Description
Beef Bulgogi is a mouthwatering Korean dish with tender beef slices marinated in a sweet, savory, and smoky mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and grated Asian pear. It’s easy to make and full of bold flavors.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds rib eye, top sirloin, or flank steak, thinly sliced across the grain
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 of an Asian pear, grated (or substitute with a sweet apple like Fuji)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon sweet Japanese rice wine (or dry sherry)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon Gochuchang (Korean chili paste)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (divided)
Additional scallions for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the marinade: In a bowl or freezer bag, mix soy sauce, grated Asian pear (or apple), brown sugar, rice wine, sesame oil, gochuchang, minced garlic, grated ginger, pepper, and chopped scallions. Whisk to combine.
- Marinate the beef: Add the sliced beef to the marinade and toss to coat. Cover and marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature or up to overnight for tougher cuts.
- Sear the beef: Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large pan. Cook the beef in batches, searing each side for 1-2 minutes until browned but tender. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil. Repeat with remaining beef.
- Final touches: Sprinkle the cooked beef with toasted sesame seeds and stir. Garnish with additional scallions and serve with extra gochuchang if desired.
Notes
If you don’t have gochuchang, use a mix of chili flakes or a sweet chili sauce like sriracha.
Freeze beef for 1-2 hours before slicing to make it easier to cut thin slices.
For a milder version, adjust the amount of gochuchang or omit it entirely.
Substitute Asian pear with Fuji apples or Bosc pears if needed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
