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It’s sort of hard to be talking about these tacos. I mean, these bulgogi BBQ pork tacos with charred tomatillo sesame sauce and spring onion slaw are a mouthful, literally!

Bulgogi BBQ Pork Tacos with Charred Tomatillo Sesame Sauce + Spring Onion Slaw | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Watch the How-To Video Here:

I made them a week or so ago and umm, talking about them is just making me wish I had one – or two or three, or ok maybe even four! What I made them small! It’s also making me wish I was eating them while sitting on the beach looking out over the clear blue water.

Hey, a girl can dream.

And speaking of dreams. You guys, lately I am loving my dreams. Is that weird? I feel like that is really weird, but mine have been extraordinarily good lately. Think palm trees, summer, cute guys, road trips and other random things. Oh, and one kind of creepy dream that I’d really like to forget. I feel like this may be a sign that I’m quite possibly living life through my dreams…which definitely means I need to get out more. UGH. I am such a homebody. I love it and hate it all at the same time. But ahh, I mostly love it.

I am also now realizing just how much I dream. Not only when I sleep, but during the day too. Like when I am wide awake, in the middle of shooting…say chocolate things, yep, even then I sometimes drift off. I definitely begin to daydream when I am doing my computer work. My mind just starts to get bored and then it wanders. Oh well, I guess I have a pretty good imagination, which can actually be pretty fun.

Hey, dream big or go home, right? <–motto to live by.

Bulgogi BBQ Pork Tacos with Charred Tomatillo Sesame Sauce + Spring Onion Slaw | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

So let’s talk tacos, and about my obsession with southern California. Basically, if I didn’t have a family that I loved so frickin’ much here in Colorado I’d pick up all my stuff and get my butt to CA. I know, everyone wants to live in California, but well, it’s so nice there. Sunny and warm, farmers markets all year round, the flea markets (hello food pro HEAVEN!) and well, TACOS! The tacos alone are reason enough. I mean, right??!?

Now, I realize that the grass always seems greener on the other side (but well, it literally is so much greener. I am currently looking out at dirt…lots of brown dirt). Plus, I tried the whole LA thing when I was seventeen and well, to be brutally honest, it pretty much scared the crap (excuse the language) outta me. Granted I am a few years older now and have a whole different mindset than my seventeen year old lost self, but you know, I tend to play it safe.

BUT I can dream. Apparently, I am really good at this dreaming thing.

Bulgogi BBQ Pork Tacos with Charred Tomatillo Sesame Sauce + Spring Onion Slaw | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

In LA, I lived in the West Hollywood area around the La Brea Tar Pitts. Every day around lunch, all the food trucks would line the street and OH MY GOSH. It smelled insanely good. Most of my time that summer was spent working, but on a day off, I’d go and look through all the menus just for fun, cause you know that’s totally normal and all. The good thing was that I never really got a chance to get dependent on the food trucks, but I did get to scour the menus, which was awesome, cause hey, it’s LA and anything goes. The other good thing was that those menus inspired so many amazing recipes.

These bulgogi BBQ pork tacos being one of them. Now, they are so not the same as the ones from the Kogi Food Truck because one, I didn’t have that recipe and two, I had to make them my own because I don’t know how to not do that. Plus, when I start cooking, things just happen, and following recipes pretty much goes out the door. Maybe that’s why half the baked goods I make fall flat? Hmmm…..

Bulgogi BBQ Pork Tacos with Charred Tomatillo Sesame Sauce + Spring Onion Slaw | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Bulgogi BBQ Pork Tacos with Charred Tomatillo Sesame Sauce + Spring Onion Slaw | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Anyway, these tacos are insane. INSANE.

I made them with Cinco De Mayo in mind. The minute Easter was over all I could think about was the next holiday. CINCO DE MAYO! Probably one of the best food holidays around if you ask me. Mexican food RULES. I know I am a bit early to the Mexican party, but you see, I have so many recipes I want to show you before May 5th that I figured I better just get started. Can you say first world problems??

