Beef Bulgogi is a popular Korean dish made with marinated slices of beef, it can be grilled or stir fried. I love this dish because it's so flavorful!
About the Beef
The beef should be thinly sliced. You can use sirloin, ribeye, or any other tender beef cuts. If you buy the meat and slice it yourself, you can put it in the freezer for about 30-60 minutes so it is slightly more firm. This makes it easier to cut!
The other option (my favorite) is to buy the pre-sliced beef from the hot pot section of local Asian supermarkets. My local meat market also takes requests on how you like to cut it, so that's awesome too. And sometimes local meat markets have the best quality meats!
Oh! And this time, my local Costco was actually selling the thin sliced meat!
About the Marinade
The marinade is what does the trick for beef bulgogi! Here are some of the main components:
- Soy sauce - adds the main savory and umami flavor of the dish.
- Sugar (or honey) - adds sweetness to the dish, which balances out the saltiness of the soy sauce. It also helps with caramelization when you cook it!
- Sesame oil - Adds a richy nutty flavor to the bulgogi!
- Garlic, ginger, and garlic - I feel like this is pretty self explanatory, but yes, delicious aroma galore!
- Pear or Apples - Korean pear is traditionally used in this dish to add sweetness! If you can't find Korean pear, you can also use apples or other pears as substitute. If you super want to short cut this, you can also use applesauce or apple juice as substitute.
- Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru) - This ingredient is not super spicy in my opinion but more flavorful addition to the marinade.
How to cook Beef Bulgogi
First, gather your ingredients:
- 1 pound beef, thinly sliced (sirloin, ribeye, or flank steak)
- ½ cup pears or apples, thinly sliced (or apple juice or apple sauce)
- ¼ cup onions, thinly sliced
- 2 green onions, chopped
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar (or honey)
- ¼ teaspoon Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru)
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil (vegetable or canola)
- Chopped green onions and toasted sesame seeds (optional garnishing)
Place thinly sliced beef in a bowl and add pears or apples, onions, soy sauce, brown sugar (or honey), Korean red pepper flakes, sesame oil, minced garlic, and grated ginger. Mix well ensuring all the beef is well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes (the longer, the more intense the flavor).
Heat cooking oil in a large wok or skillet or grill pan over medium high heat. Cook the beef for stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes or until meat is cooked thoroughly. The timing could differ depending on how thin the slices are.
Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and green onions, remove from heat and serve!
Beef Bulgogi Recipe
Beef Bulgogi is a popular Korean dish made with marinated slices of beef, it can be grilled or stir fried. I love this dish because it's so flavorful!
Ingredients
- 1 pound beef, thinly sliced (sirloin, ribeye, or flank steak)
- ½ cup pears or apples, thinly sliced (or apple juice or apple sauce)
- ¼ cup onions, thinly sliced
- 2 green onions, chopped
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar (or honey)
- ¼ teaspoon Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru)
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil (vegetable or canola)
- Chopped green onions and toasted sesame seeds (optional garnishing)
Instructions
- Place thinly sliced beef in a bowl and add pears or apples, onions, soy sauce, brown sugar (or honey), Korean red pepper flakes, sesame oil, minced garlic, and grated ginger. Mix well ensuring all the beef is well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes (the longer, the more intense the flavor).
- Heat cooking oil in a large wok or skillet or grill pan over medium high heat. Cook the beef for stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes or until meat is cooked thoroughly. The timing could differ depending on how thin the slices are.
- Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and green onions, remove from heat and serve!
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Wang Roasted and Toasted Sesame Seeds, 8 Ounce -
Taekyung Chili Powder For Kimchi (Flake, 7oz) - Korean Gochugaru. Red Pepper Spice Seasoning for Asian Food. MSG Free. -
O'Food Soy Sauce, Naturally Brewed Premium Soy Sauce, All-Purpose, Rich, Perfect for Marinating and Seasoning (For Soup & Stew (Kook), 500 ML) -
CJ Premium Sesame Oil Beksul Original, brown, 10.8 fl oz (320 ml)
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 493Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 99mgSodium: 937mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 3gSugar: 10gProtein: 33g
The nutrition information for this recipe is an approximate total per serving. Please double check the nutrition information for your exact ingredients and brands for more precise nutrition information. Keep in mind that if there is a marinade, often times not all the ingredients will be consumed.
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More Delicious and Easy Asian Beef Recipes
- Have you ever had Asian Flanken Ribs? They're also known as Cross Cut Ribs! The ribs are marinated and then either pan fried or grilled - SO flavorful!
- Do you like it slow and cozy? Then make this Slow Cooker Chinese Braised Beef Stew! So easy and so delicious. You can serve with rice or noodles!
- How about a easy and yummy stir fry? Try my Mongolian Beef Stir Fry! This flavorful dish is popular in Chinese restaurants, and also actually very easy to make at home!
- Only have ground beef? Not an issue - try this stir fry ground beef! It features ground beef stir fried with onions, mushrooms, garlic and sprinkled with green onions in a soy sauce mixture.