Spicy Korean BBQ Turkey Sliders with Sesame Ginger Slaw

My Food Bloggers Los Angeles group recently held their annual Cookie Exchange and Cookbook Swap at the home of Erika, of In Erika’s Kitchen. We were invited to bring 5 to 6 dozen cookies to share and as many cookbooks as we were willing to part with. One gal said she couldn’t part with any of her own cookbooks, so she went to a book store and bought a new one to share. Lol. Anyway, there were about 30 of us FBLAers and I have never seen so many cookies in one place in my life. A quick calculation tells me about 2000 cookies. Sugar, sugar.

Since we were meeting around lunch time, it was also suggested that we bring a savory dish to share, which is where these Spicy Korean BBQ Sliders come into the picture. I brought the components separately in containers and mixed them together there. I was so happy to be using up some of the massive amount of turkey leftovers I had from Thanksgiving, you have no idea. People were hovering, waiting for me to finish assembling them, so they could have one. One person who couldn’t wait was Erika’s 13 year old son, Emery, who asked if he could have one before I was finished, because he couldn’t wait. So I caved and gave him one. Several minutes later, he threw this arms around my neck and exclaimed, “Lynne, I love you!” Well, can a cook receive a better complement than that?

The ingredient in my sliders that make them so spicy amazing is Gochugaru, Korean Red Pepper Powder. Gochugaru comes in two styles, fine and coarse. The fine powder is used to make gochujang, the Korean red pepper paste which I used in a previous recipe for Korean Chicken Wings. The coarse flakes are used to make kimchi and in many other Korean dishes, such as my Fried Tofu with Spicy Korean Red Pepper Sauce . Gochugaru is found only in Korean cuisine, unlike other ingredients that have versions in the cuisines of many countries around the world.

Two different brands of Gochugaru

You can order Gochugaru on-line at Amazon. If you live in Los Angeles there is probably an Asian or Korean Market near you, or you can drive to Market World in Torrance. And if you are thinking, like me, that Korean food is the next big thing, check out this website Maangchi. Lots of information and recipes. I hope you have fun with this.

 Print Recipe

Spicy Korean BBQ Turkey Sliders with Sesame Slaw

Makes 12 Sliders

12 King’s Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, a 12-pack
3 cups shredded turkey meat, or meat of your choice
3 cups thinly sliced cabbage
2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, rough chop
Sesame Ginger Dressing
Spicy Korean Red Pepper Powder BBQ Sauce

1. Make the BBQ Sauce and Sesame Ginger Dressing. Slice the cabbage, chop cilantro and reserve. The Slaw Dressing, BBQ Sauce, shredded meat and sliced cabbage can be made one day in advance, each in a separate container.

2. Break apart the sweet rolls. If desired, with a bread knife, cut a ½-inch slice from the center of each roll, with the bottom slice about ¾-inch thick. Save slices in ziplock bag to make extra sliders. If you like very bread-y sliders, just cut the rolls in half, with the bottom slice about 1-inch thick.

3. Place the turkey meat in a medium bowl and mix in enough BBQ Sauce to thoroughly coat all the pieces. Taste test and add more sauce if desired. You may have BBQ Sauce left over. Save for another use.

4. Place sliced cabbage and cilantro in a medium bowl and toss with Sesame Ginger Dressing. Do this step right before serving. If done too far ahead, the cabbage gets soggy.

5. Place 2-3 tablespoons BBQ Turkey on bottom of each roll, and cover with slaw and top of roll. A small offset spatula works well to move sliders from work area to serving tray.

Spicy Korean Red Pepper Powder BBQ Sauce
¼ cup + 3 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons Korean red pepper powder (gochugaru)
3 large garlic cloves, pressed
1 ½ tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons finely grated fresh peeled ginger, juice and pulp
1 tablespoon lightly toasted sesame seeds

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients.

Sesame Ginger Dressing
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon palm sugar or dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh peeled ginger

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.