Beef Bulgogi

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Add some sizzle to your weeknights with this easy beef bulgogi recipe—a Korean barbecue favorite!

bulgogi on platter with rice and hot sauce

Bulgogi, pronounced bool-goh-gee, is a popular Korean barbecue dish that translates to “fire meat.” It’s made of thinly sliced marinated meat, typically beef, that’s grilled on a barbecue or stovetop griddle. Despite its name, bulgogi is not really spicy — “fire” refers to the hot cooking surface. In many Korean restaurants, tables are outfitted with grills in the center so customers can cook the bulgogi meat themselves and eat it straight from the grill. Bulgogi is typically served with steamed rice, lettuce wraps, chili sauce, and other traditional Korean accompaniments.

Making bulgogi at home is surprisingly easy. In this version, adapted from Cooks Illustrated, I marinate well-marbled ribeye in a mixture of soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, shallot, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Because the meat is thinly sliced, it only needs one hour to marinate (although it’s fine to leave it overnight, too). Instead of grilling the meat, which can be tricky unless you have a flat-top grill, I cook it in a cast iron or nonstick pan. Heads up: the mouthwatering smell of bulgogi sizzling on the stove will have your family circling the kitchen like hungry wolves. Conveniently, it cooks in under 10 minutes, so no one will have to wait too long!

“Made it to the recipe but doubled the marinade as one reviewer suggested. Wow! This recipe is delicious!! Served it with some Jasmine rice and I can’t wait to make it again!!”

Miles

What You’ll Need To Make Beef Bulgogi

Bulgogi ingredients including soy sauce, ginger, and garlic.
  • Ribeye Steaks: Bulgogi can be made with many cuts of meat, including ribeye, short ribs, sirloin, or tenderloin. Ribeye is ideal as it’s well-marbled with fat, making it tender and tasty.
  • Baking Soda: Tenderizes the beef and also helps with browning and caramelization.
  • Vegetable Oil: The neutral base of the marinade.
  • Asian Sesame Oil: A small amount adds a nutty, rich flavor to the marinade.
  • Soy Sauce: Flavors the marinade with umami and saltiness, which deeply seasons the meat.
  • Dark Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness to the marinade, balancing the salty flavors of the soy sauce and enhancing the caramelization of the meat when cooked.
  • Garlic, Shallots, and Ginger: These aromatics contribute depth and complexity to the marinade, infusing the meat with traditional Korean flavors.
  • Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: Introduce a hint of heat to the dish.
  • Scallions: A fresh, crisp garnish that adds both color and a mild oniony flavor to complement the rich meat.
  • Sesame Seeds: Finishes the dish with a slight crunch and reinforces the sesame flavor in the dish.
  • Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements

Step-By-Step Instructions

If time allows, place the steaks on a large plate and freeze until semi-firm, about 35 minutes. This makes the steaks much easier to slice. Slice the steaks into ¼-inch-thick slices.

thinly sliced rib-eye on cutting board

Combine 1½ tablespoons of water and the baking soda in a medium bowl. The baking soda acts as a tenderizer, and also helps with browning and caramelization. Add the beef slices and toss to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes.

sliced meat in baking soda solution

Meanwhile, in a mini food processor or blender, combine the vegetable oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, shallot, ginger, and red pepper flakes.

bulgogi marinade ingredients in mini food processor

Process until smooth.

blended bulgogi marinade

Pour the mixture over the beef and toss to coat evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight.

tossing sliced meat with bulgogi marinade

Turn on the exhaust fan. In a large (12-inch) cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil until very hot and shimmering. Your pan should be hot enough so that you hear a sizzling sound as the meat touches the pan. This helps the exterior of the meat caramelize while keeping the inside tender and juicy. Add half of the beef slices in a single layer and cook, without stirring, until browned on one side, 2 to 3 minutes.

Skillet of cooking bulgogi.

Stir the meat and continue stir-frying until the beef is just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer the beef to a serving platter and cover to keep warm; repeat with the remaining beef (no need to add more oil to the pan), adding any marinade left in the bowl to the pan right before stirring the meat.

Bulgogi frying in a skillet.

Transfer the second batch of beef to the serving platter and sprinkle with the scallion greens and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

bulgogi on platter with rice and hot sauce

Video Tutorial

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Beef Bulgogi

Add some sizzle to your weeknights with this easy beef bulgogi recipe—a Korean barbecue favorite!

