Bulgogi Recipe

A super easy recipe for Korean BBQ beef with the most flavorful marinade! The thin slices of meat cook quickly, and it’s so tender!!!

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 get you so hungry.

The meat cooked in seconds, and she’d serve these with red leaf lettuce, rice, and red pepper paste. It was just perfection.

But with my mom being in Korea and all, 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.

The key here is to slice the meat as thin as possible. Throwing the steak in the freezer for 20-30 minutes helps with this process tremendously. That way, the thin cuts of meat can soak up the most epic marinade in just a few hours.

Once it’s done marinating, the hard part is over. Throw it onto a super hot cast iron skillet or grill pan and that smoky, sweet-savory charred bits of meat will simply put you over the edge.

Serve with rice and maybe a side of kimchi for a full meal. Or red leaf lettuce tacos also work perfectly here.

Basic Bulgogi

This easy bulgogi recipe with its sweet-salty marinade works well with beef, pork, or chicken—and delivers dinner in under an hour.

Total: 50 minutes

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

• ¼ pear, grated
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon gochugaru (coarse Korean hot pepper flakes), or 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 tablespoon grated peeled ginger
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 pound boneless pork loin, trimmed hanger steak, boneless short rib, or skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• Kosher salt
• Sliced scallions (for serving)

Instruction:

1. Combine pear, garlic, soy sauce, gochugaru (if using), ginger, sugar, and sesame oil in a large resealable plastic bag or medium bowl. Using a sharp knife, slice meat into very thin strips. Add to marinade, seal bag, and squish everything around until the meat is coated. Let sit at room temperature 30 minutes, or chill up to 8 hours.
2. Heat 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high until oil is shimmering. Remove half of meat from marinade, letting excess drip back into bag; season lightly with salt and cook in a single layer without moving until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Toss meat and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until cooked through and crisp at edges, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil, remaining meat, and more salt.
3. Serve topped with scallions. Editor’s note: This recipe was originally printed in our November 2015 issue. Head this way for more easy dinner ideas →

Korean Beef Bulgogi

A super easy recipe for Korean BBQ beef with the most flavorful marinade! The thin slices of meat cook quickly, and it’s so tender!!!

Prep: 165min

Total: 180min

Yield: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless rib eye steak
• 1/2 small pear (peeled and coarsely grated)
• 1/4 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

Instruction:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Serve immediately, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.

How To Make Korean Bulgogi by Chef Jia Choi

FAQ

What does bulgogi consist of?

What kind of meat do you use for beef bulgogi?

Is Korean marinade the same as bulgogi?

What is the difference between bulgogi and Korean BBQ sauce?