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Strips of sliced beef bulgogi in lettuce wraps with rice, kimchi and sesame seeds. Set in a shallow white bowl.

Bulgogi (Korean BBQ)

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4.84 from 6 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Marinating Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Yield 4 servings
Category Main Dish
Cuisine Korean
Author Lauren Grant

Description

Incredibly savory and slightly sweet, this beef bulgogi recipe (Korean bbq) is so satisfying.  Serve over rice in lettuce cups with kimchi, or make it a bowl meal with rice and tons of crunchy veggies.

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Ingredients

Beef Bulgogi

  • ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • ½ large white or yellow onion, grated on a large-hole grater
  • 3 tablespoons honey or brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon gochujang
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon mirin
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • 1 pound boneless rib-eye or top sirloin, cut into ⅛–¼-inch thick slices
  • vegetable oil, for cooking
  • to serve, optional: rice, bibb lettuce, kimchi, scallions, sesame seeds, ssamjang

Instructions

  • Whisk together ¼ cup soy sauce, ½ grated onion, 3 tablespoons honey, and 1 tablespoon each gochujang, garlic, ginger, mirin and sesame oil, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Add 1 pound sliced steak and toss to coat; cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, ideally 4 hours, or up to overnight.

Grilling Method

  • Heat a grill to medium-high. Brush grill grate clean; brush grate with oil to coat. Use tongs to remove steak slices from marinade, allowing excess marinade to drip off, and arrange slices on grill grate. Grill just until cooked through and charred, about 1½ minutes per side.

Stove-Top Method

  • Heat a cast-iron grill pan or skillet over medium high for 5 minutes. Brush pan with oil and, working in batches, use tongs to remove steak slices from marinade, allowing excess to drip off, and arrange beef in a single layer in pan.
  • Cook beef until charred and just cooked through, 1½–2 minutes per side; transfer to a serving platter. Repeat cooking process until all of beef has been cooked.
  • Optional: boil the marinade in a saucepan over medium-high heat until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Serve sauce with bulgogi.
  • Serve bulgogi with rice, butter lettuce cups, kimchi, scallions, sesame seeds, and ssamjang, if desired.

Equipment

Large Hole Grater
mixing bowl
tongs

Notes

Make it gluten-free: use 3 tablespoons tamari instead of the soy sauce and seek out gluten-free gochujang. 
If you don’t have mirin or rice wine, you can use rice vinegar and a bit more honey.
Whether you grill or cook on the stove top, avoid overcrowding the grill or pan. The goal is to char, not steam. So be prepared to cook in batches if needed.

Nutrition

Calories: 272kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 35gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 645mgSugar: 7g
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