Beef Bulgogi is a popular meat in Korean cuisine. The secret to making this tender, flavorful meat lies in the marinade. This recipe, like my Korean Beef Short Ribs and Korean Spicy Pork, is a family favorite whenever I serve a Korean meal. 

In addition to eating bulgogi the traditional way with rice, this beef makes an awesome filling for lettuce wraps, sandwiches and sliders (think Korean sloppy Joe's) or tacos and burritos (think Korean taco food truck). 

This is so easy to make. Simply marinate the thinly sliced meat in my Everyday Korean Marinade and Sauce, stir fry it, pair it with rice and veggies, and you've got a complete and flavorful rice bowl. It's also a perfect addition to traditional Korean bibimbap.

Find more of my Korean recipes here: Korean recipe index

Nutritional Information (per serving): 240 calories, 11.4g fat, 4.4g sat. fat, 312mg sodium, 1.8g carbs, 1.6g sugars, 30.5g protein, 0g fiber; Weight Watchers SmartPoint: 6

Step-by-step photos for making
Korean Beef Bulgogi 

Step 1. Assemble the ingredients.

• beef skirt steak or boneless sirloin--my personal preference is skirt steak--it has great flavor and makes a very tender stir fry

• Next, you need to make up a batch of my Everyday Korean Marinade/Sauce, explained in a previous post. 

click to view Everyday Korean Marinade/Sauce Recipe

• Finally, chop a green onion or two to scatter over the cooked meat as a garnish. This is optional.

Step 2. Slice the steak as thinly as possible. Here's how:

• Remove as much visible fat and silver skin as you can.
• Cut steak, in same direction of the grain, into 2-3" wide sections.
• Wrap steak in plastic, place on metal tray, and freeze for 60-90 minutes, until it is firm but not frozen solid.
• Slice steak thinly (no thicker than 1/8"--thinner if possible), cutting across the grain of the meat to maximize tenderness.

Step 3. Place sliced meat in shallow container, pour 1-1/4 cups marinade over top, toss to evenly coat meat, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or as long as 24 hours. Longer is better; I normally prep my meat the day before and let it marinate overnight. (Alternatively, you can marinate meat in large plastic Ziploc bag.) Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade/sauce. 

Step 4. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add oil. Remove meat from marinade with tongs, allowing excess marinade to drip off; add meat to pan in single layer batches, cook until beef has browned and caramelized bits, flip it over and brown on the other side. Transfer cooked meat to a plate and proceed cooking remaining meat in single layer batches. If leftover marinade in skillet begins to smoke and burn, wipe skillet off with a paper towel between batches and add a little more oil each time.

• Tip 1: I don't use non-stick cookware very often, but I highly recommend using a non-stick skillet for this. There is enough sugar in the marinade to ensure that the meat will brown and caramelize well, and clean-up is so much easier. The first times I made this, I used my favorite stainless steel skillet and then a cast iron skillet; the marinade burned and stuck onto those skillets, and they were a nightmare to clean. I get much better results with this stir-fry when I use a non-stick skillet.
• Tip 2: Don't pile all of the beef into the skillet to cook at one time. The liquid in the crowded pan will result in the meat steaming rather than forming that flavorful browning and caramelizing. It pays to take the extra time to cook the meat in batches.

view on Amazon:  12" nonstick skillet

Done! So easy. Add the cooked beef to a serving bowl or platter and scatter it with chopped green onions. 

Serve the reserved marinade/sauce in a bowl on the side. It can be drizzled over the meat and/or steamed rice. Good stuff!

I normally serve this bulgogi beef with rice and stir fried spinach, but you can pair it with other vegetables--bean sprouts, carrots, bok choy, kimchi-- to create your own customized rice bowl. I also serve gochujang (Korean red hot pepper paste) on the side for those who like a spicy condiment--like me!

view on Amazon:  gochujan (Korean red hot pepper paste); chopsticks

Freeze it! This recipe freezes well, and I often make a double batch with planned leftovers in the freezer to use for future meals; especially since it's so versatile. Read below for other menu ideas.

It's versatile! This amazingly flavored beef can be used in a number of ways:

• rice bowls and bibimbap -- the traditional way
• lettuce wraps--use this filling along with a little rice
• sandwiches and sliders--serve it in a bun like a sloppy Joe
• paninis--grilled with some melted cheese
• wraps--use it is a filling in tortillas or pita bread
• tacos--Korean taco food trucks are hugely popular, and for good reason

Delicious in Korean rice or noodle bowls. Before everyone was working remotely, I periodically prepared lunch for the hungry crew at my sons' company Less Annoying CRM located in downtown St. Louis. This beef bulgogi was among the items included on a make-your-own Korean rice or noodle bowl buffet. 

Here are some of my other Korean recipes I included in the buffet. It was a so fun and enjoyed by all!

• Korean Spicy Pork
• Korean "Beef" Bulgogi (vegan)
• Korean Spicy Scallion Salad
• Korean Sticky Chicken
• Korean Kimchi Slaw
• Korean Glass Noodles with Vegetables
• Everyday Korean Sauce
• Spicy Mayo Sauce
• Spicy Korean Bibimbap Sauce
• Korean Sesame Seed Cookies

Make it a Yummy day!

Monica

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Korean Beef Bulgogi

By Monica              Servings: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. skirt steak, sliced into 2-3" strips, maximum 1/8" thick* (may substitute boneless sirloin)
• 1 batch (2.5 cups) Korean Marinade & Sauce (recipe at www.theyummylife.com/Korean_Marinade_Sauce)
• 1-2 tablespoons peanut, canola, or vegetable oil
• 1-2 green onions, chopped -- optional garnish

Directions

* To easily cut thin slices of meat, first wrap it in plastic and place on metal tray, put in freezer for 60-90 minutes. Meat should be firm and easier to slice, but not yet frozen solid.

1. Place cut meat in shallow dish, pour 1-1/4 cups marinade over top, toss to evenly coat meat, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or as long as 24 hours. (Alternatively, you can marinate meat in large plastic Ziploc bag.) Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade/sauce.

2. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add 1 T. oil. Remove meat from marinade with tongs, allowing excess marinade to drip off; add meat to pan in single layer batches, cook until beef has browned and caramelized bits, flip it over and brown on the other side. Transfer cooked meat to plate and proceed cooking remaining meat in single layer batches. If leftover marinade in skillet begins to smoke and burn, wipe skillet off with a paper towel between batches and add a little more oil each time.

3. Garnish plate with chopped green onions, if desired.

4. Serve with steamed rice and remaining marinade/sauce for drizzling over meat and rice, as desired.

Nutritional Information (per serving): 240 calories, 11.4g fat, 4.4g sat. fat, 312mg sodium, 1.8g carbs, 1.6g sugars, 30.5g protein, 0g fiber; Weight Watchers SmartPoint: 6

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