Korean Beef Bulgogi
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A super easy recipe for Korean BBQ with the most flavorful marinade! The thin, tender slices of meat cook SO quickly!
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It was always a treat when my mom would whip this up on those busy weeknights – marinating the beef just a few hours while I was at swim practice. And then she’d throw these onto a hot skillet, filling up the house with the best kind of beef aroma – you know, the smell at the Korean BBQ restaurants that gets you so hungry.
The meat cooked in seconds, and she’d serve these with perilla leaves, white rice, and ssamjang (best known as a Korean BBQ dipping sauce). It was just perfection. But with my mom being in Korea, she doesn’t really get a chance to make this for me anymore. So I’ve done my best to “grow up” and whip this up myself. Now to be honest, nothing beats my mom’s cooking but this is a very close second.
what is korean bulgogi
Bulgogi (불고기) is a Korean dish made of thinly-sliced meat typically marinated in soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and pear. Bulgogi is most commonly made with beef, but can also be made with chicken or pork.
tips and tricks for success
- Freeze the steak for slicing. The key to bulgogi is using paper thin slices of meat. Throwing the steak in the freezer for 20-30 minutes will make it easier to slice the meat into very thin, even pieces. Pre-sliced bulgogi beef is also readily available at Korean and Japanese grocery stores.
- Pear adds maximum flavor. Adding coarsely grated pear will not only add a subtle sweetness to the marinade, but it will also help tenderize the meat. Korean pear or Bosc pear can be used.
- Use reduced sodium soy sauce. Reduced sodium has less sodium and less salt without compromising flavor.
- Use a hot cast iron grill pan. A heavy bottom pan, such as a cast iron grill pan, retains heat much better than a nonstick skillet, allowing for even cooking, a better sear and smoky, caramelized flavors.
- Cook in batches. Work in batches to properly sear the meat for maximum caramelization and smoky flavors. An overcrowded pan will unfortunately steam the beef instead.
- Freeze as needed. Marinated bulgogi is very freezer-friendly, great for meal prep and making weeknight meals even easier and quicker.
freezing and storage
Storage
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Reheating
Let the meat sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes. Reheat over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until heated through.
Freeze before cooking
Transfer the marinated meat to an airtight, resealable freezer bag. Label, date and freeze up to 2 months. To cook, thaw overnight in the fridge and cook as directed, adding a few more minutes of cook time as needed.
Freeze after cooking
Let cool completely. Transfer the meat to an airtight, resealable freezer bag. Label, date and freeze up to 2 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge, reheating over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until heated through.
more favorited korean recipes
Tools For This Recipe
Cast iron grill pan
Korean Beef Bulgogi: Frequently Asked Questions
We prefer ribeye and top sirloin, but flank steak or skirt steak can also be used for a more budget-friendly option.
Fuji apple is a suitable substitute for the pear.
Gochujang is a red chili paste, a pantry staple in Korean cooking. It can be found in most grocery stores in a red, rectangular tub.
If you do not have a cast iron grill pan, you can also use a large cast iron skillet.
Bulgogi is commonly served with rice and a side of kimchi, cucumbers, perilla leaves and ssamjang.
Korean Beef Bulgogi
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless rib eye steak
- ½ small pear, peeled and coarsely grated
- ¼ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon gochujang, Korean red pepper paste
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Equipment
Instructions
- Wrap steak in plastic wrap, and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Unwrap and slice across the grain into 1/4-inch thick slices.
- In a medium bowl, combine pear, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and gochujang. In a gallon size Ziploc bag, combine soy sauce mixture and steak; marinate for at least 2 hours to overnight, turning the bag occasionally.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a cast iron grill pan over medium-high heat.* Working in batches, add steak to the grill pan in a single layer and cook, flipping once, until charred and cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and steak.
- Serve immediately, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.
Video
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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This was delicious! I used half of an apple because I didn’t have any pear, and I skipped the red pepper paste because I wanted it to be kid-friendly. Unfortunately, the kids hated it because they hate deliciously flavorful foods, but the grownups loved it!
I had meant to double the recipe, but found out right after making the marinade that our dinner guests had to cancel because of COVID exposure. So I used the regular amount of meat with double the marinade. It came out delicious, but definitely way too sweet. Just a word to the wise if anyone is thinking about doubling up the sauce!
This was amazing!!! Made it for my family & they loved it!! We want to make a larger quantity but find that ribeye’s a little pricey. Is there a cheaper alternative cut you’d recommend?
I use flank steak
Thanks Bobbie! Trying london broil tonight, fingers crossed!
