Love this Slow-Cooker Korean Style Barbecue Pork? Check out our other fabulous Korean Food Recipes!
Meat is the magic word in my house. When I announce “pork” for dinner, the kids erupt into cheers. Slow-Cooker Korean Style Barbecue Pork produced that exact reaction — they love pork because it carries so many bold flavors, and Korean-inspired tastes are a guaranteed win. My children, who I jokingly call Food Blogger Kids, are adventurous eaters and especially fond of dishes featuring garlic, ginger, gochujang, soy sauce, sesame oil, pear juice, and rice. Korean recipes often celebrate meat unapologetically, which helps explain why this dish is a family favorite.
This Slow-Cooker Korean Style Barbecue Pork is straightforward but benefits from a bit of planning. To infuse the roast with mellow garlic flavor, pierce a boneless pork loin at intervals and tuck peeled, halved garlic cloves into each pocket. Then spread a fragrant paste made from brown sugar, gochujang (Korean chili paste), ginger, soy sauce, soju (or sake/dry white wine), pear or unsweetened apple juice, and toasted sesame oil over the roast. Let it marinate in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight so the flavors penetrate the meat. When you’re ready, cook it in the slow cooker until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145°F, then transfer it to a board to rest while you reduce the cooking juices to a glossy, mahogany-colored sauce. Slice the pork thinly against the grain and serve over rice, in lettuce wraps, in ramen, or on sandwiches with the sauce drizzled on top.
Cook’s Notes
- I prefer a boneless center-cut pork loin for this recipe. It’s economical, low-waste, and easy to slice thinly since there’s no bone to work around.
- The sauce works well with other pork cuts, though texture and slicing ease will vary depending on the cut you choose.
- Gochujang delivers authentic Korean flavor. If you can’t find it, substitute chili garlic sauce in an equal amount for similar heat.
- The roast is done when it reaches 145°F at the thickest point. Tent it lightly with foil after removing it from the slow cooker to allow carry-over cooking while you reduce the pan juices.
- When reducing the pan juices, look for a dark mahogany color, a reduction of more than half, and a thick, syrupy consistency. It will thicken slightly as it cools; at room temperature it should be similar to runny honey or a thin barbecue sauce.
- Slice the finished pork very thinly against the grain. For sandwiches leave the slices whole; for rice or lettuce wraps, cut those thin slices crosswise into strips.
- Store leftovers tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
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Love this Slow-Cooker Korean Style Barbecue Pork? Try these other Korean recipes!
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Slow-Cooker Korean Style Barbecue Pork
Rebecca Lindamood
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Ingredients
- 1 boneless center cut pork loin 4 pound, trimmed of excess fat
- 12 garlic cloves peeled, and sliced in half or quarters lengthwise
- 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, scraped to remove the peel, lightly smashed
- 1/2 cup gochujang or chili garlic sauce Korean chili paste
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup pear or unsweetened apple juice
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons soju Korean rice liquor, sake, or dry white wine
Instructions
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In a bowl, whisk together the gochujang, brown sugar, pear or apple juice, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, and soju (or sake/wine) until smooth. Set aside.
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Pierce the pork loin at intervals and press a garlic piece into each pocket. Place the roast in the removable crock of a slow cooker and spread the gochujang mixture over the roast on all sides. Add the ginger. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight to marinate.
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Remove the crock from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Place the crock in the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours, until the roast reaches 145°F at the thickest point. Transfer the roast to a cutting board and tent lightly with foil. Strain the cooking juices into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the sauce by about half until thick and glossy. Thinly slice the pork against the grain and serve with the reduced sauce over rice, in lettuce wraps, or on rolls.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Originally posted January 26, 2015. Photos and notes updated March 2018.