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What is Beef Bulgogi Kimbap?
Beef Bulgogi Kimbap is a Korean seaweed rice roll stuffed with bulgogi beef, eggs, daikon, burdock, carrots, spinach, cucumber, and perilla leaves.
Kimbap is different from sushi as it is usually made of cooked ingredients and the seaweed is seasoned with sesame oil and sesame seeds and it originates from Korea. It's often eaten and packed in lunchboxes as a healthy meal.
This is one of my favorite kimbap recipes as it's so delicious and filling. You can often find this roll sold at many Korean convenience stores or at H-mart. So I knew I had to share my version so we can all enjoy it!
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
Note: Most Korean or Asian grocers will carry these ingredients. You may find some at your select grocery store or online, like on Amazon.
- Cooked short grain rice
- Yellow pre-sliced daikon radish: the Korean market will sell this ingredient in the refrigeration section. Look for the ones that are long strips made for kimbap.
- Pre-sliced pickled burdock: the Korean market will also sell this ingredient in the refrigerated area next to the daikon radish. This comes in long thing strips cut for kimbap.
- Perilla leaves: the Korean grocer will carry this green spade-shaped leaf in their produce section.
- Gim or nori: sheets of dry roasted seaweed
- Salt
- Cucumber
- Baby spinach: I find this easier to prepare versus regular spinach which requires a lot of washing.
- Eggs
- Carrots
- Ground beef: or substitute with ground pork or chicken
- Regular soy sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce. If you’re gluten-free, substitute with tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce.
- Sugar
- Garlic
- Green onion
- Sesame oil
- Cooking oil
- Sesame seeds
Expert Tips
- Use short grain rice. Avoid using medium or long grain rice.
- With wet hands, a rice paddle or with plastic gloves to evenly spread the rice across the gim or nori.
- Neatly pile the filling ingredients in the center of the rice. This will help you roll everything.
- Firmly tuck and roll the filling in but don't tuck too hard or the filling can spill out.
- Allow the kimbap to rest on top of the seaweed border so it can stick to the rest of the roll.
- Brush sesame oil over your knife to allow for a clean cut.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make beef bulgogi kimbap:
Prepare Filling Ingredients
- Cook your rice accordingly to make 4 cups of cooked rice. After it is cooked and still piping hot, season with sesame oil and salt and mix well. Set aside but keep covered and warm.
- Salt your long cucumber strips and allow them to sit for 10 minutes. Rinse under cold water and set aside to dry over paper towel. This makes them crispier.
- In a pot of hot water, bring to a boil. Add your baby spinach and boil for only 2 minutes until dark green. Strain immediately, squeezing out all the water. Then place back into the empty pot. Mix in sesame oil and salt. Set aside to cool.
- In a bowl, beat eggs with ¼ teaspoon salt. Then in a non-stick pan set over medium heat, add ½ teaspoon of cooking oil. Pour whisked eggs into pan, swivelling the egg until the egg reaches all corners of the pan. While the eggs are still moist, roll it into a thick log and seal the edge. Remove from pan and slice into 6 long pieces at 1 cm x 1 cm thick.
- On low-medium heat, cook carrots and sesame oil until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- On medium high heat, add ½ teaspoon cooking oil. Add ground beef followed by soy sauce, sugar, minced garlic, green onion and sesame oil. Cook until beef is fully cooked, slightly browned and the liquid has evaporated – about 5-8 minutes. Set aside to cool in pan.
Spread rice on gim
- Place a sheet of nori on top of a kimbap roller or cling film, rough side up horizontally facing you.
- Thinly spread ⅔ cups of cooked rice over the sheet starting from the end, leaving a ½ inch border. Make sure this is thinly evenly spread.
Add fillings
- In the middle of the roll, place 2 perilla leaves horizontally across the rice, followed by 2 tablespoon of ground beef first spread evenly. Then add 2 tablespoon carrots and 2 tablespoon spinach. Spread these ingredients evenly across the roll.
- Next lay a strip of cucumber, 2 strips of burdock, 1 of pickled daikon and 1 strip of egg across.
Tuck and roll
- Tightly tuck in the ingredients and begin rolling the roll away from you until you reach the end.
Season with kimbap
- Brush the kimbap and your sharp knife with sesame oil. By oiling the knife, we get clean cuts.
Slice into pieces
- Holding the kimbap firmly with your dominant hand, slice a piece of the kimbap and cut each piece at 2 cm thick. Repeat the above assembly process until you have 6 rolls. Serve and enjoy!
Storage
- Kimbap can last up to 24 hours at room temperature. If you keep it past 24 hours, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. To reheat, microwave in oven or dip into whisked egg and re-fry on a pan until warm.
