Bulgogi (Marinated Grilled Beef)
Thinly sliced beef marinated in a sweet soy sauce and quickly seared — Korea's most beloved beef dish, great over rice or in lettuce wraps.
Ingredients
- Beef (thin-sliced sirloin/chuck)400 g
- Onion0.5
- Green onion1 stalk
- Carrot · optional0.25
- Shiitake mushrooms · optional2
- Marinade
- Soy sauce4 tbsp
- Sugar · 1.5–2.5, to taste2 tbsp
- Pear juice (or grated pear)3 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Sesame oil1 tbsp
- Black pepper · a little
Steps
Mix all the marinade ingredients. The pear juice tenderizes the beef.
- ⏲ 30 min
Pat the beef dry, toss with the marinade, and rest at least 30 minutes.
Julienne the onion, green onion, carrot, and shiitake.
- ⏲ 6 min
In a hot pan, stir-fry the marinated beef and vegetables over high heat.
When the liquid reduces and the beef is cooked, turn off the heat and sprinkle sesame.
Tips & Variations
Variations
- Ttukbaegi bulgogi: Add plenty of broth and glass noodles for a soupy hot-pot version.
- Pork bulgogi: Swap pork for beef and use a spicy gochujang marinade.
- Mushroom-heavy: Add shiitake, oyster, and enoki for a fuller dish.
- Bulgogi rice bowl: Pile over rice and top with a fried egg.
Tips
- Pear (or kiwi/pineapple) enzymes tenderize the beef — but don’t over-marinate; 30–60 min is ideal.
- Sear fast over high heat so the beef stays tender.
- Swap sugar for plum syrup or oligosaccharide for shine and gentle sweetness.
- Pat the beef dry to avoid any off-smell.
The basics behind this dish
- Salt: When You Add It Matters More Than How MuchThe same amount of salt either draws water out or seasons all the way through, depending on when it goes in. Osmosis, seasoning in layers, and why salt types are not interchangeable by volume.
- Cooking Meat: Temperature, Resting, and Cutting Against the GrainDoneness is a core temperature, not a number of minutes. What resting actually does, how to handle a thick cut, and why the direction you slice changes the texture.
- Freezing and Thawing Without Wrecking the TextureTexture damage from freezing comes down to ice crystal size. Freeze fast, exclude air, thaw in the fridge, and most of the problem disappears.
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