce instead of bread. We will be having this again for sure.
Denise
Yay! This makes me so happy, kids are the toughest critics. Thanks for reporting back, Carrie 🙂
Ashleigh
I love this recipe. I thought it had a dressing recipe to go along with the slaw?
Thanks
Ashleigh
Denise
Hi Ashleigh! So sorry for my late reply and for any confusion. This recipe was reworked to simplify and I found the dressing unnecessary.
Hannah
This sounds delicious! I don’t eat beef…do you think pork shoulder would make a good substitute? Or maybe chicken thighs and reduce the cooking time? Absolutely love your blog! Everything I’ve made has been so delicious and your lunch meal prep ideas are seriously life changing. Thank you!
Denise
Hi Hannah! I think pork shoulder would work well in this recipe, I haven’t tried chicken but it’s worth a try. For chicken I would try low 3-4 hours (chicken breast) or 4-5 hours (chicken thighs). Hope this helps!
Lauren Merkel
Hi! This recipe was scrumptious! I adapted your recipe for my blog…take a peek! https://mommiedearestsite.wordpress.com/2017/08/16/wellness-wednesday-korean-beef-lettuce-wraps/
Denise
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Lauren! I checked out your post and left a comment (not sure if it went through?).
NaomiK
OH my goodness! These were sooo good! Definitely going to make this again! I couldn’t find the garlic chile paste in my grocery store so I just added some garlic and chili powder to the crock pot (which was probably better cause no one in my family likes spicy food except me!). It turned out delicious! Thanks!
Denise
I’m so happy you enjoyed them, Naomi! Glad to hear they were still good without the garlic chile paste 🙂
Jennifer
Do you cut the meat in half lengthwise or crosswise?
Denise
Hi Jennifer, lengthwise! I’ll update the recipe to be more specific 🙂
MM
This needs SOME additional cooking liquid in it. I followed the recipe exactly and left in my slow cooker on lowest/10-hour setting (turns itself to warm after). The meat was completely burned into hockey pucks, and sauce had turned into hardened carbon. I ended up throwing everything out – crock pot and all. What a bummer.
Denise
Hi MM. I’m very sorry that happened to you, and also confused, because I have made this recipe multiple times with no issues. Did you cut the meat in half and place the two halves side-by-side in the slow cooker? I’m going to pull the recipe off-line until I can retest it, because I never ever want anyone to have this happen to them. Apologies!!
Denise
Hi MM, I’m back! I’ve retested the recipe, and it didn’t burn for me even after 9 hours in the slow cooker. I really think that it must come down to differences between slow cooker models. I have updated the recipe to have a lower cook time (from 8-10 hours to 6-10 hours) and advise everyone to keep an eye on the recipe during the last 2 hours of cooking and add additional liquid if it over-reduces. Anyway, I’m really sorry that you had difficulties with the recipe and I wanted you to know that I take this very seriously.
Yuka
I’m trying it right now. What did you add for additional liquids if needed?
Denise
Hi Yuka, I didn’t need to add any extras, but I’d add more stock or even just water if you do add some. Hope you like it!
Ann
Tried this tonight and the meat was overcooked and had to turn it off after hours because the sauce was burning. I will make a few adjustments to fix this since I love the meat and salad.
Denise
Hi Ann, thanks for your comment! Just curious, what model of slow cooker do you have? I use a 5 qt crockpot brand slow cooker that cooks very ‘hot’ and my sauce wasn’t burned, although as you can tell from the photos, it sort of ‘caramelizes’ on the meat.
Jessica
How many servings would this be?
Denise
Hi Jessica! It makes 6-8 servings.
DessertFortwo
YUM! It’s lettuce wrap season! I can’t wait to try this version 🙂
Carol Borchardt
All my favorite flavors! Yummed, Pinned and will be making soon!
Denise
Thanks, Carol! Hope you like it!
Thalia @ butter and brioche
So healthy.. and so delicious – these little wraps are perfect!
Denise
Thanks Cailee! It is very tender after 8-10 hrs that’s for sure 😉
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter
We are such a fan of foods from around the world too! These slow cooker lettuce wraps look incredible! Love the flavors!
Ashley | The Recipe Rebel
I dream of the day I can travel again! Somewhere farther than the grocery store (not that I’ve even made it that far too many times with both kids…). These will be a fine substitute for the time being!
Denise
I have to admit that I didn’t even go to the grocery store when I was staying home with Kai…Well maybe for a few items, but he wouldn’t sit still in the cart, wouldn’t go in a wrap or carrier. Basically he just screamed at the grocery store. Hopefully our travelling days aren’t too far off, Ashley 🙂
Izzy
I don’t even own a slowcooker but I am definitely not tired of all your slowcooker recipes! One of these days I will get myself one! I don’t cook nearly enough diverse foods, pretty much just Mexican for me, haha! But this korean beef sounds so good! I love all the flavors and I bet it is so great with the crisp lettuce wraps!
Annie @Maebells
This one is getting added to my menu! I love that this meal is still hearty but also light and healthy. We have been on a lettuce wrap kick lately so I know it will be a hit!
Medha @ Whisk & Shout
This looks great! Especially loving the cucumber/radish/bean sprouts/sesame combo! 🙂
Denise
Thanks, Medha! It is such a simple and fresh salad 🙂
Kathy @ Olives & Garlic
I totally heart global food as well. There are some seriously amazing dishes out there. And these are seriously amazing beef lettuce cups. They look so fresh yet filling.
Denise
Thanks, Kathy!
Ceara @ Ceara's Kitchen
I <3 that you heart global food, Denise! I love cooking up different types of cuisines from around the world too! It's so wonderful that your daughter gets to try so many cool dishes from around the world tooo!
Denise
Thanks, Ceara!
marcie
These flavors are off the charts! I love this dish, Denise, and I really need to try it soon!
Denise
Thanks Marcie! Hope you like it 🙂
Denise
Thanks so much, Kristi! Much appreciated 😉
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice
I seriously don’t think I could live without my slow cooker, it’s a miracle appliance! I’ve never made a shredded beef before, so this looks fantastic! Love the cucumber salad, too. Such a delicious and easy meal!
Denise
I am only just starting to appreciate my crock pot! It is just SO nice to walk home and dinner is ready. And very little clean-up, too! Thanks, Gayle 🙂
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely
I seriously get the best dinner recipes from you Denise! This Korean beef stew is seriously going on the dinner menu next week. I’ll send you a pic when I make it! I love the flavors of this korean beef. And that you made them in lettuce cups! Paleo! Very excited about this one : )
Denise
Thanks, Natalie! I hope you like it! You can tailor the flavors by adding more or less sauce. And gosh, why do I still not know what paleo is? Bad food blogger! Going to Mr. Google right now!
Alyssa @ My Sequined Life
Yes!! I’ve fallen head over heels for my slow cooker since I got it, and these wraps are definitely added to the list of must makes! That beef looks increeeedible!
Denise
I love my slow cooker too, Alyssa, but I get so frustrated by the short recipes…they’re just not do-able on week days! Coming up with 8-10 hour crockpot recipes has been challenging, but fun!