Bulgogi BBQ Pork Tacos with Charred Tomatillo Sesame Sauce + Spring Onion Slaw | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

These are Mexican-Korean fusion food at its best. They may even be one of my very favorite tacos. For me, it’s all about that tomatillo sauce, so stinking awesome.

Bulgogi BBQ Pork Tacos with Charred Tomatillo Sesame Sauce + Spring Onion Slaw | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

The tacos are pretty simple to make, but they do require a bit of ingredients, and the pork needs some time in the fridge, but please don’t let anything stop you from making these. Your mouth needs to experience these flavors. No exaggeration. I don’t kid when I am talking tacos.

Bulgogi BBQ Pork Tacos with Charred Tomatillo Sesame Sauce + Spring Onion Slaw | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

And then, once you make these tacos and realize how much you love them, you can then go on to dream about them, and how many people you can share them with in the coming weeks. YES.

Oh, and bonus point to anyone who tops their tacos with sesame fries and a fried egg. If you do this, please show me photos!!

Bulgogi BBQ Pork Tacos with Charred Tomatillo Sesame Sauce + Spring Onion Slaw | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Bulgogi BBQ Pork Tacos with Charred Tomatillo Sesame Sauce + Spring Onion Slaw.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Refrigerate 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories Per Serving: 1037 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Pork

Charred Tomatillo Sesame Sauce

Slaw

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, Gochujang (Korean chile paste), ginger, garlic and sesame oil. Add the pork and toss well to coat. Try and make sure that almost all the pork is submerge in the sauce. Cover and place in the fridge for 1 hour or overnight.
  • Meanwhile, prepare the tomatillo sauce. Preheat the broiler to high. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Add the peeled tomatillos and place under the broiler for 3-5 minutes, turning once or twice or until the tomatillos are mostly charred all over. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Then add the charred tomatillos to a blender or food processor. To the blender, add the Gochujang, sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce and lime juice. Blend until mostly smooth. Pour into a glass jar or serving bowl and then stir in the sesame seeds. Cover and store in the fridge until ready to serve. The sauce cane be store for at least a week in the fridge.
  • To make the slaw, preheat a grill or grill pan to high heat. Toss the spring onions, jalapenos and fresno chile with a little sesame oil. Grill the veggies until grill marks appear on both sides, about 5 minutes for the pepper and 3 minutes for the onions. Remove the veggies and allow to cool. Add the cabbage and mango to a mixing bowl. Chop the spring onions, de-seed the jalapeno + fresno pepper and then chop. Add the onions, peppers, cilantro, soy sauce, rice vinegar and any remaining sesame oil. Toss well. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.
  • Preheat the grill or a grill pan to medium high heat. Once hot, remove the pork from the marinade and grill until cooked through, about 4-5 minutes per side (depending on how thick or thin you cut your pork). As the pork is cooking, spoon the marinade of top for extra flavor. Allow the pork to rest at least 10 minutes and then thinly slice into strips. While the pork is resting, you can add the remaining marinade to a small saucepan and bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.
  • To serve, add the sliced pork to a warmed taco shell. Top with slaw and tomatillo sauce. Add some cheese and sesame seeds. Serve with limes. DIG IN.

Notes

*Gochujang is a Korean chile paste/sauce and can be purchased on Thrive Market or on Amazon. 
 **Recipe inspired by the Kogi BBQ taco truck in LA.
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Bulgogi BBQ Pork Tacos with Charred Tomatillo Sesame Sauce + Spring Onion Slaw | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Dreamy tacos.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This has quickly become a family favorite! All of it is excellent.. and we particularly love the charred tomatillo sauce… soooo very good!

    1. Hi Tammy,
      Amazing!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and sharing your review! xxT

  2. 5 stars
    This pork is delicious! And such an easy way to prepare, we love it.
    We’ve made this repeatedly in the last couple of weeks, although we topped the meat with avocado, homemade slaw and some kind of spicy mayo ranch (no chance to get tomatillos in Germany!) and whatever roasted and fresh veggies we had on hand. Super good every time!
    I think we’ll try to use the marinated pork on top of some ramen next, it seems too good to just use in tacos 😉
    Thanks for your recipes!!

