Korean Beef Bulgogi – Quick + Easy! (VIDEO)

Beef Bulgogi is an extremely popular type of grilled meat dish that you can find at every Korean BBQ restaurant. Bulgogi translates to “fire meat” in Korean, and can be made with beef, chicken or pork. (Check out my Spicy Pork Bulgogi if you are looking for spicer pork version!) My other favorite Korean BBQ dish is Korean Marinated Short Ribs (LA Galbi), which is a crowd pleaser!

The best part about this recipe (other than how delicious it is!) is how EASY it is – the marinade comes together super quickly and once mixed with the beef, all you have to do is wait! I love making this for the week because it cooks super quickly in a cast iron or pan. (But if you have access to a charcoal grill, that’s even better!)

I love serving the sweet and savory Korean Beef Bulgogi with freshly steamed rice, kimchi, or red leaf lettuce.

Ingredients for Korean Beef Bulgogi

This is the best kind of marinade recipe because all you have to do is blend the ingredients together – read below for my notes and my secret ingredient for the best Korean Beef Bulgogi!

• Thinly Sliced Beef
  • Pictured below is a thinly sliced ribeye that I picked up from the frozen section of my local Asian grocery (H Mart). I like to use the pre-cut meat at Korean grocery stores because it’s sliced exactly for this recipe. They are usually 1/8″ thick, or 2 to 3mm.
  • I’ve seen this exact cut sold as “spencer cut” at other butcher shops.
  • If you can’t find thinly sliced beef, you can also slice it yourself – the key is to slice as thinly as possible. Wrap your beef (I would use rib eye) in plastic wrap (or place in a freezer safe bag) in the freezer for 30 minutes so it is easier to handle. Slice against the grain into 1/4-1/8″ thick slices.
  • You can also use this marinade with chicken – I like to use chicken thighs.
• Light Soy Sauce – Use light soy sauce (not low sodium) or all-purpose soy sauce. Do NOT use dark soy sauce!
• Mirin
  • This is a sweet cooking wine that is used frequently in Korean and Japanese cooking. It provides a great balance to the soy sauce in this recipe.
  • If you don’t have mirin, you can substitute with rice vinegar but add 1 tsp of sugar, as rice vinegar does not have the sweetness of mirin.
• Korean Pear
  • This is my SECRET ingredient for the best Korean Beef Bulgogi! Korean Pears (sometimes labeled as Asian Pears or Apple Pear) contain an enzyme called Calpain that helps tenderize the meat. The natural sweetness of the pear also adds to the layers of flavor in the beef.
  • Some recipes call for grating your Korean Pear – I think it’s just as effective and much easier to blend the Korean Pear into your Korean Beef Bulgogi marinade!
  • If you cannot find Korean Pears, you can substitute with an apple, kiwi, or even a pineapple.
• Brown Sugar – this will add a bit of sweetness to the marinade to balance out the savory flavors
• Sesame Oil – this adds a nutty element to the marinade

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

What kind of beef should I use?

The key is to use thinly sliced beef (the thinner, the better) – I purchase mine from my local Asian grocery (H Mart), where it’s already pre-sliced into 1/8″ thin (2-3mm) pieces. They’re usually in the frozen or refrigerated butcher section, labeled to be used for Korean BBQ or hot pot (sometimes labeled as “spencer cut”).

If you can’t find pre-sliced meat, you can slice it yourself!

• Wrap your beef (I would use rib eye) in plastic wrap or place in a freezer safe bag; place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Frozen beef will be much easier to slice yourself.
• Once frozen for 30 minutes, remove from the freezer. Remove the plastic wrap or from the freezer safe bag and place on your cutting board.
• Use a sharp knife and slice AGAINST the grain into 1/4 – 1/8″ thin slices (as thin as you can). It doesn’t have to be perfect!
• Look for beef that has streaks of white throughout the meat. This is fat (or “marbling”) that will ultimately render out and create a juicy, flavorful end result.