Korean BBQ Quesadilla
Thinly sliced beef marinated in Korean BBQ sauce, seared until caramelized, folded into a buttery tortilla with shredded mozzarella, kimchi, and sliced green onion. Served with a gochujang dipping sauce that makes the whole thing make sense. Twenty-five minutes and the most interesting quesadilla you'll make this year.
Ingredients
Meat & Protein
- 1 lb sirloin steak sliced paper thin against the grain — partially freeze for 20 minutes for easier slicing, or use pre-sliced bulgogi beef from an Asian grocery
Produce
- 4 green onion thinly sliced
- 0.5 cup kimchi roughly chopped, excess liquid squeezed out
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger grated
Dairy
- 2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter for toasting tortillas
Pantry & Canned Goods
- 4 flour tortillas large, burrito size
- 0.33 cup Korean BBQ sauce store-bought — Bibigo or CJ brand recommended
- 1 tbsp soy sauce low sodium
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp olive oil for searing
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise Hellmann's or Duke's recommended — for dipping sauce
- 1 tbsp gochujang Korean chili paste — for dipping sauce
Seasonings & Spices
- 1 tsp sesame seeds for garnish
- 0.25 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Make the gochujang dipping sauce first. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and gochujang until smooth. Taste — it should be creamy, spicy, and slightly sweet. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- In a medium bowl, combine the thinly sliced beef with the Korean BBQ sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, and black pepper. Toss to coat every piece evenly. The beef can go straight from here into the pan — no marinating time required, though 10 minutes if you have it makes a difference.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add the beef in a single layer — work in batches if needed. Sear without touching for 60 to 90 seconds until the edges caramelize and the Korean BBQ sauce starts to char slightly at the contact points. Toss and cook another 30 to 60 seconds until cooked through. The sauce should be sticky and slightly caramelized, not wet. Transfer to a plate.
- Squeeze excess liquid from the chopped kimchi using a paper towel — wet kimchi makes the tortilla soggy. Set aside.
- Wipe the skillet clean and return to medium heat. Add half a tablespoon of butter. Once melted and foamy, lay one tortilla in the pan. Sprinkle a layer of mozzarella over one half. Add a quarter of the Korean beef, a spoonful of kimchi, and a scatter of sliced green onion. Top with another layer of mozzarella. Fold the empty half over and press down firmly with a spatula.
- Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the bottom is deeply golden. Flip carefully and cook another 2 minutes until the second side is crispy and the cheese is fully melted. Transfer to a cutting board and repeat with remaining quesadillas.
- Rest 1 minute before cutting. Slice into wedges, garnish with sesame seeds and extra sliced green onion, and serve with the gochujang dipping sauce alongside.
Notes
Pre-sliced bulgogi beef from an Asian grocery store is the ultimate shortcut here — it's already paper thin, often pre-marinated, and cuts prep time in half. If you're using a regular supermarket, partially freeze the sirloin for 20 minutes before slicing. Cold beef firms up enough to slice significantly thinner than room temperature beef, which is what you need for the fast high-heat sear.
Squeeze the kimchi dry. Kimchi carries a lot of brine and if it goes in wet it releases moisture inside the quesadilla and the tortilla goes from crispy to soft in minutes. Paper towel, quick squeeze, done.
High heat for the beef sear is non-negotiable. Korean BBQ sauce has sugar in it that caramelizes at high heat and creates the slightly charred, sticky coating that makes this taste like something off a Korean BBQ grill. Medium heat just warms the sauce without caramelizing it. You want actual color on the beef.
Gochujang is a fermented Korean chili paste available at most grocery stores now — usually in the international aisle. At one tablespoon mixed into three tablespoons of mayo it adds warmth and a slightly funky depth rather than straight heat. It's the right dipping sauce for this quesadilla. Regular sriracha works as a substitute but lacks the fermented complexity.
Mozzarella is intentional here — its mild flavor doesn't compete with the Korean BBQ seasoning the way cheddar or a Mexican blend would. Let the beef be the flavor and the cheese be the binder.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!