Learn how to make my Korean beef bulgogi recipe at home for a restaurant-worthy dish! It’s sweet and savory, with tender, caramelized beef swimming in my famous bulgogi sauce!
Need more Asian-inspired beef recipes? Try my black pepper Angus steak, Hunan beef, and shaved steak.
It’s no surprise that my family and I love making Asian food at home. Coming from a half-Asian background with Korean roots, these are the flavors I grew up with. When I want a dish to impress, I make my family’s Korean BBQ beef, bulgogi style!
What is bulgogi?
Bulgogi combines two Korean words, ‘Bul’ meaning ‘fire’ and ‘Gogi,’ meaning ‘meat, so it is famously called ‘fire meat.’ It’s essentially beef, chicken, or pork cooked over an open flame and douses in spicy bulgogi sauce.
Why I love this recipe
- Next-level flavor. The marinade is spicy, umami, and savory, and the high heat adds a subtle smoky flavor.
- Minimal marinating time. I typically only marinate the meat for 5 minutes, but you can marinate it for up to 2 hours before cooking.
- Make it with ground beef. While I prefer sliced steak, I often make bulgogi with ground beef in a pinch, and it turns out just as delicious (hello, Korean beef bowls).
- No grill needed. Traditional bulgogi is made over an open fire, but I know not everyone wants to break out the grill, so I’m sharing my stir-fried/stovetop method.
Ingredients needed
- Beef steak. I suggest using Denver steak, sirloin steak, or flank steak, as these lend themselves best to a quick marinade and high-heat cooking.
- Bulgogi sauce. A spicy sauce made from soy sauce, sesame oil, gochujang, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, ginger, and Asian pear for sweetness. Normally, I’d say the store-bought stuff is fine, but in this case, I suggest making my homemade version.
- Oil. To cook the meat. Stick with a neutral-flavored oil, as the marinade has plenty of sesame oil.
- Onions. Trimmed and sliced.
- Salt and black pepper. To taste.
How to make beef bulgogi
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Prepare the beef. Wrap the beef in plastic wrap and freeze for at least an hour. Once firm, use a sharp knife to slice it into 1/4-inch thin slices.
Step 2- Marinate. In a large bowl, toss the slices of beef in the bulgogi sauce, oil, onions, salt, and pepper. Let it sit for 5 minutes or up to 2 hours.
Step 3- Cook and serve. Add oil to a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, cook the beef for 1-2 minutes until seared on all sides.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Don’t skip the freezing. While optional, I find freezing the beef first makes slicing it into paper-thin slices seamless!
- Grill it! For a more traditional flavor, add the marinated meat to a preheated grill (on a grill pan so the meat doesn’t slip between the grates) and cook until crisp.
- Or add smoke flavor. Just between us, I’ll sometimes add ½ teaspoon of smoke flavor to the marinate to replicate the smokiness from the grill.
- Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and green onions.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to five days.
To freeze: Place the cooled leftovers in a freezer-safe container and store them in the freezer for up to six months. Let the meat thaw in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating: Reheat the meat in a hot skillet or microwave for 1-2 minutes.
