Using a bulgogi recipe, this rice bowl called bulgogi deopbap can easily be made even as a weeknight meal. Deopbap literally means “covered rice” and is a bowl of rice topped with some sort of topping. It’s a casual one-dish meal that can be prepared with a variety of ingredients. The full name of the dish is determined based on the topping. Bulgogi deopbap is one of the most popular deopbap dishes in Korea.
To make this rice bowl with bulgogi, you will need to add a little bit more sauce when cooking the marinated meat, depending on how much sauce you want mixed in your rice. Usually anchovy broth is used for that extra sauce, but you can also use beef broth or even water. Make sure to season the broth not to dilute the seasoning of the meat. When the rice absorbs that slightly sweet and savory sauce from the bulgogi, the ordinary steamed rice becomes incredibly tasty. You can add some of your favorite vegetables while cooking the bulgogi and make it a perfectly balanced meal. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 pound thinly sliced beef rib eye or top sirloin*
- 2 scallions cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1/2 small onion thinly sliced
- 4 servings of cooked rice**
Marinade
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon rice wine or mirin
- 1 tablespoon garlic
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons grated Asian pear optional
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Sauce
- 1/2 - 1 cup anchovy broth*** or beef broth or simply use water
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon sugar
Optional Vegetables****
- 4 ounces mushrooms
- 1 small carrot
Instructions
- Mix all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl.
- If using packaged pre-sliced meat, separate the slices. Add the meat, onion, and scallions to the marinade. Toss gently, with hands, to mix everything well. Marinate for 30 minutes to an hour in the fridge.
- Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add the meat along with any remaining marinade. (Do this in two batches as to avoid crowding the skillet.) Cook the meat for about a minute. Then, add the optional vegetables and a desired amount of the extra sauce. Stir-fry for an additional 2 - 3 minutes until the meat and vegetables are cooked. Serve over rice.
Notes
**Use a little less water than usual to cook the rice. Cooked rice should be a little drier than usual since it will absorb the sauce from the topping.
***Find anchovy broth recipe here: https://www.koreanbapsang.com/2011/06/how-to-make-anchovy-broth-for-korean.html
****Or use other vegetables such as baby bok choy, green cabbage, or bell peppers.
