Korean Beef Bulgogi Recipe

Beef bulgogi is a classic Korean BBQ dish that is beyond flavorful thanks to an amazing marinade. The thinly sliced grilled steak cooks incredibly quickly for one of my all-time favorite dishes to make, no matter the season. When you try this, you won’t believe how simple it is to prepare. Be sure to watch the full video below in the recipe card. Sound good? Let’s Cook!

I always get excited when I get the opportunity to cook this because the flavor of it is really that good. Bulgogi is an umami bomb of deliciousness that uses a very basic standard marinade technique that absolutely brings the beef to life. We’re pretty big meat eaters in our family, so anything I can do to make it even better for my family is a win, especially in dishes like my chopped steak or steak pizzaiola that I know you will love.

Featured Comment:

“Had bulgogi on a recent vacation so I had to attempt to recreate the dish. Chef Billy did not disappoint! Absolutely delicious recipe. It’s a must-make dish. Added a fried egg and sriracha for a little something extra. 5 Stars.”

-Cody

Bulgogi

Bulgogi is a traditional Korean dish comprised of thinly sliced marinated meat in soy, pureed apples, garlic, sugar, and a secret ingredient of plum extract. Some of our good friends from Korea, Sue and Max, let me in on a hidden gem: plum extract is one of the keys to good Korean BBQ, no matter the recipe. The extract is fairly cheap and easy to get from a local Asian market or on Amazon at this affiliate link. It’s a plum concentrate that has just the right amount of sweetness and is definitely the unsung hero of the dish’s flavor.

It’s most commonly cooked on the grill but can absolutely be cooked in a pan as well. I’d recommend using a cast iron skillet to get a good sear and build that Maillard crust. However, if you want those grill marks in the winter, just use a cast iron grill pan. No sweat. See those instructions below in my Chef Tips section. However, when you cook it over an open flame, the meat gets this perfect char around the outside edges, bringing about so much extra flavor and incredibly tender meat.

If you really enjoy serving up tasty food to your family, even in the busy seasons, my foolproof, tested bulgogi recipe is such a great dish to make. As long as you have a little time to marinate, the quick cooking process makes it so easy to make with a flavor, juiciness, and moistness that is hard to replicate anywhere else. You’ve got this, my friends.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Apples – Sweeter apples such as Fuji. Gala, Pink Lady, or Honeycrisp are best to use. This adds body and sweetness to the marinade as well as helps to tenderize the meat with some of its acidity.   
• Onion – You can use a red, white, yellow, or sweet onion to help bring in some savory notes that greatly enhance the flavor of the steak. In addition, a few garlic cloves are added to give it a sharp, borderline spicy depth to the meat.
• Soy – A light soy sauce works perfectly to really season up the meat. You could use a lower-sodium soy if you’d like.
• Sugar – I used a combination of light brown and granulated sugar for a bit more sweetness. This also helps to add a nice caramelized crust to the edges of the beef. You could also just use either sugar if that’s all you have.  
• Water – Plain tap water is used to thin out the marinade a bit so it does not overpower the meat too much.
• Oil – Sesame oil is the best to use to give it those toasted nutty flavors. The aromas that come off this always make me smile. However, you could use any neutral-flavored oil like avocado.
• Steak – The best cuts of beef to use are top round, bottom round, ribeye, sirloin, strip steak, or tenderloin. I personally believe ribeye is the best cut due to its marbling and added flavor.

How to Make Bulgogi

Make the marinade: Add the apple, minus the skin and core, along with the garlic, soy, brown sugar, white sugar, water, plum extract, and sesame oil to a blender and puree until smooth. Doing it with this consistency will help the marinade penetrate into the meat to make it more flavorful.

Slice the beef: Slice onions and the steak very thin, about a quarter inch or less, and add them to a plastic zip bag or container with a lid. Onions can really overpower things, especially when you blend them, because the cell walls get destroyed in the process, which is why I slice and add separately.

Pour in the marinade: Whether this is in a plastic bag, as I used, or even in a 13×9 casserole dish, add the marinade over the beef and onions, completely submerging them.

Work it in: Move the meat and onions around to ensure the marinade is spread throughout. Then. Place in the fridge for at least 4-6 hours or, for best results, overnight. Whenever it comes to marinating, the longer you can do it, for no more than 24 hours, the more flavorful everything will be.

Drain the marinade: Pour everything into a colander and drain the liquid from the meat and onions, and discard the marinade. There is no use for it after the raw beef has been in it.

Cook the bulgogi: Spread the meat and onions on a very hot grill between 450° and 550° and cook until lightly charred, about 2-3 minutes per side. My friends Max and Sue said to lay down some foil on the grill because things can get sticky, as well as fall through the grates. They were right, be sure to use the foil. Also, if you need to cook it in batches, so be it. You are looking to sear the meat, not steam it.

Serving Suggestions

While I can absolutely just crush beef bulgogi all by itself, I always make a few side dishes to accompany to round out the meal. Honestly, it’s more so for my wife and daughter. My favorite things to serve it with are simply white rice and sesame garlic snap peas.

Now, if you want to up your game a bit, then my stir-fry noodles will absolutely pair beautifully with this. Since my family loves sides so much, a few other veggie dishes that complement this well are my bok choy with garlic sauce or my sauteed green beans.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: I definitely recommend eating this right away after cooking so that the meat stays tender, juicy, and moist. However, you could make it up to 30 minutes ahead of time and keep it covered up and warm at very low temperatures in the oven, around 175°, until ready to serve.

How to Store: Place the cooked a plastic container with a lid. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It will freeze really well cooked and cooled, or raw right in the marinade, covered for up to 2 months. Be sure to thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day or until completely thawed before reheating.

How to Reheat: Place the desired amount back onto a foil-lined grill over high heat. Cook it for 2-3 minutes or until it’s hot. You can also place the desired amount into a hot sauté pan and cook over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. For my air-fryer reheat friends, line the air fryer with foil. Next, place the bulgogi in a thin layer and air fry at 350° for 4 to 6 minutes.

More Beef Recipes

• Meatloaf
• Loco Moco
• Philly Cheesesteak
• Steak Frites
• Sloppy Joe