    1. Hey Oda,
      Awesome!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for making it! xTieghan

  3. 5 stars
    I never write reviews but felt compelled to after making this last night. To be honest, I was hesitant to try it based on the review regarding the sauce and the slaw, but I am so glad I did. This recipe is far from the traditional-tasting tacos out there. It has a very unique Korean Flare with complex flavors that are WOW! The pork is so tender and flavorful and the sauce and slaw absolutely make it even better. Loved, loved this recipe but then there hasn’t been one Half-Baked Harvest recipe I haven’t loved! Thank you for bringing this recipe into my home, will definitely be making it again!

    1. Hi Lisa,
      Happy Sunday!! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, I truly appreciate you giving it a try! xTieghan

  4. 3 stars
    The pork was delicious but my husband and I didn’t care for the rest of it (the sauce, the slaw). I don’t think I’ll make this recipe in its entirety again but I will definitely use the marinade for pork again!

    1. Hey Kaley,
      So sorry you did not enjoy the recipe, please let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan

  5. At the end of the recipe, it says you can heat the remaining marinade until slightly thickened. But then there is no mention of what to do with that slightly thickened marinade. Please advise!

    1. Hey Troy,
      You can add the extra sauce to the meat. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

  6. I’ve got my pork marinading as I write this!!! It sounds amazing!! One thing I noticed in the recipe, in the ingrediences you asked for mirin, and in the instructions you say rice vinegar. Mirin is much sweeter than natural rice vinegar, should I be using “Seasoned Rice Vinegar” that has sugar in it?

    1. Hi Linda,
      I think either one works well for this recipe! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

  7. 5 stars
    Made this last night, but subbed chicken thighs for the pork, and made a kale slaw since I was out of cabbage. This turned out so well, my husband and I left nothing behind. The sweetness of the marinade is balanced out by the tomatillo salsa and slaw. I will definitely use this marinade again even if it’s not for the tacos. Thanks again!

  8. 4 stars
    I just made these tonight for my family. We loved it however the tomatillo sauce doesn’t look anything like the one pictured. Since tomatillos are green, my sauce was green and the picture is of a red sauce. It also tasted just ok and not nearly as amazing as it looks. Any idea what I may be doing wrong? I added less siracha sauce so it wouldn’t’ be too spicy but I didn’t think that would change the color too much.

    1. Hi Paige! My sauce is red because I used Gochujang (Korean chile paste) and I used a rounded 2 tablespoons. My guess is that it just wasn’t enough siracha to color your sauce red like mine. If you need more flavor, try seasoning with a bit more salt. That will help! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I am so glad you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan

    1. Hey Heather! I am sorry, I have not made this in the crockpot before. I would recommend slow cooking for 3-4 hours on low if using tenderloin. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

    1. Yes, that will work great! I would roast at 325, covered for 3-4 hours or so, but this cooking time will depend on the size of your butt! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! x Tieghan

  9. This recipe looks great but the name of the dish is misleading. It has nothing to do with actual Korean bulgogi.

    1. Thank you for you for your opinion and feedback, this is just my version of a Korean classic. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! x Tieghan

  10. 2 stars
    I so wanted to love these! The pork was AMAZING. I’ll definitely save the marinade recipe for the future. The tomatillo sauce got thrown out after dinner though, everyone found it just weird and not very tasty. 🙁 I thought the slaw was kinda bland… added lime juice and salt to the slaw for a little more ooomph.

  11. 5 stars
    This is an amazing recipe! as a korean, i’m always hesitant to cook anything korean for my parents, but i think i’ll make this for them. I used korean pear to make the slaw to make it bit more traditional flavor.

    one thing though.. sunchang gochujang is actually just gochujang. “sunchang” is a town known for their recipe of gochujang. It is too well known that essentially almost every gochujang you can find in the market taste like the sunchang style.

  12. that there are lots of options. So be sure to let your doc know how you are feeling. I will say that exercise as often as possible is a key to feeling better, too. Good luck with your PD. And thank you Jenna, for this blog. It is a real comfort for me. Gratitude!