A Bulgogi Korean BBQ is a delicious and traditional Korean beef dish that is a quick and easy meal that you can make any night of the week. Even though it only takes minutes, the flavor is amazing.
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This Bulgogi Korean BBQ dish is one of the most popular Korean dishes. There are so many ways to make it such as make on a grill on a barbecue or on a stove-top griddle. It is also often stir-fried in a pan in home cooking. In this recipe we make it easily on the stove top. Serve with your favorite Korean Side Dishes.
Find some great Asian inspired dishes in this guide.
My friend Rachel shared this recipe with me. She is Korean and this Bulgogi recipe is her family’s recipe. During the course of our friendship, we talked a lot about traditional comfort food and recipes that remind us of home and family.
She always mentioned Bulgogi when we talked food. I was honored that she made this for me and, ultimately passed the recipe along. It was one of the most amazing recipes I’ve tried.
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What We Love About This Korean Barbecue Recipe
Smithsonian Magazine researches the history of this delicious beef recipe.
- 10 Minute Meal: Marinate for longer but cook in just 10 minutes. Make sure all the pieces are uniform in size.
- Asian Ingredients: All found in the international section of your grocery store.
- Family Friendly: So good, everyone will love this unique and popular beef dish.
- Adaptable: Can make it with different sides, different vegetables and seasonings. It is great with kimchi.
Ingredient Notes for Korean BBQ Beef
- Rib eye: Sliced very thin. Is the best cut of beef, it is very tender.
- Asian Pear: cut into strips. Or, you can use an apple if you can’t find Asian pear.
- Diakon (Asian radish), cut into strips.
- Enoki mushrooms or use the substitutes listed below.
- Soy sauce and Sesame oil
- Fresh ginger, grated. Do not use the ground spice for this Korean beef bulgogi.
- Garlic, minced for the bulgogi marinade.
Variations and Substitutions
- Steak: sirloin and brisket are also popular cuts. Also try top sirloin, flank steak or even skirt steak.
- Asian Pear – Kiwi and Pineapple can be also great in this recipe.
- Pork is a great meat to use too.
How to Make Korean Bulgogi
These are the basic steps for making beef bulgogi recipe. Please refer to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions. Check out Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest for more.
STEP 1: MARINADE
First, add the first six ingredients including the thin slices of beef, to a large bowl. In a smaller bowl combine the remaining marinade ingredients and whisk together. Pour the marinade over the beef and vegetables. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
STEP 2: COOK
Once meat and vegetables have marinated, heat a large skillet or cast iron grill pan over medium-high heat. Do not cook the meat and vegetables in the marinade. Discard the marinade.
STEP 3: FRY
Finally, stir-fry the mixture for about 10 minutes in a single layer or until the beef is cooked through and the savory sauce has reduced slightly. Serve with your favorite sides or make lettuce wraps with lettuce leaves.
Prep and Storage Tips
HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE AHEAD OF TIME
The longer you let this marinate, the better it will be! I’ve made this several times since I first had it and I usually get everything together the night before I’m going to serve it. Then, when it’s time to make dinner, I only have about 10 minutes of hand-on cooking left.
HOW TO STORE THIS RECIPE
Store for up to three days in the refrigerator in an airtight container or zip top bag.
HOW TO FREEZE THIS RECIPE
Place in the freezer in an airtight container for up to six months.
HOW TO REHEAT THIS RECIPE
Reheat in the microwave or a skillet on the stove top until warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use baking soda with the same result, however it will not have the sweetness of the fruit.
Anjou pear, Bosc pear, Forelle pear, Bartlett pear, or Fuji apple.
Of course, make as much as you need, simply adjust the recipe below.
The flavor is unique in that it is sweat, salty and savory with a slightly umami flavor.
If you ever wondered how to cut the beef so thin, find a video explaining it all here.
Expert Tips for Making This Recipe
- Mushroom Replacement: Cremini mushrooms are an ideal substitution for this species. Oyster mushrooms may be more widely available, but they will have a stronger flavor than enoki mushrooms
- Diakon Replacement: Jicama, turnips or white radish can be a great replacement.
- Variation tip: Mirin, dry sherry or a sweet marsala wine even dry white wine can be used in place of the Aji-Mirin.
- Heat: Skillet must be preheated and hot prior to adding food.
- Size: Uniform size of meat and veggies for uniform cooking.
- Vegetarian: Tofu is a good substitute for beef. Serve with white rice.
- Top: Finish with sesame seeds.
- Sweet: add a little brown sugar to the marinade.
What to Serve with Bulgogi Korean BBQ
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Bulgogi Korean BBQ
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds Ribeye, sliced very thin
- ¼ cup Asian Pear, cut into strips
- ⅓ cup Diakon, Asian radish, cut into strips
- 7.5 ounces Enoki mushrooms
- 4 green onions, sliced into thin strips
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 1 ½ cup soy sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons Sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons Rice wine, Aji-Mirin – do not confuse with rice wine vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the first six ingredients to a large bowl.
- In a smaller bowl combine the remaining marinade ingredients and whisk together. Pour the marinade over the beef and vegetables.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
- Once meat and vegetables have marinated, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Stir-fry the mixture for about 10 minutes or until the beef is cooked through and the sauce has reduced slightly.
Expert Tips
- Mushroom Replacement: Cremini mushrooms are an ideal substitution for this species. Oyster mushrooms may be more widely available, but they will have a stronger flavor than enoki mushrooms
- Diakon Replacement: Jicama, turnips or white radish can be a great replacement.
- Variation tip: Mirin, dry sherry or a sweet marsala wine even dry white wine can be used in place of the Aji-Mirin.
- Heat: Skillet must be preheated and hot prior to adding food.
- Size: Uniform size of meat and veggies for uniform cooking
- Vegetarian: Tofu is a good substitute for beef.
Estimated Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided are estimates. To learn more about how I calculate this information go to www.itisakeeper.com/about-its-a-keeper/privacy-disclosure-policies/
This recipe is my personal adaption of an ethnic inspired recipe. It is not intended to be an authentic recipe. I’ve recreated this recipe because I enjoy the flavors and I want to encourage my readers to expand their tastes and try new flavor combinations. The recipe, ingredients and processes may have been adapted to make the recipe accessible for the average American. I have provided links to authentic versions of the recipe in the post above. I encourage you to visit these pages and learn more about the traditional version(s) of this recipe.
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I’ve never had a Korean dish, but I have to say that this looks absolutely delicious. I’d love to try it sometime.
This is a great one to start with! Totally delish!