Korean Chicken Tacos with Caramelized Kimchi
Spice up taco night with these flavorful Korean chicken tacos. Featuring garlicky ginger ground chicken, caramelized kimchi, and lots of fresh toppings, this fusion dish brings together bold Korean-inspired flavors with the beloved taco format. Perfect for an easy weeknight dinner, these tacos are a delicious way to mix things up.
Erica’s Thoughts
So, as I was reflecting on the past year and looking at what recipes were the most popular with you all, I was reminded of these teriyaki chicken tacos. This was a truly random recipe borne from barely having any food in my fridge/pantry and wondering what the heck I could make with chicken thighs, tortillas and cucumbers. I was *thisclose* to not posting that recipe and yet, lo and behold, it was one of the most popular recipes of 2024. And I freaking love those tacos.
Now, if you’re a taco purist you might be slightly scandalized by the idea of teriyaki chicken in a taco or in this case, Korean chicken and caramelized kimchi in a taco. But I’m hoping by the end of this post I can convince you to try it.
Here is what I love about this recipe:
- It features lean protein, lots of veggies and energizing carbohydrates packaged into a delicious, unique fusion taco.
- The kimchi. I do like kimchi, but I don’t love kimchi- it’s a little too… ‘punchy in your face’ for me to have in large quantities, do you know what I mean? Caramelizing the kimchi with a little oil and brown sugar softens it up, creates some beautiful little charred bits and adds a touch of sweetness. It is so good.
- The sauce for the chicken is incredibly simple but has incredible flavor. And chances are you likely have all of the ingredients for it in your fridge/pantry. I thought about using gochujang paste as the spice in this recipe, but it is kinda difficult to find where I live. So I opted for sriracha sauce instead, you can use gochujang if you have it. It gives the recipe a bit more Korean vibes.
- There are a few elements to this recipe but it comes together surprisingly quickly and it packs a delicious and nutritious punch!
A little Korean food-inspired, a little Thai-inspired, put these unique tacos on the menu for your text Taco Tuesday, you won’t regret it!
Simple Ingredients You’ll Need to Make these Korean Tacos:
For the Chicken:
Ground Chicken: ground chicken is a quick and convenient lean protein that absorbs the flavorful sauce beautifully, making it the perfect base for the tacos. Look for ground chicken in the poultry section of your grocery store.
Soy sauce: soy sauce is a salty, umami-packed ingredient that forms the base of the chicken sauce. Look for low-sodium soy sauce in the international foods aisle. You could also use coconut aminos or tamari.
Brown sugar: I add sweetener to any Asian sauce I make, it helps balance the umami from the soy sauce. Just a touch of sugar is also helpful for aiding the caramelization process of the kimchi. You could also use cane sugar, honey or maple syrup.
Garlic and ginger: garlic and ginger are flavorful aromatics that bring depth to the dish. You could use fresh garlic cloves and fresh ginger or for a shortcut snag the garlic paste and ginger paste from the herb refrigerator in the produce section.
Peanut butter: peanut butter adds a creamy texture and subtle nuttiness to the sauce as well as helping it thicken. You can omit if you have a nut allergy.
Toasted sesame oil: a rich, nutty oil that enhances the Korean-inspired flavors. Look for it in the international foods aisle.
Sriracha: this is optional but great if you like a kick of spice! Alternatively you can use Korean red pepper paste or garlic chili paste.
For the Kimchi:
Kimchi: kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish made from fermented napa cabbage, radishes, garlic, ginger and Korean red chili flakes. You can find kimchi in the produce section in the refrigerated section near the mushrooms, herbs and/or other Asian foods like wonton wrappers and tofu.
Avocado oil: used for cooking both the chicken and the kimchi, avocado oil’s high smoke point makes it ideal for sautéing. Find it in the oil aisle.
For Assembly:
Flour tortillas: soft 6-inch tortillas (aka fajita-size) provide the perfect base for these Korean chicken tacos. Tortillas are usually on the end cap of the international foods aisle at the store.
Toppings: Choose your journey here but I highly recommend julienned cucumbers, carrots, avocado, herbs (like cilantro, mint, and green onions), crushed peanuts, sesame seeds, sriracha mayo, and lime wedges.
