Save to Pinterest A vibrant, flavor-packed recipe blending inspirations from street food around the world—think Korean bulgogi tacos, Filipino ube crema, and zesty Mexican toppings. Perfect for a fun, customizable meal!
I first tried combining Korean bulgogi with creamy Filipino ube and fresh Mexican toppings for a backyard dinner with friends. The colorful bowls and tacos became an instant hit, and since then I've made them for potlucks whenever I want a crowd-pleasing meal.
Ingredients
- Beef sirloin or chicken thighs: 400 g (14 oz), thinly sliced (firm tofu for vegetarian)
- Soy sauce: 1 tbsp
- Sesame oil: 1 tbsp
- Brown sugar: 1 tbsp
- Garlic: 2 cloves, minced
- Ginger: 1 tsp, grated
- Gochujang: 1 tsp (Korean chili paste)
- Cooked ube or ube halaya: 1/3 cup (or sweet potato for color)
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt: 1/2 cup (or coconut yogurt for vegan)
- Lime juice: 1 tbsp
- Honey or maple syrup: 1 tsp
- Salt: Pinch
- Kimchi: 1 cup, chopped
- Shredded cabbage: 1 cup (red or green)
- Cucumber: 1 small, thinly sliced
- Jalapeño: 1, thinly sliced
- Fresh cilantro: 2 tbsp, chopped
- Toasted sesame seeds: 2 tbsp
- Pickled red onions: 1/4 cup
- Corn or flour tortillas: 8 small, soft taco size
- Cooked jasmine or sushi rice: 2 1/2 cups (for bowls)
Instructions
- Marinate the Protein:
- In a bowl, mix soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and gochujang. Add the sliced protein, toss well, and marinate for 15–20 minutes.
- Prepare the Ube Crema:
- In a blender or food processor, combine ube, sour cream or yogurt, lime juice, honey, and salt. Blend until smooth and vibrant purple. Refrigerate until serving.
- Cook the Protein:
- Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook the marinated protein for 4–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through. Set aside.
- Warm the Base:
- Heat tortillas in a dry skillet or microwave until soft and pliable. For bowls, fluff the cooked rice.
- Assemble:
- To make tacos, spread ube crema on each tortilla, add protein, then top with kimchi, cabbage, cucumber, jalapeño, cilantro, sesame seeds, and pickled onions. For bowls, layer rice with toppings and drizzle with ube crema.
- Serve:
- Serve immediately, letting everyone build their own tacos or bowls as desired.
Save to Pinterest Our family loves making taco night interactive! Each person builds their own bowl or taco, adding extra spicy kimchi or creamy ube for their own unique creation. It's the perfect weeknight dinner for sharing and tasting new flavors together.
Required Tools
Mixing bowls, skillet or grill pan, blender or food processor, cutting board and knife, tongs or spatula
Allergen Information
Contains gluten (in tortillas/soy sauce), dairy (in crema), and soy (in soy sauce/gochujang). For gluten-free, use tamari and gluten-free tortillas. For dairy-free, use coconut yogurt and check kimchi labels.
Nutritional Information
Per serving: 470 calories, 15 g total fat, 60 g carbohydrates, 22 g protein.
Save to Pinterest Try pairing these fusion tacos and bowls with a crisp lager or a chilled Riesling to balance the bold flavors. Let everyone create their own version and enjoy a truly interactive meal!