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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I tried this with beef belly (because it’s the only one I could find during lockdown) and it tasted great! I used a whole pear, and just a teaspoon of gochujang because I wanted my toddler to enjoy it too. He did enjoy it! He even ate it with lettuce. Thank you very much for your recipe! I posted it on my blog and cited you as well as the creator of the recipe
I just made a version of this with lean ground beef and just reduced the gochujang to a heaping 1/2 t because I knew my kids wouldn’t tolerate it and it was a hit in my family. My 5 year old even asked me to make it every day
Made this many times and everyone loves it. I use pork loin and cut it nice and thin.
Amazing! Didn’t change a thing. This is a delicious and easy recipe!
Just made this tonight after a serious craving for Iron Age – this was absolutely amazing, and I’m seriously pleased with how it turned out.
I love this recipe! I’ve made it a few times now, and I love it so much, it has become one of my favorite go to recipes. I have never used Gochujang, so i replace it with red pepper flakes, and it still comes out amazing! Everyone must try!
Thank you for the awesome receipe!
I enjoyed it I made a couple of changes though I used sirloin steak and 2/3 cup of brown sugar a whole pear and more ginger and a non stick pan Thanks for the recipe.
Hi – I did something wrong and I’m hoping u can help. Are u supposed to drain the marinade from the meat before cooking in the cast iron pan? I ask because although the flavor was phenomenal, there was a lot of bubbling going on from the marinade. I got the carmelization. The problem was there was a “grit” on the meat. I double checked ingredients, heat, made sure meat pieces were separated from each other, used the cast iron. Any ideas or suggestions?
No draining. The grit is from the pear, most likely. Instead of grating the pear, it should be puréed. If you can find it, use an Asian pear.
Or do not use the pear at all.
I didn’t have the pepper paste so I decided to wing it and blend half a chilli pepper with a teaspoon of tomato paste, then added that to the mixture and oh LORD was it delicious
10/10 ✨
it was delish! making it was fun too!
Make this! Even my 7 year old loves it! I usually don’t do reviews but had to tell you how much I love this recipe. Made it exactly as written (except I used sliced sirloin). It was exactly like the bulgogi I fell in love with while visiting my sister in Charlotte.
Can i use ground beef instead of rib eye steak,?
Gochujang in Bulgogi? Hmmm…very interesting. Not opposed, but not you classic recipe.
This is so good. Like: definitely made enough for dinner and leftover lunch for the family, and there is somehow none left after it was served for dinner. Thank you!
THIS BULGOGI IS EVERYTHING. We had a “zoom” cooking competition tonight with our 4 closest couples, only one rule: had to use “steak.” We were voted the winners and my husband is still practically licking the plate. (He lived in Japan and went to Korea for work a lot and had some great bulgogi in his time.) We followed the recipe exactly, did not change a thing.
The Ribeye was perfect. We just used lettuce wraps and didn’t need rice. THE PEAR IS GENIUS! We have a really great super heavy cast iron skillet so got a good sear – I think cast iron is key here. Not sure you’d get quite the same caramelization from a non-stick.
We will be making this again and again. Thanks for making our quarantine better! We love your blog.
What kind of pear?
I was cooking this even before social distancing! Damn delicious, works every time. 🙂 My family thanks you a lot. 🙂
Delicious! This is going down on the keeper list. Followed the recipe except substituted an orange for the half pear. Was perfect. Bf loved it. On the side we had some sliced pickled radish, cucumber, carrot, green onion, and a sunny side up egg over rice for a kind of bibimbap dish.
INCREDIBLE!!! but must use the sliced beef that comes from the Korean grocer if its possible.
Hi is there a substitute for pear since I don’t have any. Thank you
Social distancing really makes me miss flavourful restaurant food. Made this with stuff I had so used apple instead of pear, siracha instead of the korean red pepper paste, chives instead of green onions. Grated in some raw carrot also when it was done for some added vegetable content. I only had tenderloin beef so I used that (kind of overkill I know but it’s the only steak I had on hand!). Anyway it was delish thanks so much.