How to Make Spicy Korean Chicken Tacos
Prepare the Chicken: Heat avocado oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook until fully cooked through, breaking it up as it cooks (about 5-6 minutes). In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, peanut butter, sesame oil, and warm water until smooth. Lower the heat and pour the sauce over the chicken, stirring to coat evenly.
Caramelize the Kimchi: Heat avocado oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add chopped kimchi and cook for 5 minutes until much of the moisture has evaporated. Stir in brown sugar and cook for another 5 minutes until the kimchi is softened and caramelized around the edges. If there are a lot of stuck on bits you can use a splash of white vinegar or rice wine vinegar to deglaze the pan.
Prep the Toppings: Julienne cucumbers and carrots, slice avocado, chop fresh herbs and peanuts, and prepare sriracha mayo. You can use storebought sriracha mayo or mix mayonnaise and sriracha to taste, thinning with water or lime juice if needed.
Assemble the Korean Chicken Tacos: Warm the tortillas using your preferred method. To each tortilla, add a scoop of chicken, a spoonful of caramelized kimchi, and your choice of fresh veggies, avocado, and herbs. Top with crushed peanuts, a drizzle of sriracha mayo, and a squeeze of lime juice.
I hope you love this version of chicken tacos as much as I do, I could eat seven!
Variation Ideas
- Make these vegetarian with crumbled tofu or plant-based ground ‘meat’ alternative.
- Instead of tortillas you could serve all of the components as a rice bowl or in lettuce cups!
- Add some big splashes of seasoned rice vinegar and a pinch of salt and sugar to the cucumbers and carrots to give them a pickled effect.
- Alternative protein ideas: ground turkey, ground beef, ground pork, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breast. If you don’t use a ground meat, simply cube chicken breast or thighs.
FAQs
Omit the sriracha and find a mild kimchi. Kimchi usually comes either mild or spicy and sometimes the spicy variety can be real spicy!
Store the individual components: kimchi, chicken and toppings, in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to four days. Assemble each taco as you’re ready to eat it! If you aren’t fussy about a slightly soggy tortilla you can store fully assembled tacos in the fridge (this is what I did and I thought they were delish).
A couple options: 1) omit it. The tacos will still be delicious with the chicken, veggies, avocado, etc. 2) use thinly sliced fresh green cabbage or 3) trust me! Caramelizing kimchi mellows it out, who knows, you might like it this way.
I love to char them directly over my gas flame. You could also wrap them in a damp paper towel and warm for about 30 seconds in the microwave or wrap in foil and warm for 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
This cucumber edamame salad, steamed jasmine rice or steamed broccoli.
Use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce and either gluten-free tortillas or 100% corn tortillas.
A couple options: 1) use sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter or 2) omit the peanut butter from the sauce. The sauce will still be delicious without it but peanut butter does help to thicken so if you omit, consider adding a teaspoon or so cornstarch to the sauce. Omit the peanuts on top, try crispy onions instead!
If you try and like this recipe, please don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating down below! For more lifestyle, behind-the-scenes and ‘eating in real life’ type of content, come find me over on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Facebook, or Youtube – I love connecting with you all there!
Korean Chicken Tacos Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 tacos 1x
- Category: Tacos
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Korean
Description
Saucy chicken, caramelized kimchi, crunchy veggies, avocado, ground peanuts and a creamy sriracha drizzle, these Korean chicken tacos have it all! Flavorful taco dinner, here we come!
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1lb ground chicken
- pinches of salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tablespoon ginger paste or 1-inch fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sriracha, optional
- 3 tablespoons warm water
Caramelized kimchi
- 2 cups kimchi, roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons toasted avocado oil
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 8 fajita-size (6-inch) flour tortillas
- For serving: cucumbers, carrots, avocado, fresh herbs (fresh cilantro, mint and green onions), crushed peanuts, sriracha mayo (see note), lime wedges
Instructions
- Chicken: heat 1 tablespoon avocado oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground chicken and cook, breaking it up with a spatula, until fully cooked through, about 5-6 minutes. Season with pinches of salt and pepper. While the chicken is cooking, whisk together the sauce: 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 3 cloves minced garlic, ½ tablespoon ginger paste, 1 tablespoon peanut butter, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, 1 teaspoon sriracha and 3 tablespoons warm water, until smooth and well-combined. Reduce the heat to low and add the sauce to the chicken, stirring to combine.
