Korean Beef Bulgogi

A super easy recipe for Korean BBQ with the most flavorful marinade! The thin, tender slices of meat cook SO quickly!

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.

Korean Beef Bulgogi

Yield: 6 servings

Prep: 2 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Cook: 15 minutes minutes

Total: 3 hours hours

A super easy recipe for Korean BBQ with the most flavorful marinade! The thin, tender slices of meat cook SO quickly!

5 stars (298 ratings)

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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

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Equipment

• Cast Iron Grill Pan

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

*If you do not have a cast iron grill pan, you can also use a large cast iron skillet.

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