Bulgogi Beef

Bulgogi beef is a classic Korean BBQ dish made with thinly sliced beef marinated in a sweet, savory, and aromatic sauce, then grilled or pan-fried until tender and flavorful.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian, Korean

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Resting time 15

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 825kcal

Author Tracy O.

Equipment

1 Skillet or pan
1 Chopper
1 Strainer
1 Grater

Ingredients

2 pounds Beef (Thinly sliced beef)
4 sticks Green onions 1.5 oz
1 small Onion 6 oz
1 small Carrot 4 oz
4 cloves Garlic ½ oz grated
3 slices Ginger ½ oz grated

Marinated sauce:

4 small Asian pears (12 oz after peeling, need ½ cup of juice)
6 tablespoons Soy sauce
3 tablespoons Brown sugar
½ teaspoon Salt
¼ teaspoon Black pepper
2 tablespoons Sesame oil

Topping:

1 teaspoon Sesame seeds optional
1 tablespoon Sesame oil

Instructions

Wash and cut 4 sticks (1.5 oz) of green onion into strips.
Peel, wash, and cut 1 small onion (6 oz) into slices.
Then, peel, wash, and cut 1 small carrot (4 oz) into strips.
Next, peel and cut 4 small Asian pears (12 oz after peeling). I used my homegrown Asian pears, which are smaller in size. If you use the store-bought Asian pears, you can use 2 medium-sized ones that are around 12 oz after peeling the skin.
Put the peeled and cut Asian pears from step 4 into a chopper and chop them finely.
Drain the Asian pears and press them to get the juice. Get ½ cup of fresh Asian pear juice. (You can skip this step if you won't mind the texture.)
The following step is to put the thinly sliced beef into the bowl.
Grate 4 cloves of garlic (½ oz).
After that, grate 3 slices of ginger (½ oz).
Pour ½ cup of fresh Asian pear juice from step 6 into the beef. Then, add 6 tablespoons of soy sauce, 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, ½ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of black pepper, and 2 tablespoons of sesame oil.
Add the cut green onions, onion, and carrot from steps 1-3 into the beef.
Mix it well and let it marinate for at least 15-30 minutes before cooking. The best result is to let it marinate overnight.
Heat the skillet or pan, and put some beef into the pan. Pan-fry it, then flip it over until it is cooked. Separate it into 2 times so that it won’t be too crowded when cooking the beef.
When the beef is done, turn off the fire and add ½ tablespoon of sesame oil and sprinkle ½ teaspoon of sesame seeds. Repeat this for the second batch. Adding sesame seeds is optional. ( Total 1 tablespoon of sesame oil and 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds.)
For this Korean beef bulgogi recipe, you can serve it as a lettuce wrap with rice, lettuce, beef, and ssamjang Korean dipping sauce.

Video

Notes

Cooking tips for how to make Korean bulgogi beef:

Slice the beef very thinly or use thin-sliced beef. Partially freeze the beef for 30–45 minutes before slicing. This makes it easier to cut into thin, even strips that cook quickly and stay tender.

Marinate long enough for flavor. Marinate for at least 15-30 minutes if you use thin-sliced beef. However, overnight gives the best taste and tenderness.

Don’t overcrowd the pan. Cook the beef in small batches over high heat. If the pan is too crowded, the meat will steam instead of searing. I usually separate and cook it 2 times.

Use high heat for a quick cook. Bulgogi cooks very fast! Stir-fry or grill the beef over medium-high to high heat for a nice char and smoky flavor.

Serve immediately. Bulgogi tastes best hot, straight off the grill or pan, with rice, lettuce wraps, side dishes (banchan), and ssamjang Korean dipping sauce.

Nutrition