- Kimchi: in a small skillet over medium heat add 2 teaspoons avocado oil. When the oil is hot, add the chopped kimchi. Cook for five minutes, until much of the moisture has evaporated from the kimchi. Add 2 teaspoons brown sugar and continue cooking, until the kimchi is softened and caramelizing around the edges, another five minutes. If there are a lot of stuck on bits, deglaze the pan with a splash of rice vinegar or water!
- Veggie prep: slice cucumbers and carrots into thin strips (aka julienne), slice an avocado, chop some fresh herbs and peanuts. Choose your journey with the toppings!
- Assembly: warm the tortillas in the oven or microwave, or if you have a gas stovetop I like to ‘grill’ my tortillas for a few seconds on each side directly on the gas flame. To each tortilla add a scoop of Korean chicken, spoonful of caramelized kimchi and then pile on fresh veggies, avocado and herbs. Finish up with a hefty sprinkle of peanuts, drizzle of sriracha mayo (see note) and squeeze of lime juice.
It’s time for tacos baybay. Lucky you!
Notes
Sriracha mayo: sometimes I buy sriracha mayo but it’s very easy to make. All you need is sriracha and mayo, go figure! I like a ratio of 5 tablespoons mayo to 2 teaspoons sriracha. You could start there and adjust with more mayo if you like less spicy or more sriracha if you like more spicy. You can thin it out with a little water or fresh lime juice to make it more drizzleable. Another very delicious option is this kimchi mayo!
Refer to above blog post for tips and tricks, process photos and answers to frequently asked questions!
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tacos (calculated with carrot, cucumber, avocado, fresh herbs + 2 teaspoons sriracha mayo as toppings)
- Calories: 535
- Sugar: 9.5 g
- Sodium: 1324.3 mg
- Fat: 24.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 53.6 g
- Fiber: 4.8 g
- Protein: 28.4 g
- Cholesterol: 96.3 mg
Amazing dish!! Thank you for the useful side notes as well. Also tried kimchi for the first time in my life, big fan!
Yay! So happy to hear this Kris, thank you so much for trying!
I recently found you on Instagram which lead me to your website. Thank you so much for this recipe! IT IS TOP NOTCH. This was our first time having kimchi and it did not disappoint…the flavors in this dish are tremendously delicious with an addictive heat quality.
Hi Martini! I’m sooo glad you’re here! Thanks for making this recipe and for your review, I really appreciate it 🙂
My daughter has food allergies and I’m wondering if this would be good with coconut aminos, no peanut butter and no sesame oil?Â
Absolutely. I use coconut aminos as a sub for soy sauce all the time. You won’t really miss the sesame oil and the peanut butter does help thicken the sauce a little, but it’ll still delicious without.
This is delish! On rotation at our house. Doesn’t take long to cook. All ingredients easily found in store and not expensive. Thanks for the great dinner recipe.
Wow. These did not disappoint. My whole family LOVED these. I know I’ve hit on a good recipe when everybody is eating in silence, chewing, and just looking around at each other nodding their heads. My kids (ages 7 and 8) thought these were so yummy that they gave me a medal to wear around my neck! I’ve bookmarked this recipe to make again very soon and I’ve already decided that I’m going to make this for next year’s camping trip. Thank you, Erica, for your inspiring recipes! I’ve been following you for a few months now and I always look forward to seeing what you’re cooking up!
Charlene YAASSSSS! Love this so much! I’m so happy to hear it was a win for the whole fam. 🙂
There are so good! And relatively easy to make. I used some left over ahi tuna instead of chicken. They were amazing. I’ll be making this again.
This recipe is a complete hit and will be one of our go-to meals on rotation! Thanks so much.
Yay! Love it Mindy, thanks for trying the recipe and for your review, I appreciate it!
What can I use in place of peanut butter due to allergies?
Hi John, you have a couple options: 1) you can sub with sunflower seed butter or 2) you can omit the peanut butter. The sauce will still be yummy without it but the peanut butter does help a bit with thickening the sauce so your sauce will be thinner. You could add a teaspoon or so of cornstarch or arrowroot starch to help with that!
These are so good! I’ve been on a big Asian flavors kick this year, and I have loved having a recipe to reach for when I only have ground meat (turkey or beef work just great, too).
I will be having leftovers of this for lunch today. I had never really eaten kimchi, but the brightness it provides these tacos is something so unique and, of course, delicious. This was a very quick meal to prepare as well, having most of the ingredients on hand.