Bulgogi is one of the most famous Korean foods. Many foreigners visit Korea and try this delicious dish and love it. It not only has good flavor, but the way of eating this food is unique. We usually grill bulgogi at the table while we are eating a meal in a restaurant. Then we wrap bulgogi with lettuce, adding soybean paste, garlic, onion, carrot, and/or cucumber. If you have a chance to visit Korea, I recommend you try bulgogi. If you cannot, then try my recipe at home. hehe π
Yield: 3 Servings
Short Korean Lesson
- So (μ) = Cow
- GoGi (κ³ κΈ°) = Meat
Video Instructions
Main Ingredients
- 3 Cups Beef (Sirloin or any cut)
- 1 Cup Onion
- Β½ Cup Carrot
Sauce Ingredients
- 6 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 3 Tbsp Sugar
- 3 Tbsp Asian Pear Juice
- 3 Tbsp Cooking Wine (or Water)
- 3 Tbsp Green Onion
- 1Β½ Tbsp Garlic
- 1 Pinch Ginger Powder
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Seeds
- ΒΌ tsp Black Pepper
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
Directions
Cut 3 cups of beef thinly.
Cut Β½ of a carrot, mince 1Β½ Tbsp garlic, and chop the green onion.
Slice an onion.
In a bowl, combine: 6 Tbsp of soy sauce, 3 Tbsp of sugar, 3 Tbsp of Asian pear juice, 3 Tbsp of cooking wine, 3 Tbsp of green onion, 1Β½ Tbsp of garlic, 1 Pinch of ginger powder, 1 Tbsp of sesame seeds, ΒΌ tsp of black pepper, and 1 Tbsp of sesame oil. Mix everything together.
In a large bowl, combine everything together.
Cover it with plastic wrap or put it in a container with a lid. Keep the container in the refrigerator for at least half a day to marinate.
The next day, cook the marinated beef in a pan, until the beef has completely cooked.
Cook the meat on medium-high.
Enjoy! π
Quite possibly the most famous Korean dish, bulgogi is also one of my favorites. It is a little sweet, and I usually don’t like sweet meat, however, this is good. It is especially good wrapped with lettuce, soybean paste, and raw garlic. If you want to try Korean food, don’t stop with this dish because there are many more tasty Korean foods to make.
Hi, honey~
Yes, not only the taste is good but also it’s healthy to eat your bulgogi with vegetables. I like onion in my wrap also.
Oh~~ it’s been while since we ate bulgogi. I’m hungry for it. Let’s have it someday soon~ Good idea ??/ π
When making this dish, is the pear juice ” Asian Pear Juice or can it just be any Pear juice?”
Hi, Inno
Yes,,, It’s better to use Asian pear juice..because.. other pear tastes more sour..and the texture is different.. plus the flavor is also different. Thanks !!
Could I just use asian pears and blend it to make a sauce from them?
Hi, Inno
Oh~~~ Actually, that’s better for bulgogi. Since it’s hard for me to find asian pear around here, I use can of pear juice instead. Yep.. blend it and use it for your sauce. Thank you !!! Enjoy your bulgogi. π
there are so much recipes I can’t wait to try… hehehe… now Im confused which one I should try first… but one thing I know for sure is that I bet all these recipes are very good… Thanks Aeris!
hi, jhny69
haha.. I know… I will feel same way… I hope the recipes are as good as you expect..:) Thanks for many comments..
your welcome. one question : how thinly should i slice the beef?
Hi, jhny69
if I say..very thinly~~~ it will not be good enough answer to you.right ^^:; If you watch my video..I think I showed how thin it should be.. sorry for poor answer..^^;;
Hi! Aeris, i tried the recipe tonight… It turned out great… thanks so much! everyone loved it!
Hi, jhny69
oops.. you already tried it..hehe thanks !! I can see that you are a good cook !!! π try more Korean food and share good news with us please..hehe
i just made the marinating part. now i gotta wait to try it tomorrow. hope it will turn out great like many others dishes i have tried from u.
oh the only thing i missed was green onions. hope this won’t ruin the taste .. wow can’t wait… yummmm
Hi, rosie
Thanks for trying my recipes. π I like green onion flavor in my bulgogi. If you don’t have it.. next time..maybe you can add a little more onion or garlic instead. π I hope it turns about great. Enjoy!! π
Hi Aeri. This recipe works every time! Thanks! I now marinate bulgogi beef at least once a week, just in case we have nothing else to eat.
Hi, crzycpl
haha… sounds awesome !!!
Yep… pack some amount you use for each time..and freeze them.. you can use bulgogi for other dishes as I posted … thanks !!!
