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Beef Bulgogi

4.80 from 5 votes
Prep Time 5 hours 51 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 5 hours 51 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.

Ingredients

Beef

  • ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce or tamari if gluten-free*
  • ¼ cup grated white or yellow onion
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon gochujang gluten free if needed
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon mirin or rice wine**
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • 1 pound boneless rib-eye or top sirloin cut into ⅛–¼-inch thick slices
  • 2 teaspoons grapeseed oil or other neutral oil

To serve:

  • Cooked rice or quinoa
  • Lettuce cups
  • Kimchi
  • Sliced green onions
  • Sesame seeds
  • Ssamjang

Instructions

  • Whisk together soy sauce, onion, honey, gochujang, garlic, mirin, sesame oil, ginger and black pepper in a large bowl until combined. Add beef and toss to coat; cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, ideally 4 hours, or up to overnight.

Grill method

  • Heat a grill to medium-high. Brush grill grate clean; brush grate with grapeseed oil to coat. Working in batches if needed, arrange sliced beef on grill grate and cook just until cooked through and browned, about 1½ minutes per side.

Stove-top method

  • Heat a cast-iron grill pan (or cast-iron skillet) over medium high for 5 minutes. Brush grates of pan with grapeseed oil and, working in batches, arrange beef in a single layer in pan, making sure not to over crowd. Cook beef until charred and just cooked through, 1½–2 minutes per side; transfer to a serving platter. Repeat cooking process with remaining beef.
  • Optional: reserve the marinade and transfer to a small saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat; cook 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.

Notes

*If you use tamari, decrease the amount to 3 tablespoons as it is much saltier than low-sodium soy sauce.
**If you don’t have mirin or rice wine, you can use rice vinegar and a bit more honey.

Nutrition

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