Beef is in high demand in Korea, so the recipes that make use of it highlight the best of its flavor and texture. Bulgogi is a method of grilling or frying thinly sliced meat after marinating it in a flavorful mixture of sweet soy sauce and other aromatic ingredients. Beef bulgogi is very popular and is one of the most beloved dishes from Korea. Making bulgogi at home requires a few special ingredients for the marinade, but the rest of the process is fairly straightforward. Get takeout-style results without the high cost by learning to make Korean beef marinade yourself.
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What is Bulgogi?
The term bulgogi in Korean translates to “fire meat”. It’s a literal term for grilled or roasted meat, but the term is also associated with the salty-sweet marinade that becomes a glaze when the meat is cooked. Beef is the meat most commonly used for making bulgogi both in the US and Korea. However, pork, chicken, and many types of seafood are also marinated and cooked the same way. Sesame seeds are usually used to garnish the finished meat, along with thinly sliced green onions.
How to Make Korean Beef Bulgogi at Home
Start with a well-marbled cut of beef that you can slice very thinly. If you can’t find meat cut specifically for bulgogi in your local market, you’re best off cutting the slices yourself with a large chef’s knife. Ribeye or sirloin make great beef bulgogi because they’re well-marbled and easy to thinly slice. Your butcher may be able to handle the slicing for you after you pick out a roast or steak.
Partially freezing the meat before slicing gives you more even and thinner results. Since the meat is cut against the grain, you can marinate it for as little as 1 hour and still get plenty of flavor. This makes it a great dish for whipping up on a weeknight.
Why is Marinade So Important?
Marinating the beef after slicing is the key to the flavor and texture of the finished dish. Trying to glaze the meat with the same mixture without marinating it will not produce the same results. You don’t need every single ingredient in the recipe, but the more you match the original mixture, the better the flavor will be in the end. Avoid marinating the meat for more than 24 hours since it will lose its texture after that point.
Tips on Cooking Beef Bulgogi
Mix 1 tablespoon of water with ¼ teaspoon of baking soda and coat the surface of the steak slices with it. Let the beef sit at room temperature for five minutes before adding it to the marinade. This improves the browning reaction and helps the surface crisp up during cooking. Use a large container with a lid rather than a bag for marinating the meat. This allows you to grab a few pieces of meat at a time with meat tongs so you don’t overcrowd the pan or grill.
What to Serve with Your Korean Bulgogi
Most people enjoy it with sticky rice, flatbreads, kimchi, egg drop soup, and lettuce leaves for wrapping the meat. It’s a great filling for sandwiches and tortillas as well for a fusion dinner. The sweet and salty flavor complements many starchy side dishes that help round out the meal.
Recipe Variations
Adding pineapple and other enzyme-filled fruits to the marinade can lead to even softer bulgogi. Try cooking the meat up in a beef broth full of thinly sliced onions and mushrooms as well for a Seoul-style dinner.
Korean Beef Bulgogi with Marinade Recipe
Bulgogi is traditionally cooked at the table with a little charcoal grill, but that’s a tricky thing to do at home. Use a thin frying pan or wok to quickly cook the meat over high heat so it gets the same charred marks it would get from the grill.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of ribeye steak
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon of canola oil, divided from another 4 tablespoons of frying oil
- 1 and ½ teaspoons of sesame oil
- ¼ cup sweet Korean soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar (increase this to 3 tablespoons if you use standard soy sauce)
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon of Gochuchang (Korean chili paste) or ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon of grated ginger
- ¼ cup of grated Asian pear or sweet apple (optional)
- 1 tablespoon of sweet rice wine
- 3 green onions or scallions, chopped
- 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
1. Unfreeze the steak until it is firm to the touch and slice into pieces ¼th of an inch thick. Mix the baking soda and water, coat the slices, and let sit for 5 minutes.
2. Combine the 1 tablespoon of oil with the sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, chili paste or flakes, ginger, pear, and rice wine. Add up to ¼ cup of water to make enough marinade to cover the meat. Marinade for between 1 and 24 hours.
3. Heat a wok or thin frying pan over high heat and add the 4 tablespoons of oil. Lift two or three pieces of meat out of the marinade at a time with tongs and fry, flipping after 2 to 3 minutes. When the meat is evenly browned on both sides, remove to a plate. Continue frying all the meat, then garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.
Conclusion
Instead of grabbing the takeout menu again, pick up some steak and make your own bulgogi at home. This is a great dish for making more of those Chicago Steak Company gifts you’ve received as well.
Korean Beef Bulgogi with Marinade
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ribeye steak
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp canola oil, divided from another tbsp of frying oil
- 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 cup sweet Korean soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark brown sugar (increase this to 3 tbsp if you use standard soy sauce)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Gochuchang (Korean chili paste) or 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 1/4 cup grated Asian pear or sweet apple (optional)
- 1 tbsp sweet rice wine
- 3 green onions or scallions, chopped
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Unfreeze the steak until it is firm to the touch and slice into pieces ¼th of an inch thick. Mix the baking soda and water, coat the slices, and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Combine the 1 tablespoon of oil with the sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, chili paste or flakes, ginger, pear, and rice wine. Add up to ¼ cup of water to make enough marinade to cover the meat. Marinade for between 1 and 24 hours.
- Heat a wok or thin frying pan over high heat and add the 4 tablespoons of oil. Lift two or three pieces of meat out of the marinade at a time with tongs and fry, flipping after 2 to 3 minutes.
- When the meat is evenly browned on both sides, remove to a plate. Continue frying all the meat, then garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.