I made it today and my family will have it tomorrow night for my birthday along with some of your side dishes and miyuk guk.
Thank you for your recipes! My mother died the morning after my birthday and I miss her cooking so much, but your recipes are similar to what I was used to growing up! Thank you again.
Hi, Jennifer
Oh~~ so today is your birthday ???
WOW.. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, JENNIFER. π
I hope you will have great party with your family. Your mom will be very proud of you in heaven. Thanks !!!
Hi Aeri. I just discovered your site, and I’m excited to try everything out!
I’m curious about eating it wrapped in a lettuce leaf. Are the wrapped garlic and onions raw or cooked? And when you say soybean paste, is it doenjang, and is it cooked?
I will be reporting back soon to tell you how it went, heheh.
It turned out really well! Not too sweet, not too salty, just right. I will be making this again. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi, Chris
That’s awesome !!! hehe.. very happy to hear that your bulgogi turned out really well. Thanks !!!
Hi, Chris
I don’t know why but.. I could find out your comment today.. sorry for late reply. I’m happy that you discovered my site. hehe.. Yes.. you have to try bulgogi with wrapping in a lettuce leaf and other vegetables. Yes, we usually eat raw garlic and onions.. just slice them very thinly.. the soy bean paste is specially made for wrapping.. basically it’s doenjang..but added some other ingredients such as gochujang (red bean paste), sesame oil (optional), sesame seeds, minced garlic.. something like this.. Someday, I will show you how to make it also. thanks !!!
Hi Aeri. I only stumbled upon your site today as I was looking for the recipe of my favourite Korean dish, Bibimbap, to cook today. And I am more happy that you have the bulgogi recipe posted as well and all the other favourite korean dishes of mine. Ok… so bulgogi will be my dinner tomorrow!
oh btw, is it possible for me to subsitute the Asian Pear juice with something else? I don’t think I can find it here in my place.
Hi, Fadul
Nice to meet you !!! hehe… I will post more great Korean dishes in the future. I hope your bulgogi turns out great tomorrow. π If you don’t have pear juice, use sweet apple or… just add more sugar or honey… Thanks π
bulgogi? bae go pa…. ^ 0 ^
I love it…. easy to cook it too… thanks aeri… i will change with honey cause its easier to find in my hometown… π do u have facebook? add mine hot_chocolaters@yahoo.co.id…
see u there.. keep post a new recipies… I’ll be waiting… jjang! π go ma wo…
Hi, lina
Oh.. I just made facebook for my aeriskithcen… I have to manage it though.. too lazy nowadays.. Okay..I will add yours soon.. thanks. π
Hey Aeri =]]
Thanks for your recipes, they’ve helped me a lot!!!!
I was wondering, I thought bulgogi was suppose to be grilled and wrapped in lettuce. Does cooking it beforehand make it easier to eat?
hi Judy,
yes.. you are right.. grilled and wrapped in lettuce.. usually.. like samgyupsal.. Korean fresh bacon .. you grill at the table..and eat while it’s cooking.. eat.and grill some more while you are eating cooked one.. something like this..but bulgogi.. you can just cook and serve..because you cook it all at once.. thanks π
i made this and yugaejang. nothing was left!! bulgogi is really delicious and healthy. i see that you use a special type of pan. is it useful? i’m thinking of getting one myself… what do you think? do you use it for other thing than bulgogi?
Hi layping,
How are you??? oh.. yukgaejang and bulgogi.. sounds yummy~~ I used that pan for dakgalbi also… or can use for other marinated meat dishes.. but I think just normal pan works good for them.. ^^ If you want to buy, it’s good to have one also.. oops.. I’m not that helpful..hehe my point is.. it’s not critical..but optional. π
thanks for your help!! i quite like the pan so i will get one!! also it get use for other dishes…thanks already. you just made up my mind ^^/
hi layping,
hehe.. you are always more than welcome. thanks have a great weekend. π
this was so great that i had it two nights in a row. the second time i made some ssamjang for it. i think a ssamjang recipe would be a nice addition to your blog.
hi Samantha,
Yep..I’m going to post ssamjang recipe someday too.. hehe thanks π
μμ Aeri! This recipe is AWESOME!!
κ°μ¬ν©λλ€!!!
I have a quick question I’m hoping you can help with.. How do I adjust the recipe for a serving of 10 people?
hi JoAnn,
I will say triple the recipe…and use 10 cups of beef and add about 3 Tbsp of water in the sauce… since this recipe can be a little salty.. you can adjust the amount of soy sauce with water.. other ingredients.. just triple the amount.. ^^
hey~
I’m really excited to try this recipe π
But i cant find any ginger power and ginger here is quite expensive so i was wondering what i could replace the ginger with or if the flavour wont be as good without the ginger?
