Tender beef marinated in a sweet and savory sauce with a smoky flavor! This quick and easy bulgogi recipe beats takeout and made with simple ingredients! Great as a main for a busy weeknight or for meal prep!
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What is Bulgogi?
This popular Korean dish features tender rib eye beef brined in a sweet and savory marinade and pan-fried or grilled to perfection!
The marinade consists of Asian pear, onion, garlic, honey, brown sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce, mirin, black pepper, and sesame seeds.
'Bulgogi' translates to "fire meat" as the beef is cooked over a flaming grill at Korean BBQ restaurants. It pairs best with white rice and Korean side dishes like Korean Spinach, Beansprouts Salad, Gamja Jorim, and Korean Cucumber Salad.
Bulgogi beef is my favorite Korean food as it's so easy to make at home. I like to marinate the meat in advance and it only takes a few minutes to fry!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Please scroll down to the below Recipe card for full measurements
- Pre-sliced Rib Eye Beef: these are usually sliced thin at 2-3 mm thick and it's either rolled up and packaged flat at the Asian grocery store in the freezer section. The packaging may also label it as "hot pot style beef", "shabu shabu beef" or "thinly sliced rib eye beef". Just make sure to fully thaw it before marinating or it can easily break apart.
- Or substitute with top sirloin steak, tenderloin, flank steak, or marbled skirt steak (avoid using beef brisket!) and slice it at home. To thinly slice the steak: freeze it for 45-60 minutes fully exposed to cold air to harden the exterior and slice with a sharp knife.
- Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil with a high smoke point. Avoid heavy scented oils with a low smoke point.
- Green onions
- Sesame seeds
Bulgogi Marinade
- Asian Pear (aka Korean Pear): this tenderizes the meat and adds that sweetness. Or substitute with Bosc pear or another type of pear or apple.
- Onion
- Garlic
- Regular soy sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce.
- Brown sugar: this gives the bulgogi that molasses taste.
- Mirin
- Sesame oil
- Honey
- Black pepper
Variations
- If you’re gluten-free, substitute the soy sauce with tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce.
Note: Most Asian markets will carry most of the Asian specific ingredients.
Expert Tips
- Defrost frozen pre-sliced beef before marinating. Or it will break apart easily when you marinate it since it's cut so thinly.
- Purée the Pear & Aromatics. Use a blender or food processor to finely purée the pear, onion and garlic so the marinade can tenderize the beef. Or use a box grater on the smallest setting and finely mince the garlic with a knife.
- Do not skip the Asian pear! This contains forceful enzyme called Calpain which breaks down the protein fibers in the beef.
- Use a non-stick skillet for easy clean up! The sugar in the marinade can cause a sticky mess.
- Fry beef in small batches. This prevents the beef from being "boiled" and not "fried".
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions and images on how to make this bulgogi:
Prepare Beef with Marinade
Into a blender or food processor, add marinade ingredients and blend on high until you have a smooth purée. (If you don’t have a blender, finely grate the onion and pear and mince the garlic with a knife. Then combine with other marinade ingredients in a medium bowl).
In a large bowl, add thin slices of beef and pour the marinade over top. Gently mix until the marinade has thoroughly coated the meat - do not be rough or the beef can break apart. Marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature. For best flavor, marinate for 1 hour or overnight, covered, in the fridge.
Fry Beef in Small Batches
Heat vegetable oil or any neutral oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Remove the marinated meat from the bowl and shake off excess marinade before frying in small batches. Tip: Do not over crowd the pan. Cook beef through, about 3 minutes - stir frying as needed. If you prefer it more browned on the edges, cook for another 1-3 minutes on medium heat.
Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions. Remove off heat and enjoy!
Storage
- Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
- Freezer friendly? Cooked bulgogi can be stored in a freezer friendly bag and frozen up to 3 months or until you see freezer burn. To reheat, defrost it and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop in a pan.
Pairing Suggestions
Bulgogi serves well with white rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice, noodles, Japchae, in lettuce wraps or perilla leaves, in bibimbap (a Korean mixed vegetable rice dish), or Korean Corn Cheese
FAQ
Yes, marinate the beef and store in an airtight container or Ziplock bag and refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze for a few months and defrost to cook.
You can make this bulgogi spicy by adding a tablespoon of gochujang, which is a Korean red chili paste, to the marinade.
Yes, you can substitute with sliced chicken, pork, or extra-firm tofu.
Other recipes you may like!
📖 Recipe
Quick Easy Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Beef)
Ingredients
- 1 lb pre-sliced rib eye beef or sub with Top Sirloin, Tenderloin, or Flank steak and follow Step 1 to slice yourself
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
- 1 green onion finely chopped for garnish
- 1.5 teaspoon sesame seeds for garnish
Beef Marinade
- 1 ¼ cup Asian Pear peeled (or sub with a Bosc pear or any pear/apple)
- ½ cup onion peeled
- 3 cloves garlic peeled
- ¼ cup regular soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon mirin
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- If you're using pre-sliced beef, skip this step. If you're using a whole steak, freeze it exposed to the cold air for 45-60 minutes and this will make it easier to thinly slice it. Use a sharp knife to slice the steak on an angle against the grain.
- Into a blender or food processor, add marinade ingredients as listed and blend on high until you have a smooth purée. (If you don’t have a blender, finely grate the onion and pear and mince the garlic with a knife. Then combine with other marinade ingredients in a medium bowl).
- In a large bowl, add thin slices of beef and pour the marinade over top. Gently mix until the marinade has thoroughly coated the meat - do not be rough or the beef can break apart. Marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature. For best flavor, marinate for 1 hour or overnight, covered, in the fridge.
- Heat vegetable oil or any neutral oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Remove the marinated meat from the bowl and shake off excess marinade before frying in small batches in a single layer. Tip: Do not over crowd the pan.
- Cook beef through, about 3 minutes - stir frying as needed. If you prefer it more browned on the edges, cook for another 1-3 minutes on medium heat.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions. Remove off heat and enjoy!
Ardeth Brodie
Honey Garlic Chicken chicken is wondrously delicious! 😋 Thank you for sharing with your fans!
Christie Lai
Thanks so much for making my recipe and for leaving a positive review, Ardeth! So glad you enjoyed it!
Rosemary
Tender and succulent oh my gosh yum! I love that you serve it with some bok choy on the side 🙂
Jd
Of course, I do enjoy all of your recipes, I just need more practice
Barbara Edens
So simple to make but brings your meat dish to a higher level. Very good.
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe and for the positive review! Glad you enjoyed it!