Mastering Global Cooking – Korean: Bulgogi

Posted By Meghan Y. | Updated on May 21, 2025 | Published on November 15, 2013 // Leave a Comment

I have officially fallen in love with Korean food.

Bulgogi_3

When I settled on what I would like to cook for this part of the series, I honestly wasn’t familiar with anything but the Korean Short Ribs that I made for you last week. For some reason Bulgogi stood out to me as a dish that is a classic, and also wouldn’t take me through really difficult cooking techniques. 

Also, beef always goes over well in our house and I didn’t want to be stuck eating my weight in live squid, so I stuck to something I knew my hubby would at least try….

Bulgogi_2

I know this dish looks incredibly simple, but the truth is… IT IS. So simple. Too simple. Simple enough to be a weeknight meal simple.

Just so you know, if it’s easy enough to make on a weeknight after a long day of work, that’s the key to simplicity for me. It’s hard to find those easy meals that actually taste amazing and aren’t too incredible fatty, right?

Bulgogi_1

Trust me, go outside the box, try something different. It’s worth it every. single. time.

table of contents

Bulgogi

A Korean classic that is both quick to make and delicious to eat.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Additional Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours 50 minutes
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ingredients

  • 2 lbs beef rib eye thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 onion sliced
  • 1 cup water
Marinade
  • 7 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 3-4 Tbsp sugar
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 Tbsp mirin
  • 1 Tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 tsp sesame seeds
  • 1 tsp black pepper

instructions

  • Pat the beef slices with paper towel to absorb some of the blood.
  • In a blender, puree the applesauce with half of the sliced onion. Using a coffee filter, squeeze the puree through it to get the clear juice, discarding the filter and what's left in it.
  • Add beef and clear juices to a bowl and mix with your hands. Rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
  • Combine all the ingredients for the marinade. Add to the beef and mix by hand. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 4 hours.
  • Bring a medium skillet to temperature over medium-high heat. Add the beef to the pan and stir as the meat cooks, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
  • In a small skillet, heat 1 tsp olive oil. Add the other half of the sliced onion with salt and pepper.
  • Serve your Bulgogi meat with its juice over rice immediately and top with onions.
Category: Main Dish

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4 Comments

  1. I love bulgogi! Tho I’ve never tried to make it at home – I’m afraid to fail. Not just at the bulgogi, but at the rice. Why is rice so hard to make?! It seems so simple but I fail, every time!

    1. It’s actually a lot easier to make than you would think! The rice is probably the hardest part of the whole dish, though I cheat and use a rice maker…. I highly recommend it! Perfect rice every time 😉