Bulgogi is perhaps the most well known Korean dish and you’ll quickly see why. Besides being super flavorful, it’s also really easy to make. Thin slices of beef steak marinated in a delicious sauce of soy, sesame, ginger, and garlic will make this popular Korean dish sure to become a family favorite.
Bulgogi is commonly served with rice and kimchi and perfectly pairs with steamed veggies on the side.
Why Our Recipe
- Uses flank steak for easy prep and quick cooking.
- Easy hands off meal that everyone can make.
- Make ahead instructions for easy freezer meals.
This is a dish from my childhood that I loved eating growing up. My dad lived in Korea as a young adult. He loved eating bulgogi, so he learned how to make it and brought that knowledge home. It is connected to so many happy memories for me because my dad would make it for us for special occasions. I have no doubt that it will become a favorite for your family too.
Ingredient Notes
- Flank Steak: Make sure to slice against the grain. This will help make your meat nice and tender.
- Finely Grated Asian Pear: 1 cup is roughly one pear. You can also substitute a finely grated apple or ¼ cup brown sugar.
- Soy Sauce: Low sodium works just fine as well.
- Sesame Seeds: Can use toasted or untoasted white seeds.
- Oyster Sauce: This brings an amazing umami. Can substitute with worcestershire, fish sauce, or hoisin.
- Minced Garlic: Measure with your heart.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: If spicy is not your favorite flavor, can be left out to make it not spicy.
- Ground Ginger: Can either use 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger.
- Sliced Green Onion: Serves as a garnish bringing both color and flavor. Not required.
Beef Options
Bulgogi can be made using various cuts of beef steak. Common cuts include thinly sliced ribeye, sirloin, brisket, flank, or skirt steak which can all be used without altering the recipe. Even ground beef can be used for an inexpensive version. For ground beef, instead of marinating, simply make the marinade and keep it separate. Cook your ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once your ground beef is cooked through, drain it well, then add in the marinade as a sauce to flavor the ground beef.
Always slice against the grain
Cut the steak into thin slices against the grain. The grain looks like little lines running through the meat. These are natural breaking points in the meat. Cut against the grain to avoid the steak becoming chewy. The thinner you slice it the faster it will cook.
Oyster Sauce Substitute
Oyster sauce brings a wonderfully sweet and salty flavor to this dish with a savory, tangy flavor. While we love the flavor it brings, you can always omit it if needed for allergy reasons or if you don’t have any on hand. If you want to create an oyster sauce substitute, replace the oyster sauce with soy sauce and add in 1/2 teaspoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce.
Make It a Freezer Meal
Once you have combined the meat and marinade, transfer it to a plastic freezer bag and lay flat to freeze. When you are ready to use it, thaw overnight in the fridge. The meat will marinate as it thaws, packing more delicious flavor into every bite.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Reheat on the stovetop in a skillet over medium-low heat until warmed through.
My son came home from sixth grade on Friday and asked me if I ever heard of this. So I looked on Pinterest and made your recipe. Absolutely a hit in our house!
My husband and I loved this! It was super easy and not overly spicy (which surprised me). We’re going to serve the leftovers on buns and call it Bulgogi Barbecue😊 Great for tailgating at Clemson!
Surprisingly easy to make and incredibly delicious. I omitted the oyster sauce. Even my littles loved this dish.
Good recipe. Highly recommend using black sesame oil.
Made this tonight. Wowweeeee !!
This is terrific ! Second time I’ve tried making this, first time with your recipe. I loved it, my husband loved it
and our big cat Buzz loved it. He’s a 20lb. Maine Coon, he has a very sophisticated palate. 😉
I will be making this again. I used a 1\4 teaspoon fresh, grated ginger. Really gave it zing !
Dark or light brown sugar???
Loved this recipe…kids ate all of and I doubled the recipe!!! Only thing I did different is I added broccoli…
My husband loves this recipe and asks for it often . It is easy to make and so tasty. We prefer flank steak for the meat.
I reduce the amount of sugar and still great.
One-half teaspoon ginger is really a tiny amount for two pounds of beef, but it’s all a matter of taste. And bulgogi often has Asian pear (or sometimes apple) ground or minced up really fine, which acts as a natural sweetener and a tenderizer.
So easy and delicious! Thank you !