Thankyou (:
hi JaeJae,
As you see.. the amount is not that much.. so if you don’t have it.. skip it.. it will still taste good. . ^^
hi aeri, i’m so glad i found your website through FB. i’ve been married for two years and have a one year old and i have yet to master cooking for my family~especially korean food! i am looking forward to trying all your recipes! thanks for an awesome site to help me feed my family! God bless!
hi lina kim,
Nice to meet you. π
So your husband is a Korean ?? I have a 10 months son too.. hehe God bless you and your family. π
Your food Titlas on the Pastel color backgrounds in your downlaod cookbook are in white and very hard to read on some colors. Would you please change the titles to a darker color that shows up on all colors.
hi Don Simpson,
Oh.. I’m sorry that you have some difficulties to read the title.
It is already made file.. so have to fix again… which I don’t have much time these days with many things..but someday I will try to fix it. we are working on new cookbook to publish… so we will consider that point for our new book. Sorry about that.
I love this recipe! I’ve made it a few times and it has turned out so wonderful!
I have one question though. How much do you mean by 3 cups of beef? I’ve been assuming one cup = 8 oz so 1 1/2 pounds of beef?
hi YeonJi,
That’s how it works.. 1 cup = 8 oz… 3 cups 24 oz.. that’s 1 and half pound.. yep.. you are right. ^^
Hi Aeri, can I use sweet apple juice instead of asian pear juice? thanks
hi Lenny Lee,
Yes you can… some people use pineapple or kiwi also.. but just make sure.. the fruit flavor is not too strong in your bulgogi. ^^ just give sweetness a little. thanks
Hi Aeri,
I tried this dish and love love it.
I just wondering if you have the recipe for the spicy pork bulgoki (Dwaeji Bulgoki).
Thank you!! π
hi dt123,
Yes, I have one recipe for you.
here is a link. hehe
http://aeriskitchen.com/2008/12/spicy-fried-pork-%EC%A0%9C%EC%9C%A1-%EB%B3%B6%EC%9D%8Cjeyuk-bokkeum/
Hey Aeri, love your site.
I was wondering, could I substitute the cooking wine for something else ?
hi Rawan,
You can skip it.. so in that case you can use water instead of it. π
hi aeri,
if i want to make this recipe spicy. can i add korean chili paste? or chili flakes? or any suggestion? thanks π
hi clea82,
I have a recipe called.. spicy fried pork.. maybe you can try that recipe..and replace the pork to beef..
here is a link for you..
http://aeriskitchen.com/2008/12/spicy-fried-pork-%EC%A0%9C%EC%9C%A1-%EB%B3%B6%EC%9D%8Cjeyuk-bokkeum/
Hi Aeri.. Thanks for the recipe!! It’s very similar in taste to the spicy cold noodle that I had in Seoul. I love how the recipe is very easy to make and very delicious.. π
My mother always uses crushed kiwi instead of Korean pear. It also cuts down marinating time so you can stuff your face with bulgogi even sooner!
I am writing the ingredients down, so I can buy them. Hopefully I can make this for my family. π
Will let you know how it turned out, when I do make it.
This was an awesome recipe, my boyfriend and I really enjoyed it. I left out the pear juice since I didn’t have any, and used sake for the cooking wine. Served with white rice and fried tofu. Thank you! π
I love bulgogi every time i go to korea town i try to eat it and sometimes i crave it but since korea town is a little far away i couldn’t eat it but now i can try making my own, cant wait ^^
Hi,
If i want to make it spicy, what shpuld i add? And do i add it during the marinatting or cooking?
hi tt,
You can try this recipe instead ..if you want spicy version of it.
I used pork ..but you can use beef instead for the recipe.
http://aeriskitchen.com/2008/12/spicy-fried-pork-%EC%A0%9C%EC%9C%A1-%EB%B3%B6%EC%9D%8Cjeyuk-bokkeum/
if you dont have pear juice or sake what could you use?
hi Dominque,
You can try sweet apple for pear juice..and sake (cooking wine) for water instead.
Thank you for this very practical yet simple recipe.I would always refer to your blog should I want to korean any korean food. By the way, if I marinate the beef and froze it for few days would it be still good?
Thank you
hi Mrs Ong,
Yes, it will be still good.. just thaw the bulgogi before frying for tender meat.
Hi Aeri,
I Just got back from korea, not long ago and I remember that most of the time when we ordered bulgogi at a restaurant it came with this dipping sauce.
