Korean BBQ Sauce Sandwiches

Ready for a quick and easy weeknight dinner? This Korean BBQ Sauce Sandwich is just that! It also makes for a delicious wrap or topped on rice!

Korean barbecue, also known as "KBBQ" or "Gogi-gui" in Korean, is a popular style of dining that involves grilling various types of meat, typically beef, pork, or chicken, at the table. This recipe is called Korean BBQ Sauce Sandwiches only because the sauce used is Korean BBQ sauce.

I use this sauce on chicken when we have Hibachi night at the house. The taste is a delightful balance of sweet, savory, and tangy flavors. I had a feeling it would make a delicious sandwich or lettuce, wrap, and boy was I right! The flavors soak into the meat well and paired perfectly with additional Asian seasoning and garlic.

What You’ll Need

Ingredient Amounts Listed in the Recipe Card Below

• Ground Pork, Turkey, Chicken or Beef
• Green Onions
• Asian Seasoning (Brands I like are The Bamboo Chef and Adams Reserve Asian House Rub)
• Dried Minced Garlic
• Korean BBQ Marinade and Sauce (Brands I like are Bibigo, Primal Kitchen & CJ Bulgogi)
• Hamburger Buns, Light Bread, Lettuce Boats or Rice
• Sesame Seeds, optional

Tools You’ll Need

• Medium Skillet
• Meat Chopper
• Spatula

Why You’ll like this Recipe

• This recipe takes less than 20 minutes to make from start to finish!
• It can be served in so many delicious ways!
• It makes for delicious leftovers!
• The sauce and seasonings add incredible flavors!

How to Make this Recipe

1. In a medium skillet, cook and crumble meat.

2. Once the meat is nearly cooked through, add the whites of the green onions, Asian seasoning and dried minced garlic. Stir and cooked until the meat has reach a safe internal temperature and onion is tender. 

3. Stir in Korean BBQ sauce, and allow the mixture to simmer 1 minute. 

4. If a thicker mixture consistency is desired, add a cornstarch slurry made with a mixture of 1 tablespoon water and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Stir it into the meat mixture and simmer an additional minute. 
5. Add the meat mixture to lettuce boats or between bread slices. Garnish with sesame seeds and the greens of the green onions.

Tips and Substitutions

• I’ve made this with ground chicken, turkey, beef and pork. All of them are delicious, but pork is our favorite.
• The best types of lettuce for lettuce wraps are butter, green leaf, red leaf, iceberg and romaine.
• This meat mixture is excellent served over rice or noodles!

Storage

• Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days.
• Leftover can be stored in a freezer in an air-tight, freezer-safe container up to 2 months. Thaw overnight before reheating. Add additional sauce to rehydrate if needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I make these Korean BBQ Sauce Sandwiches vegetarian or vegan?
  • Absolutely! To make this vegetarian, you can substitute the ground meat with plant-based alternatives like lentils, textured vegetable protein (TVP), or mushrooms.
• Can I add vegetables to the meat mixture?
  • Of course! You can add or substitute vegetables to the mixture as you'd like. If you're adding in addition to the mixture, keep in mind you might need to add more seasonings or sauce.
• What are some vegetables that would be yummy in this meat mixture?
  • Onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, zucchini or squash would be great additions/substitutions.
• What are some good side dishes to go with this sandwich or wrap?
  • Pre-mixed Asian bagged salad blends, sautéed vegetable blends, soup, noodles or rice would all be excellent side dish choices.

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