Korean Nachos
Crunchy baked gyoza wrappers are piled high with seasoned ground beef, Korean cheesy corn, and kimchi for nachos with an East-West twist! What’s not to love about Korean Nachos?
Nachos are an appetizer born in Mexico, popularized in Texas, and now loved everywhere in the U.S. Typically, the components are crispy tortilla chips layered with melted cheese, sliced jalapenos, and salsa. Depending on regional and personal preferences, other additions can include pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole, black olives, cooked ground beef, pork carnitas, shredded chicken, or seafood.
The popularity of nachos has led to many variations of this popular appetizer/snack. In my newsletter, I've shared Chicken Caesar Salad Nachos and Mediterranean Nachos, which are both SO delicious!
This version is an Asian-inspired take on nachos. Crispy baked gyoza wrappers stand in for the tortilla chips while the ground beef gets seasoned with traditional Korean seasonings like garlic, ginger, and sesame oil. Korean cheese corn is a popular street food and bar snack in Korea, and gives these nachos the cheesy component it deserves.
Plus, we can't forget the kimchi! If you have the time to make your own Kimchi, go for it. Otherwise, Quick Cucumber Kimchi is a good option.
Lessons Learned
- If you are using wonton wrappers instead of gyoza wrappers, you may want to cut the squares in half diagonally. Follow the same baking directions as the gyoza wrappers.
- Don't like ground beef? Sub in ground pork or shredded tofu!
- For gluten-free peeps, skip the baked wrappers and use pork rinds, bell pepper pieces, or rice crackers instead.
Korean Nachos
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
Baked Wonton Chips:
- 24 gyoza (potsticker) or wonton wrappers
- non-stick spray oil
Korean Beef:
- 1 pound ground beef (85% lean meat/15% fat is best)
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar or granulated sweetener
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- Several grinds of freshly cracked black pepper
Korean Cheese Corn:
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 ½ cups frozen corn
- 1 Tablespoon mayo
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Garnishes:
- 2 to 3 green onions, chopped
- Kimchi
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
Make the baked chips:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 F/200 C. Place oven racks in the two center slots. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly spray with non-stick spray oil. Place the wonton/gyoza wrappers in a single layer on the parchment paper (I used gyoza wrappers and could fit 12 to a baking sheet). Spray the wrappers with oil.
2. Bake for 4 minutes, then swap the sheet pans on the oven racks and bake for 4 more minutes or until lightly brown and crispy. Remove and let cool.
Make the Korean beef:
1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef in an even layer and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until nicely browned, then flip the beef over in sections with a spatula. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, breaking up the meat into smaller pieces. If you used 85/15, there should be very little fat to drain, if any. Add the garlic and ginger, cooking for a minute or two until fragrant.
2. Tip in the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and black pepper. Lower the heat and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until meat has mostly absorbed the seasonings and the mixture is no longer liquidy. Remove from heat, cover and keep warm.
Make the Korean cheese corn:
1. Heat the oil in a small skillet. Once the oil is hot, add the frozen corn, being careful because it will spatter. Cook for around 5 minutes or until the corn is hot and the liquid has evaporated. Add mayo and stir together to incorporate.
2. Turn off the heat but leave the pan on the burner. Spread the corn out in an even layer in the skillet, then top evenly with cheese. Cover with a lid and let cheese melt, about 3 to 4 minutes.
To assemble the nachos (you have choices!):
1. For one large nacho platter, place all the crispy wonton chips on one sheet pan in an even layer. Top evenly with cheesey corn, then beef, and green onions. Garnish with forkfuls of kimchi.
2. Or, let everyone assemble their own! Have all the components out and lined up, buffet style. Peeps can build their nachos right on their own plate by placing chips in a single layer on their plate and adding all the toppings.
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