This Easy Bulgogi Beef Recipe consists of homemade Korean barbecue sauce to achieve that authentic tangy, sweet, and spicy flavor you can taste in Korean dishes. Here’s a simple step-by-step on how to make Bulgogi at home.
Easy Bulgogi Beef Recipe
Have you ever tasted Korean dishes? Korean food presents a unique flavor, such as little savory, tangy, nutty, sweet, and salty.
Whenever you talk about South Korea, you can never neglect K dramas, K-pop, and K BBQ. Many Korean foods are unique, diverse, and healthy. But I love “Bulgogi Beef,” tender meat with juicy flavors. It is a marinated sliced meat that presents a delicious picture of Korean food. Try today’s recipe, I am sure this food will update your favorite food list, and you will always crave this tender beef.
What Is Bulgogi Beef?
It is a unique South Korean beef recipe easy to make at home with a basic kitchen pantry. The only beef lover knows and explains beef’s strong taste and aroma. But if you have not tried Korean bulgogi yet, you missed the delicious and fantastic food. However, this fire meat needs a little ingredient, and kitchen tools such as grill, or non-stick pan. A perfect blend of sweet and savory ingredients such as gochujang, brown sugar, garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, onion, and thin meat slices makes it’s mouthwatering.
Why Do People Love Bulgogi Beef?
It is a beloved food for many good reasons. Such as:
- Flavor: The sweet and savory beef in a rich, umami flavor that is hard to resist. Combining its ingredients creates a delicious, unique, satisfying, and addictive taste.
- 2. Texture: A properly cooked bulgogi beef is incredibly tender and juicy. Hours of marination help to break down the fibers. In addition, marination makes it easier to chew the beef. So, it is a satisfying and enjoyable texture.
- 3. Cultural significance: Bulgogi beef is a dish of cultural significance for Korean food lovers. It is often served during special occasions or celebrations and is a popular dish for family gatherings and meals with friends.
Equipment Needed
You will need the following equipment To make Bulgogi beef
· Large bowl for marinating
· Grill or stovetop griddle for cooking
· Tongs for flipping the beef
· Sharp knife for thin slicing the beef
· Cutting board for preparing the ingredients
· Mixing spoon for mixing
· Ziplock bag (optional) for marination in a space-efficient way.
INGREDIENTS
- Beef: you can slice sirloin or ribeye beef at home or purchase pre-sliced meat from nearby stores. But at home, it is good to freeze beef for easy cutting. Make 2 to 3mm thin slices.
- Soy Sauce: Soy sauce is for the marinade; it provides an umami flavor.
- Brown Sugar: Sugar is for sweetness because it helps balance the salty flavor of the soy sauce.
- Sesame Oil: it adds a nutty and toasty flavor. It helps to tenderize the meat and infuse it with flavor before cooking.
- Garlic: minced or grated provides a spicy flavor to the marinade.
- Ginger: it adds a sweet and slightly spicy taste.
- Black Pepper: Use freshly ground black pepper to add a subtle heat and peppery flavor to the marinade for the best taste.
- Onion: thinly sliced onion helps tenderize the beef and adds a sweet and savory flavor.
What Type Of Beef Do You Use For Bulgogi
- The sirloin or ribeye cut of beef is perfect, but other cuts of beef, such as flank steak or tenderloin, are also fine. However, the tender cut of beef is good to cut easily and for quickly cooking for stir-fry or grilling.
Instructions
- Marinate the beef– Add all ingredients for marination in a bowl. Mix them until they have a sticky consistency. Add in the beef and marinate overnight in the fridge.
- Cook the Marinated Beef– After marination, heat a pan with a small amount of oil and saute the beef until cooked. You can cook the Bulgogi right away after marination, or you can also make a huge batch and freeze it for future use.
Assemble the Bulgogi Bowl
Here’s how you can assemble the Beef Bulgogi into a Bulgogi Bowl. The secret is – ADD ANY TOPPING YOU WANT! Here are some common suggestions of toppings.
- Rice- place the rice in a bowl and add the trimming on top of it. Check out my Instant Pot Rice Post on how to cook rice.
- Spinach and Shredded Carrots – Heat oil in a medium size pan and saute the spinach until wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Add a drop of soy sauce and roasted sesame oil.
- Mung beans-boil five cups of water and add the mung beans sprout. Let it sit in the boiling water for three minutes, remove from the fire. Wash with cold water and drain using strainer. When ethe excess water has been drained, place it into a medium-sized bowl and season with sesame oil and soy sauce.
Expert Tips
- Always Choose the thinly sliced beef ribeye or sirloin.
- Ensure that the beef cooks evenly.
- Marinate the beef for at least 90 minutes because it is key to giving it flavor and tenderness.
- Beef bulgogi is best when the beef is cooked quickly over high heat. Take your time because this will make it tough.
- Use a hot pan or griller to sear the beef and create a caramelized crust for better results.
How To Save Beef Bulgogi For Future Use
- Use an airtight container for leftover beef bulgogi.
- Store it in the refrigerator if you must use it within the next few days.
- However, for a longer period, you can freeze for up to 2-3 months.
Serve Bulgogi Beef With
1. Kimchi, a Korean spicy fermented dish, will add a savory and tangy flavor.
2. Atchara, Pickled vegetables such as cucumbers, carrots, or radishes are perfect for adding savory and tangy flavors or this Vietnamese Pickles.
3. Steamed or stir-fried vegetables such as spinach, bean sprouts, or mushrooms are healthy side items.
4. Rice/ Pasta: if you want to balance the flavors, you can use tomato rice, jasmine rice, rice, and beans rice.
Easy Beef Bulgogi Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lbs Beef thinly slice
Marinade Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Gochujang
- 2 tablespoons Ground Chili Powder
- 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
- 4 cloves Garlic chopped
- 1/4 cup Sesame Oil
- 2 tablespoons Soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Mirin
- 2 tablespoons Ginger chopped
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1/4 cup onion chopped
Instructions
- Place all of the marinade ingredients in a small bowl and mix until the ingredients until it has sticky consistency. Add in the beef and marinate overnight in the fridge. You can cook the Beef Bulbogi right away. You can also make a huge batch and freeze for future use.
- When ready, heat a pan with small amount of oil and saute' the beef until cooked through.
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