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Total Time: 30 Minutes, plus 35 minutes to chill the meat (if time allows) and at least 1 hour to marinate

Ingredients

  • 1¾-2 pounds ribeye steaks
  • Heaping ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1½ tablespoons vegetable oil, plus 2 teaspoons more for cooking
  • 1½ teaspoons Asian sesame oil
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
  • 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1 small shallot, roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh ginger, from a 1-inch knob (see note)
  • Heaping ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 scallions, dark green parts only, thinly sliced, for serving
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, for serving

Instructions

  1. If time allows, place the steaks on a large plate and freeze until semi-firm, about 35 minutes (this makes them easier to slice). Slice the steaks into ¼-inch-thick slices.
  2. Combine 1½ tablespoons of water and the baking soda in a medium bowl. Add the beef slices and toss to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, in a mini food processor or blender, combine the 1½ tablespoons vegetable oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, shallot, ginger, and red pepper flakes; process until smooth. Pour the mixture over the beef and toss to coat evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight.
  4. Turn on the exhaust fan. In a large (12-inch) cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil until very hot and shimmering. Add half of the beef slices in a single layer and cook, without stirring, until browned on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir the meat and continue stir-frying until the beef is just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer the beef to a serving platter and cover to keep warm; repeat with the remaining beef (no need to add more oil to the pan), adding any marinade left in the bowl to the pan right before stirring the meat. Transfer the second batch of beef to the serving platter and sprinkle with the scallion greens and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
  5. Note: Check out easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger here.

Pair with

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (4 servings)
  • Calories: 707
  • Fat: 55 g
  • Saturated fat: 21 g
  • Carbohydrates: 14 g
  • Sugar: 11 g
  • Fiber: 1 g
  • Protein: 44 g
  • Sodium: 1,073 mg
  • Cholesterol: 154 mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Gluten-Free Adaptable Note

To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.

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Comments

  • Omygoodness, that is delicious! We served it to company and everyone went back for seconds. And thirds!

    • — Pam Gammon on May 28, 2024
    • Reply
  • Fabulous. We both loved it. The steak was tender and flavorful. I made it exactly as written. Marinaded the rib eye for about 5 hours. Served it with rice and roasted broccoli with garlic. Such a nice change from plain grilled steak. I’ll be making this often.

    • — Kathie on May 26, 2024
    • Reply
  • Absolutely outstanding. Omitted the baking powder and used corn starch and only marinated for about 1 hour (didn’t plan ahead), but wow! Fantastic flavor, super simple and another top 10 recipe from Jenn! My wife, who doesn’t eat steak, loved it. Will add to the rotation. Thanks Jenn!

    • — Chicago Chris on February 29, 2024
    • Reply
  • Another great recipe from this website, and one of most tasty meals with meat I have ever made. When it comes to food preparation, I usually don’t have time to think much and plan. I just pick something from this site and I know it will work, so I really appreciate all content here.

    • — Maya on December 28, 2023
    • Reply
  • I didn’t even have time to ask my husband if he liked it – he said it was delish after the first bite. We found ribeye on sale so the meat was oh so tender; followed the recipe (except used small onion rather than a shallot). Next time, I’ll make another 1/2 recipe of the marinade and cook it down so we have some sauce.

    • — Kim on September 1, 2023
    • Reply
  • Oh man, I have never tried a recipe on this site that wasn’t amazing, until now. I made this for the first time last night and it was throw away the meal and go out to dinner bad. I followed the recipe exactly, didn’t make any tweaks because I always give new recipes a chance to be great as is before I adjust. But I don’t know what happened and the bad taste is hard to describe, it seemed like the baking soda overtook all the other flavors. I have never eaten plain baking soda, but if I had to guess what it tasted like, this would have been it. No other ingredient in this recipe makes sense to be as damaging to the taste. I don’t even know how it’s possible, or how this recipe has so many great reviews. I’ve had beef bulgogi before and this is not it.

    • — Tessa on August 16, 2023
    • Reply
    • Replace the baking soda with grated pear. I use Bosc variety since it’s commonly available and it will tenderize the mean and add some sweetness that isn’t overpowering.

      • — Holly on January 27, 2024
      • Reply
    • Is it possible you used more than the 1/4 teaspoon? It says to mix the 1/4 teaspoon in 1 1/2 tablespoons of water.

      • — Jeffrey B Todd on August 23, 2024
      • Reply
  • Absolutely delicious! Used a Tri-Tip steak out of my freezer and had the rest of the ingredients on hand. Your recipes never fail to delight our taste buds. Brava!

    • — Kim Roman on August 2, 2023
    • Reply
  • Another winner! This is such a great dish to prep ahead of time. It was delicious, easy. Goes wonderfully with Jasmin rice.

    • — Kelly G on May 23, 2023
    • Reply
  • Love your website and cookbooks Jenn. My husband has become a Saturday night master chef and often chooses your recipes to prepare. All of your recipes are superb, but the beef bulgogi is a masterpiece. He served it with steamed rice and broccoli. What pairing suggestions do you have?

    • — Kathy M. on May 21, 2023
    • Reply
    • Thanks for your nice words about the recipes and support of the cookbooks – glad you liked the bulgogi too! Honestly, the sides that I would suggest are exactly what you mentioned you had — broccoli and steamed rice.

      • — Jenn on May 23, 2023
      • Reply
  • Delicious and easy to make GF – we bought an indoor Korean BBQ from Amazon and this works great with this recipe – very inexpensive and adds a communal cooking atmosphere to the meal. So much fun!

    • — David Rubin on April 11, 2023
    • Reply

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