Korean Nachos are piled high with tender, marinated bulgogi beef, zesty kimchi, and a blend of melted shredded cheese. A drizzle of creamy gochujang cheese sauce adds a spicy kick, while fresh cilantro, scallions, and pickled jalapeños bring bright, punchy contrast. Finished with a swirl of cool sour cream, this dish delivers the perfect balance of heat, tang, and indulgent comfort in every bite.
These are my favorite nachos ever and my whole family loves them. The cheese sauce has not only gochujang, but doenjang as well. Doenjang is a fermented bean paste with tons of umami that pairs amazingly well with sharp cheddar in this sauce. I suggest marinating your beef the day before, because that insures the meat is packed with flavor. Adding a kiwi or pear to the marinade might seem strange, but it really helps to tenderize the beef.
I use a lot of kimchi on these, because the sharp tang and sourness of the kimchi is a fantastic contrast to the rich cheese sauce. You can customize your nachos to your liking. If you don’t feel like frying wonton wrappers for the chips, you can also use tortilla chips. The fried wonton chips have a light flakiness I love for this dish though, so if you are inclined to give it a shot, I recommend doing so. Also check out my Sushi Nachos or my Ultimate Steak Nachos.
Korean Nachos
Ingredients
For the chips:
- oil
- salt
- 1 package wonton wrappers cut diagonally to make triangles
For the bulgogi:
- 1 1/4 lbs boneless ribeye or sirloin trimmed and thinly sliced
- 1 Asian pear, bosc pear, or kiwi peeled – if using a large pear use half
- 1/2 white onion diced roughly
- 4 garlic cloves peeled
- 2 inch fresh ginger peeled and cut into pieces
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- fresh ground black pepper
For the cheese sauce:
- 8 oz sharp cheddar grated
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 1 12 oz can evaporated milk
- juice from the strained kimchi
- 1 tbsp gochujang paste
- 1 tbsp doenjang paste
For topping:
- 2 cups kimchi drained and pressed, save the liquid for the cheese sauce
- 1/2 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream thinned to drizzle consistency
- 1 cup cilantro leaves
- 6 scallions sliced
- pickled jalapenos to taste – optional
Instructions
For the meat:
- To marinate the beef (do a day ahead if you can): combine kiwi or pear, onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, sesame oil and black pepper in a small blender jar and blend until smooth. If you used low sodium soy sauce, add 1/2 tsp salt to the meat.
- Slice the beef thinly and combine with the marinade. Let marinate for at least an hour up to 24.
- When ready to cook, heat a skillet over medium high heat and add a tbsp of oil. Add the beef in a thin layer and allow to cook until it is browning. Stir and continue cooking just until cooked through. Drain on paper towels and set aside until you are ready to assemble.
For the cheese sauce:
- Combine the shredded cheese, cornstarch and evaporated milk in a sauce pan over medium low heat. Cook, stirring slowly until the mixture becomes smooth. It may look chunky at first. Add in the gochujang and doenjang and whisk until smooth. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Whisk in some of strained kimchi liquid as well for extra flavor. Set aside off the heat until ready to assemble.
For the chips:
- Heat 2 inches of oil in a large skillet over medium high until the oil reaches 350. Place your cut triangles into the oil and cook until lightly browned on one side, then flip and brown the other side. Do not let them get too dark. They take less than a minute to fry. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
To assemble:
- Preheat oven to 350 and line a large baking sheet with foil. Place your chips in a layer all over the pan. Spread the shredded cheese over this and then top with the meat, kimchi and some of the cheese sauce. Bake until the shredded cheese is melted and everything is hot, 5-8 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the jalapenos, cilantro, scallions, and sour cream and serve.