What to Serve with Korean Beef Tacos? 10 BEST Side Dishes

When you say tacos, you think Mexican.

But this dish has gained so much popularity worldwide that many have come up with their own delicious versions.

If you’re planning to try your hand at Korean beef tacos, you’ll also want to make side dishes to serve with them.

So, what to serve with Korean beef tacos? You can opt for classic Korean side dishes, stick to Mexican cuisine, or do whatever suits your needs.

Either way, we have solid side dishes for you to try out this time.

Continue reading to know why you should serve side dishes with your main course and what foods go best.

Why Consider Serving Side Dishes with Korean Beef Tacos?

Tacos consist of meat/seafood/fish, vegetables, cheese, and sauces filled in a wheat-based tortilla.

These finger foods are commonly garnished with sour cream, guacamole, or salsa.

When it comes to Korean beef tacos, the ingredients typically consist of soy sauce, red pepper flakes, garlic, ground beef, brown sugar, sesame oil, and vegetable oil.

Kimchi is the ultimate side dish for all Korean dishes, so we’ll definitely include it.

However, if you want to explore more options, we have plenty of them.

The main course contains vegetables and flour-based tortillas, so you’re already getting a good amount of nutrients.

But it’s still good to serve side dishes with your main dish to add substance and variety to the meal.

What to Serve with Korean Beef Tacos? 10 BEST Side Dishes

If you’re looking for the perfect side dish to go with your Korean Beef Tacos, we have you covered.

Here are 10 of our favorite sides that will make a delicious addition to any meal.

1 – Spicy Rice Cakes/Tteokbokki

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If you’re familiar with Korean cuisine, you surely know about tteokbokki.

If not, let us introduce you to it. Tteokbokki, or spicy rice cakes, are a delicious Korean snack that people usually consume as a side dish.

They are made from glutinous rice and mostly grilled or pan-fried.

Once cooked, the rice cakes are mixed with a spicy gochujang sauce.

They are incredibly filling and delicious and give that kick of spice to those who don’t entertain bland food.

Ramen noodles and other rice cake types make good substitutes if you can’t get tteokbokki.

2 – Korean Braised Potatoes

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Another immensely popular side dish that goes well with anything Korean you can think of is braised potatoes.

Braising means slowly cooking food in a limited quantity of liquid.

Making Korean braised potatoes or Gamja Jorim typically involves boiling the potatoes in water and braising them later.

You’ll need ingredients like toasted sesame seeds, sesame oil, water, honey, cooking oil, soy sauce, rice wine, and brown sugar.

Make this side dish if you want a foolproof dish that ensures everyone leaves home full and satisfied.

TIP: Use quail egg-sized potatoes (or slightly larger if you can’t get your hands on them) for the best texture.

3 – Asian Pear Mango Slaw

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No list of side dishes is complete without a refreshing fruit dish.

And if we’re talking Asian, you’ve got to try the Asian pear mango slaw.

With only four to five ingredients, this dish gives flavors that dance in your mouth.

You can use green onions, red cabbage, cilantro, lime juice, and of course, Asian pear and mangoes.

For the dressing, you can use seasoned rice vinegar, too.

Add chopped red chili for a kick of heat.

Your Korean beef tacos will be heavy and require something fresh to refresh the palate- Asian pear mango slaw will do the job.

4 – Sweet and Crunchy Daikon Radish Salad

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Not a fan of radishes? This side dish will change your mind.

Daikon radish salad is a Korean cuisine staple.

And rightfully so, this salad gives your palate the cleanse it needs between every bite of your savory beef taco.

You can make Daikon radish salad in many ways- so it’s easy to customize it according to your taste.

While some recipes use a sour vinaigrette dressing, you can opt for a combination of rice vinegar and soy sauce for a sweet-tangy taste.

Adding other veggies like green onions, carrots, and cucumbers elevates the dish more and gives it more colors, flavors, and textures.

5 – Lotus Root Chips

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Tacos and chips go hand in hand.

But since we’re talking Korean, let’s take a more interesting and unique route- lotus root chips.

This food item is popular in Asian cuisine.

Plus, it pairs perfectly well with Korean beef tacos.

Lotus root chips are savory, crunchy, and sweet.

All you have to do is slice the roots thinly, fry them in oil, and sprinkle your favorite seasoning and salt on top.

This side dish is a winner if you can get your hands on lotus roots.

They are available at Asian markets if you can’t find them at the local store.

6 – Mexican Street Corn

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Is it sweet corn season? If yes, you cannot miss out on a bowl of Mexican street corn.

Also called Elote, this traditional Mexican street food is one of the best side dishes we could suggest for your Korean beef tacos.

It has flavors, texture, fiber, and everything you need to accompany your tacos.

When charred to perfection and covered in sour cream or mayo, nothing can beat this classic side dish.

7 – Korean Sesame Broccoli

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Here’s an ingredient that’s never out of season. We know not everyone is a fan of broccoli.

But wait until you make this irresistible side dish.

Blanch the broccoli florets and toss them with sesame seeds, garlic, sesame oil, and salt to have a crunchy, nutty, and delicious side dish to pair with your tacos.

Not only are they delicious, but broccoli is also a superfood that provides you with nutrients that you might not get from your beef tacos.

8 – Homemade Napa Cabbage Kimchi

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Once you learn how to make your own Kimchi, you won’t give the store-bought ones a second look.

This traditional Korean dish is so easy to make, especially now that all the ingredients are widely available.

Although we said Napa cabbage, you can use regular cabbage or radish (preferably Korean radish).

To make homemade napa cabbage Kimchi, you’ll need napa cabbage, coarse sea salt, cooking salt, glutinous rice flour, gochugaru, Daikon radish (optional), garlic, ginger, onion, raw sugar, Korean chives, fermented shrimp, and fish sauce.

9 – Korean Pan-Fried Zucchini

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What makes zucchini an incredible ingredient for side dishes is its versatility.

You can cook this vegetable in many ways.

Korean pan-fried zucchini or Hobak Jun is a popular Korean side dish, so it obviously goes well with beef tacos.

Making it is easy, too.

All you need to do is slice the zucchini, coat it in flour, salt, and egg batter, and lightly fry them.

We recommend opting for this side dish if you don’t have much time to cook, as you can fry the zucchini slices in large batches.

10 – Korean Seasoned Spinach (Sigumchi Namul)

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Get your hands on a bunch of spinach, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and garlic- you’ll have the most amazing, refreshing, and light side dish for your Korean beef tacos.

Korean seasoned spinach or sigumchi namul goes well with almost anything.

It is a staple side dish traditionally served at every meal.

The best part about this side dish is that it takes only 15 minutes to cook.

It is one of the simplest and easiest recipes to make.

All you have to do is blanch the leafy vegetable for about 30 seconds and mix it with the other ingredients.

Conclusion

Korean beef tacos make a great dish when you want to serve something unique and exciting on a weeknight.

They are quick and effortless, and highly customizable, so you can add your favorite toppings and fillings.

But adding side dishes to the meal can elevate the dish and improve the overall dining experience.

Fortunately, plenty of options exist to ensure you don’t run out of ideas.

These ten side dishes are some of the most popularly consumed foods with Korean beef tacos, and most of them are budget-friendly, easy, and quick to make.