- Freezer-friendly? I don't recommend freezing kimbap as the rice turns hard even after reheating.
Pairing Suggestions
Gimbap serves well with other Korean-style dishes such as tteokbokki, fishcake soup, fried mandu or dumplings, blood sausages or other Korean side dishes like Korean cucumber salad, beansprout salad, Korean spinach, japchae.
FAQ
May I substitute the vegetables?
Yes, I would suggest substituting with ones you enjoy that are easy to roll like soft greens.
Can I omit the rice?
Yes you may omit the rice from kimbap.
Can I make this in advance?
You can make beef bulgogi kimbap 24 hours in advance but no more than that as rice is a breeding ground for bacteria.
Other recipes you may like
📖 Recipe
Beef Bulgogi Kimbap
Beef bulgogi kimbap. Sweet savoury ground beef wrapped tightly with egg, carrots, burdock, pickled daikon, sesame flavoured spinach, cucumber and perilla leaves in roasted seaweed and rice. The ultimate kimbap that will satisfy your tastebuds. It is filling, delicious and perfect for lunch, dinner, snack or even breakfast!
Ingredients
- 8.8 oz yellow pickled daikon pre-cut kind
- 8.8 oz pickled burdock pre-cut kind
- 12 perilla leaves stems cut and washed
- 6 sheets nori or gim
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil to brush finished rolls
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil to cook beef and egg
Rice:
- 4 cups cooked short grain rice
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Cucumber:
- ½ english cucumber sliced into 1 cm x 1 cm thick and long strips
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Spinach:
- 5 oz baby spinach
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Egg:
- 3 large eggs beaten
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Carrots:
- 1 cup carrot peeled and finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
Bulgogi Beef:
- 0.77 lb ground beef
- 2.5 teaspoon regular soy sauce (not dark soy sauce)
- 1.5 tablespoon white granulated sugar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 green onion finely sliced
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Cook your rice accordingly to make 4 cups of cooked rice. After it is cooked and still piping hot, season with sesame oil and salt and mix well. Set aside but keep covered and warm.
- Salt your long cucumber strips and allow them to sit for 10 minutes. Rinse under cold water and set aside to dry over paper towel. This makes them crispier.
- In a pot of hot water, bring to a boil. Add your baby spinach and boil for only 2 minutes until dark green. Strain immediately, squeezing out all the water. Then place back into the empty pot. Mix in sesame oil and salt. Set aside to cool.
- In a bowl, beat eggs with ¼ teaspoon salt. Then in a non-stick pan set over medium heat, add ½ teaspoon of cooking oil. Pour whisked eggs into pan, swivelling the egg until the egg reaches all corners of the pan. While the eggs are still moist, roll it into a thick log and seal the edge. Remove from pan and slice into 6 long pieces at 1 cm x 1 cm thick.
- On low-medium heat, cook carrots and sesame oil until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- On medium high heat, add ½ teaspoon cooking oil. Add ground beef followed by soy sauce, sugar, minced garlic, green onion and sesame oil. Cook until beef is fully cooked, slightly browned and the liquid has evaporated – about 5-8 minutes. Set aside to cool in pan.
To assemble kimbap:
- Place a sheet of nori on top of a kimbap roller or cling film, rough side up horizontally facing you.
- Thinly spread ⅔ cups of cooked rice over the sheet starting from the end, leaving a ½ inch border. Make sure this is thinly evenly spread.
- In the middle of the roll, place 2 perilla leaves horizontally across the rice, followed by 2 tablespoon of ground beef first spread evenly. Then add 2 tablespoon carrots and 2 tablespoon spinach. Spread these ingredients evenly across the roll.
- Next lay a strip of cucumber, 2 strips of burdock, 1 of pickled daikon and 1 strip of egg across.
- Tightly tuck in the ingredients and begin rolling the roll away from you until you reach the end.
- Brush the kimbap and your sharp knife with sesame oil. Holding the kimbap firmly with your dominant hand, slice a piece of the kimbap and cut each piece at 2 cm thick.
- Repeat the above assembly process until you have 6 rolls. Serve and enjoy!
Enjoyed my recipe?Please leave a 5 star review (be kind)! Tag me on social media @christieathome as I'd love to see your creations!
Suggested Equipment & Products
Nutrition
Calories: 432kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 123mg | Sodium: 646mg | Potassium: 707mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 6075IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 3mg
Rosemary
It's like sushi got an upgrade! I love all the veggies you packed into these 🙂
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
Your homemade bulgogi kimbap layed out on that plate are absolutely stunning, and I love the combination of flavors. This really is such a tasty fun treat!!