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Bulgogi being cooked on a Korean dome shape grill pan
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4.66 from 188 votes

Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Beef)

This Korean BBQ beef is very easy to make at home. The marinade is made with a few basic ingredients, and the thinly sliced beef doesn’t take long to marinate and cook. 
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Marinating1 hour
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: Asian, Korean
Keyword: Asian, bbq, beef, bulgogi, classic, easy, grilled, Korean, marinade, protein, summer
Servings: 4
Author: Hyosun

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds thinly-sliced beef (rib eye or top sirloin) - see note
  • 3 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 small onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 small carrot, thinly sliced - optional

Marinade

  • 6 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 4 tablespoons sugar (or you can use 2 T sugar 2 T honey) Use 3 T total for less sweetness
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine or mirin
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 5 to 6 plump cloves)
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
  • 1/2 Korean/Asian pear, blended/grated or bosc pear or apple (sweet variety-honey crisp, Fuji, red delicious, etc.)
  • ⅛ teaspoon pepper

To serve bulgogi Seoul-style (optional)

  • 3 ounces potato starch noodles (soaked in hot water for 20 minutes and drained)
  • 3 scallions
  • 1 pack enoki mushrooms (stems removed)
  • 2 cups water, dashima broth, or beef broth
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce

Instructions

  • If using packaged pre-sliced meat, separate the slices. Remove any excess blood from the pre-sliced meat using paper towels.
    A pile of thinly sliced beef for Korean BBQ beef
  • Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl.
    Korean bulgogi marinade in a bowl with a spoon
  • Place the meat and vegetables in a large bowl. Add the marinade and toss gently to combine everything well. Marinate the meat for 30 minutes to an hour, up to overnight. 
    thinly sliced beef and vegetables being mixed with the marinade
  • Grilling: Grill the meat on a charcoal or gas grill or pan fry in a skillet over high heat until slightly caramelized. If pan searing, preheat the pan nice and hot and cook the meat until slightly caramelized. Do not crowd the skillet.
    Bulgogi - Korean BBQ being cooked in a grill pan
  • OR Stir-frying: Preheat the pan, and add the meat over high meat. You can crowd the pan to generate some liquid and let the meat cook in its own juice. Cook until the meat is no longer pink. Use all the marinade if you want some sauce at the end. 

To serve Seoul-style (Optional)

  • Thinly slice the scallions. Season 2 cups of water or broth with 1 teaspoon of soy sauce.
  • Heat the pan, and add the meat and top it with the scallions and mushrooms. Add about half of the broth around the edges of the pan along with the noodles. Add more liquid when the liquid level goes down as you cook.

Notes

*Pre-sliced bulgogi meat is sold at any Korean market. Pay a little more to get good quality meat. If cutting the beef at home, partially freeze for about an hour to firm it up for easier slicing. Cut across the grain into about ⅛ - inch thick slices.