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
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My 15 year-old son found this recipe on the internet and although I was skeptical that it would be nearly as good as our favorite restaurant, I agreed to try it out. It was so easy to make and the flavor was spot on! This recipe is definitely a keeper!!!
Ive cooked this a few times now. i use stir fry beef from the butcher (im lazy) and i use pear or apples for the fruit – whatever is over ripe… I also add lemon juice and the juice from half an orange.
Really easy, really great recipe – thanks!
I have made this a few times now. It is fast, easy and delicious. In fact, I made it again last night, and even though I lacked several of the ingredients the recipe called for, I substituted wildly and it was still delicious. I have never managed to find the right amount of time to marinate the meat, but it still comes out well. Also, I use inexpensive, tough cuts of beef, so it is not an expensive meal. However, even though my substitutions worked out, follow the original recipe. You won’t be sorry.
Delicious! We crave this all the time now! We are fortunate to have a Costco nearby that sells the thinly sliced New York sirloin. We have used this in place of the rib eye for the convenience. After some experimenting with different cooking methods, I now put the meat directly on our gas bbq grill at medium high heat for about 2 minutes on each side, delicious!! Thanks for introducing our family to gochujang!
I make this several times a year and always get rave reviews!
i’m absolutely obsessed, i feel like such a chef! thank you. <3
I didn’t have steak so I used ground beef. It turned out delicious! Easy weeknight dinner that even the kids enjoyed. The only modification was less red pepper paste.
If there was a way to give a hundred stars to this recipe I would. This was absolutely one of the tastiest Asian inspired marinades I’ve ever made in my life. We enjoyed it over sticky rice and will be forever utilizing this recipe. Thanks so much.
I absolutely love this recipe, it’s perfect! Everyone I have made this for will also agree! It’s so tender, juicy, Yummy!! If I could give more then 5 Stars.. I would!!
Prepare meatballs and after they are baked, you can put them in a bowl of bulgogi sauce to completely coat then put on top of jasmine rice; and drizzle with siracha sauce. Try a side of fresh carrots cut up and sprinkled with cinnamon and a pinch of sugar. Finish off the meatballs by topping with scallions.
WOWWW! I’ve had my eye on this recipe for a while and finally made it last night. It was wonderful. Thanks for sharing one of the best recipes found online.
Just made this recipe a couple hours ago, and just wanted to say thanks! That was so damned good!
Good recipe, I followed the ingredients mostly except I made my own paste using fresh chili’s,toasted sesame seeds ginger and garlic, mixed that in with the soy sauce brown sugar and some oyster sauce for the marinade . I also used strip loin and carved the fat off. After about 5 hours of marinated goodness the meat was ridiculously tender. Cooking in batches I seared all the marinated steak up removed it, deglaze with white wine ,tossed in some steamed carrots and fresh scallions the pan the added all the beef back and let simmer a few minutes. Great flavor and easy to make.
Excited to try this can I use Gochujang powder instead?!
I have made this dish several times and enjoy it served over sticky rice (Calrose) with sauteed vegetables. The first time I followed the recipe exactly, using ribeye, but found that the meat was simply too soft after cooking. I decided to modify recipe by substituting flap steak (widely used for fajitas) cut into 6″ x 6″ medallions. Marinate using the standard marinade for 3-4 hours. Grill medallions over lump charcoal, turning once. When meat is no longer red, remove from grill and cut into strips with kitchen scissors across the grain. The result is far superior to the version using ribeye and the meat is a bit less expensive.
Outstanding recipe! So good. Thanks for sharing this.
This recipe is exactly what I’ve been looking for since I worked on a project in Korea For some reason I thought the meat to use was chuck. Thank you for this wonderful recipe with the directions on how to get it ready!!
This is my favorite bulgogi recipe. I’ve tried a few different ones and always come back to this one. I marinate the beef overnight, it’s so tender the next day. I often make it for breakfast.
I’ve been making this recipe for years. A friend was visiting for the weekend and I made this for her. She’s never had anything like it. She loved it so much that she ate every scrap of rice and meat, licked the sauce off the plate with her finger, and then drank the last bits of marinade off the plate. DAMN!! This is some great shit!!!
I’ve made this twice already. The second time, I forgot the pear but it was still delicious! My family loves it so much we haven’t had any leftovers from this meal. This is certainly one of our favorite dishes to prepare and so easy to put together.
Thanks!
I always wanted to recreate this dish I had in South Korea. Now I ise this exact recipe when I cook at the firehouse and ky fellow firefighters eat it up. Thanks!