Skip to content

Get 5 Secrets to Make Homemade Taste Food Better + New Recipes Weekly!

    Published June 10, 2024. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    This delicious marinated and grilled beef bulgogi is incredibly easy to make and is one of the most flavorful steak recipes. You will be blown away by the incredible taste of this beef.

    I’m a huge meat eater, and we almost always have some protein at dinner. If you’re like us, check out my chopped steak or pizzaiola.

    beef bulgogi in a bowl

    Bulgogi

    Bulgogi is a classic Korean dish pronounced bool-go-gee, meaning “fire meat.” This dish is comprised of thinly sliced marinated meat that is most commonly cooked on the grill but can absolutely be cooked in a pan as well. When cooked over the open flame, the meat gets this perfect char around the outside edges, bringing about so much extra flavor. It’s very easy to make this recipe no matter how you decide to cook it.

    The marinade for bulgogi is similar to that for kalbi but with fewer ingredients. I prefer to throw all the ingredients in a blender, as this helps to quickly infuse flavors so that they can penetrate the meat while marinating. 

    Ingredients and Substitutions

    • Apple – Sweeter apples such as Fuji. gala, pink lady, or honey crisp are best to use.
    • Garlic – Plain garlic cloves are used in the marinade.
    • Soy – A light soy sauce works perfectly. You could use a lower-sodium soy if you’d like.
    • Sugar – I used a combination of light brown and granulated sugar, but you could use either sugar alone.
    • Water – Plain tap water is used to thin out the marinade.
    • Oil – Sesame oil is the best to use. However, you could use any neutral-flavored oil.
    • Onion – You can use a red, white, yellow, or sweet onion.
    • Steak – The best cuts of beef to use are top round, bottom round, ribeye, sirloin, strip steak, or tenderloin.

    How to Make Bulgogi

    1. Add an apple, garlic, soy, brown sugar, white sugar, water, plum extract, and sesame oil to a blender and puree until smooth.
    making a bulgogi marinade in a blender
    1. Slice onions and beef very thin and add them to a plastic zip bag or container with a lid.
    thinly slicing ribeye steak on a cutting board
    1. Pour the marinade over the beef and onions completely submerging them.
    pouring a bulgogi marinade into a bag with onions and beef
    1. Move the meat and onions around to ensure the marinade is spread throughout. Refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours or, for best results, overnight.
    moving marinated bulgogi around in a plastic bag
    1. Drain the marinade from the meat and onions and discard the marinade.
    draining the bulgogi marinade form the beef and onions
    1. Spread the meat on a very hot grill between 450° and 550° and cook until lightly charred, about 2-3 minutes per side. Serve.
    cooking sliced bulgogi on a foil lined grill

    Make-Ahead and Storage

    Make-Ahead: This recipe is meant to be eaten right away after cooking so that the meat stays tender. You could make it up to one hour ahead of time and keep it warm at very low temperatures in the oven, around 175°, until ready to serve.

    How to Store: Place in a plastic container with a lid and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.  It will freeze covered for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.

    How to Reheat: Place the desired amount back onto a foil-lined grill over high heat and cook for 2-3 minutes or until hot. You can also place the desired amount into a hot sauté pan and cook over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes or until hot. 

    Chef Billy Parisi

    chef notes + tips

    • I highly recommend cooking the bulgogi on foil over the grill grates or in a grill basket when using a grill. If you don’t, the beef will stick to the grill.
    • The plum extract I used can be found in local Asian or Korean markets.
    • If you want to cook this in a pan, heat the pan over medium-high heat and add 1-2 tablespoons of sesame oil. Spread the drained marinated beef around the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, like on the grill.
    • I like to serve bulgogi with a side of rice and stir-fried vegetables.

    More Amazing Beef Recipes

    Let's Cook - Chef Billy Parisi

    Video

    Korean Beef Bulgogi Recipe

    5 from 15 votes
    This delicious marinated and grilled beef bulgogi is incredibly easy to make and is one of the most flavorful steak recipes.
    Servings: 6
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 6 minutes
    Marinating Time: 4 hours
    Total Time: 4 hours 16 minutes

    Ingredients 

    • 1 cored and peeled fuji apple
    • 4 garlic cloves
    • ½ cup soy sauce
    • ½ cup light brown sugar
    • ½ cup granulated sugar
    • 2 cups water
    • ¼ cup sesame oil
    • 3 tablespoons plum extract, optional
    • ½ peeled and thinly sliced yellow onion
    • 2 pounds thinly sliced ribeye steak

    Instructions

    • Add the apple, garlic, sugars, water, sesame oil, and plum extract to a blender and blend at high speed until smooth. Set it aside.
    • Next, add the onions and steak to a plastic zip bag or plastic container and pour in the blended marinade to completely submerge everything.
    • Move the meat and onions around to make sure the marinade gets into every crack and crevice of the bag.
    • Marinade the meat in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours or recommended overnight.
    • Drain the meat and discard the marinade. Place the beef and onions spread out on a hot foil-lined grill at 450° to 550° for 2-3 minutes per side or until a light char has formed on the steak. See note for other ways to cook.
    • Serve with optional sesame seeds and sliced green onions.

    Notes

    Make-Ahead: This recipe is meant to be eaten right away after cooking so that the meat stays tender. You could make it up to one hour ahead of time and keep it warm at very low temperatures in the oven, around 175°, until ready to serve.
    How to Store: Place in a plastic container with a lid and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.  It will freeze covered for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
    How to Reheat: Place the desired amount back onto a foil-lined grill over high heat and cook for 2-3 minutes or until hot. You can also place the desired amount into a hot sauté pan and cook over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes or until hot. 
    When using a grill, I highly recommend cooking the bulgogi on foil over the grill grates or in a grill basket because the beef will want to stick to the grill.
    The plum extract I used can be found in local Asian or Korean markets.
    If you want to cook this in a pan, heat the pan over medium-high heat and add 1-2 tablespoons of sesame oil. Spread the drained marinated beef around the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, like on the grill.
    I like to serve bulgogi with a side of rice and stir-fried vegetables.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 397kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 31gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 516mgPotassium: 443mgFiber: 1gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 23IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 18mgIron: 3mg
    Course: Main
    Cuisine: korean

    Share this Post

    free email series

    Classic Christmas

    Cooking at Home

    Tradiitonal recipes to enjoy this holiday season!

    Chef Billy Parisi