You can actually use any cut of beef you want or even pork or mutton and they all taste wonderful but for pork I recommend Korean BBQ sauce for the marinade. hope this helps
Thanks so much for this recipe. Made it tonight and it was Damn Delicious!!! 🙂 The beef was so tender it could be cut with a fork.
This bulgogi recipe ROCKS!!! I’ve tried several and they have all been way too sweet.
This one, however is perfectly balanced and oooooh the flavours are amazing. The meat was tender and juicy.
I have printed out this recipe and it will go in my recipe binder, cos this is a keeper. It’s going to be made at least once a month in my house from now on! Thank you so, so much for this recipe! My sister, niece and nephew loved it and they have never tried Korean food before!
This recipe is the most similar that I could find to a recipe my family made growing up that I’ve lost. Thank you so much for this! It’s delicious every time!
I have made this for years and this recipe closely resembles my Korean friend’s recipe. She had us use 1 small can crushed pineapple and added pepper and cooked on BBQ grill. Excellent cold also!! It melts in your mouth!
This recipe is really delicious. I marinated beef overnight and it made it really tender. My family loved it, I will definitely be making it again.
I tried this and we made bulgogi nachos and this recipe did not dissapoint for the beef. Well done!
Amazing. How a simple recipe can turn out so good. The recipe didn’t mention to drain marinade and discard before grilling, which I did, so I hope I opted for the correct procedure. Toasted the sesame seeds. Served with rice and kimchi which made for a complete Korean meal.
This is just the recipe I was looking for- I had ordered gochujang several months ago but hadn’t opened it because I wasn’t sure how to use it. I love bulgogi and yours is the best I have ever had! I don’t keep pears or apples around- do you think I could use unsweetened applesauce next time?
i suspect not… enzymes in certain fruits act as a tenderizer, while adding sweetness.
these enzymes can break down with cooking.
from a Reddit on Asian Pears in Korean marinades:
“fruits that have the enzyme protease can tenderize the meat. Kiwi, pineapple, papaya, mango, fig all have this enzyme. Kiwi works great because you only need a little bit and so does not add too much flavor. Kiwi is also very powerful so 1/2 kiwi for 5 lbs of bulgogi works best. None of the fruits above naturally grows in Korea so traditionally pear was what was used but kiwi works just as well in tenderizing. I hope this helps! And yes, you can use onion too”
warning: some fruits have VERY powerful tenderizing powers (e.g. pineapple) and if left for even a few hours can turn your meat into mush. so do your homework before substitution!
I used shitake mushrooms instead of beef and goodness gracious! So delicious!
This was a rare recipe that got the universal thumbs up from the whole family. My wife and, especially my daughter, are spicy-averse and they both said it was a keeper! Usually my daughter saying it has some spiciness is a death knell but when she just got up and grabbed a glass of milk and went back to eating I nearly fell out of my chair. For anyone worrying about the spiciness I would categorize this as mild. I detected it but only if I thought about it. Great recipe!
My God, you can cook! My children beg me to make this dish. I’ve actually ordered bulgogi at a restaurant after trying your recipe, and I hated the restaurants version. You are so consistent too. I always feel confident that your recipes will be a hit with my family no matter which one I choose. Thank you.
Absolutely LOVED this recipe. I have tried crock pot and installation, but this is SO much better, Amazing flavor, purchased the chili paste and it was raved about by the markets employees who helped me find it.
My family didn’t mind not having any sauce,
Adding this the the family cookbook.
Thanks for sharing this.
Superb! So good. Much better making it yourself than eating out.
Get good quality meat.
You might also add pineapple and fresh red chilli.
This was amazing 5 star meal! I have always wanted to try this dish but not had the opportunity in a restaurant yet. It was so good, I ate it all! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe and so many others as well. Love your website =)
Your bulgogi recipe was delicious! I am a big fan of bulgogi and have eaten it in several Korean restaurants. This was the first time I had ever made it myself. It was a hit! It was as tasty as in a restaurant. Some of us ate it in a bowl with basmati rice. I tried it like a lettuce taco with Romaine lettuce basmati rice, bulgogi meat, shredded carrots and cucumbers on the side. Yum! I’m thinking I might try to cook it in the George Foreman grill next time. Thanks for sharing your awesome recipe!
the flavors were amazing, tastes just like our fav korean bbq restaurant!!! Marinading it overnight made it a damn delicious 😉 weeknight meal
Super easy recipe and the taste was what I expected from bulgogi! I loved the pear and ginger flavors in this recipe.
This is, hands down, THE best recipe I have ever tried for Beef Bulgogi. Thank you SO MUCH! I had never heard of the addition of grated fruit before. I didn’t have Asian pears, so I used half of an apple instead. I will try it with an Asian pear sometime in the future, because I am sure I will be making this again and again! Nice and easy, also. YUM!Dor