This easy Korean Bulgogi recipes includes thin slices of marinated pork or beef, pan-seared and served over hot steamed white rice or kimchi fried rice. We love it served with bibimbap bowls or in lettuce wraps.
I first fell in love with Bulgogi at a Korean restaurant I frequented during college, and again at Seoul Taco in St. Louis, MO. Now I love cooking bulgogi at home because the tantalizing aroma of searing meat and spices brings everyone to the table with an appetite!
The word Bulgogi (불고기) literally means “fire meat”. It’s absolutely delicious and, because its sliced so thin, it marinates and cooks quickly. It’s traditionally grilled on skewers but I love this quick and easy pan-fried version, for convenience.
Ingredients Needed:
For the meat I usually use pork tenderloin because it’s lean, reasonably priced, and what I first had when I fell in love with bulgogi. You could also use sirloin, ribeye or other expensive cuts of beef. Chicken would work fine as well. Don’t marinate the meat for longer than a few hours, and most importantly, be careful not to overcook it!
How to make Bulgogi:
Toss the meat in the freezer for 20 minutes. This will make it much easier to slice!
Slice the meat across the grain into very thin slices (⅛ inch) and place in a large ziplock bag or mixing bowl.
Whisk together the marinade ingredients: soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes and one chopped green onion (save the remaining for garnish).
Add marinade to pork and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes but no more than overnight.
Brown meat: Heat oil in a skillet and cook bulgogi meat in a single layer (one half batch at a time), for a few minutes on each side. Be careful not to overcook. Repeat for second batch of meat.
Serve warm in a bulgogi bowl, wrap, or salad.
Pro Tip:
If your supermarket carries Asian pears, grate one up and include it in the marinade. This fruit contains an enzyme that tenderizes meat.
Freezing Instructions:
Place raw meat in a freezer safe bag and cover it with marinade. You may need to divide the portion in half and store it in two separate bags. Remove as much air as possible and freeze it flat.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or quick-thaw in a big bowl of cold water when you get home from work. Bulgogi tastes best freshly cooked so freezing it raw is better.
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Recipe
Bulgogi
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork tenderloin , or beef flank steak
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger , or 2 tsp dry ground ginger
- 2-3 teaspoons Korean chili paste (gochujang) , or substitute Thai red chili sauce, sriracha, or crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
- 2 green onions , chopped, divided
- 2 Tablespoons oil (vegetable or canola) , for cooking meat
Instructions
- Slice the pork tenderloin into very thin slices and place the meat in a large ziplock bag. Set aside.
- In a bowl whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes and one chopped green onion (reserve the remaining chopped green onion for garnish on the bowls).
- Pour the marinade into the bag with the pork and allow to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
- When ready to cook the pork, add 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil to a large wok or skillet over medium high heat.
- Once hot, add half of the meat, placing it in a single layer in the pan. Allow it to brown for a few minutes, without touching it.
- Flip each piece of meat to the other side and allow to brown for another 2 minutes or so, until cooked through, but not overcooked. Remove to a plate.
- Add remaining oil to the pan. Once hot, add remaining pork and cook in the same manner. Remove to a plate.
Notes
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe July 2020. Updated July 2021.
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Simple and very tasty. Will definitely make it again
This recipe is a keeper!!!
I had to make a few minor changes as follows, because of what I had on hand, but it turned out delicious: I used thinly sliced pork chops, coconut aminos because I was out of soy sauce, a VERY small amount of Trader Joe’s Habanero sauce because I had a tiny bit left in the bottle to finish up, lol and forgot the onions 🙁 I also used store bought ginger instead of grating it because it was hot out and I was lazy! I loved your suggestion of freezing the meat before slicing! That was a game changer.
Best way to cook this is on the broil setting and on high.
Used flank steak and cut as thin as possible. Followed the recipe to a T and let marinade for about 8 hours. SO GOOD. Served it over some jasmine rice and poured the pan drippings over as well. Will definitely be making this again.