It had like onions in it and it was a sweet, sour sort of flavour.
If you know what it is, could you please please give me the ingredients for it, because it tasted amazing!
Thank you!! π
hi Fatima,
I will add it to my list.. thanks π
Love your website! I am wondering what is the purpose of adding the grind up apple? Can I use store bought apple sauce instead? Thanks!
hi Jennifer,
The apple gives sweet flavor and help tenderize the meat.. yes you can use apple sauce too.. just adjust the sweetness then..because apple sauce has lots of sugar in it.
Hi Aeri, this looks really good, I want to try making it soon π I was wondering though, when you cook it in the pan, do you have to add oil first? Or you can just cook it without oil? Thanks ^^
If you’re cooking it in a non-stick pan, you won’t need oil. there should still be a little of your marinade left to help everything move easily
Hi Jinan,
As Brenda said below.. you don’t have to add oil..since the bulgogi will have some liquid sauce.. however.. sometimes.. I add a little bit of oil.. especially when I used very lean meat.. but not much oil..just a little..so it’s up to you.. thanks ^^
Hi Aerie
About how much beef in grams would you say is 3 cups?
I think around 700grams
sorry.. that was the way I measured to make a recipe by then.. I should measure by lb or gram.. sorry about that.. I guess.. it is around 1/2 lb or 450 g… thanks
Hi Aeri,
I have made your japchae before and it was lovely,
I went to my halal butchers and he had a sign in the window that said ‘bulgogi’. I was surprised and excited so I bought some of the meat that ge cut in bulgogi style and then I followed your recipe.
It was fantastic and my husband (who prefers non Asian food) really loved it!! We got different salad leaves and ate it like you suggested, the traditional way all wrapped up, it was so fun.
Thank you for posting all your recipes. What I love the best is that you break your recipe inti steps and provide pictures too, they really help me.
Thank you!! π
I really enjoyed reading your story. Thank you very much for give me a big smile. π hehe
hi i tried your recipe. I used pork instead of beef. It was delicious and i am going to post your recipe on my blog Kirstie’s Cooking Corner http://kirstiecookingcorner.blogspot.com/ soon hehehe ^_^
hi Kirstie,
That’s lovely..hehe thanks π
Hi Aeri, already publish hehehe http://kirstiecookingcorner.blogspot.com/2013/08/korean-food-bulgogi-pork.html
Aeri,i am so proud of you! I love watching your videos and am excited to purchase your cook book. Does the book come in hardcover and did you include your Bibimbap recipe? Thanks for your great lessons.
hi stacei.
Thanks for buying my book… it is not hard cover..it is paperback.. and that book will not have bibimbap recipe. ^^:;
Hi aeris, thankyou for sharing your passion in korean cooking with us. Its really helps me π
im sorry to say, but im kinda confused about the measure because you always used ‘cup’ instead of grams, ounces, or lb. like 3 cup of beef, 1/3 red pepper or 1/3 carrot. Its hard to measure since there’s so many cup’s measurement such as flour, milk, butter or sugar and all have different measurement. and i just dont know which one i need to use. π Its will be easier and helpful if you use lb, gr or ounces π thanks a lot π
Hi Sally,
Thanks for your opinion. I try to make things clear as much as I can..but there are still many things to be updated on our blog. About your question.. the reason I use cup for vegetables or other ingredients…instead of 1/2 onion or.. 1/2 cup carrot is.. depends on the size of the ingredients.. the amount can be vary. for meat or main ingredients for the dish, I usually add weight (lb) along with cup too.. of course.. dry powder type ingredients or liquid ingredient.. it will be easier to measure them with measuring cups or spoons instead of scale.. anyway.. I use American standard measuring cups and spoons.. someday, we want to add conversion function on our blog..but until then.. sorry but please use conversion site for the recipe. (I don’t know where you live and what kind of measuring tools you use..) Here is a good link for you. http://www.onlineconversion.com/
Thanks aeri. But no worries. Yesterday i bought the cup for measurement. And Im pretty sure it will helps me a lot! π
Anyway, im your fans from indonesia. And Usually we used gram. π i Love ur blog and youtube site so much. Its awesome.
I notice that some of your recipe are printable. But some are not. Why? π
And i cant find your ebook anymore. Even im already change my apple id to united states buat there’s pop up said the ebook is no longer available? π
Hi Aeriiiiiii ^^ I really enjoy your recipessssss ^^ You are by far the best Korean website for authentic Korean food that I have found. But I have a question. For this recipe, is there a substitute for Asian Pear Juice? Thank you so much ^^
hi Sammy,
Thank you very much for your compliment. ^^ About your question, you can use other fruit ..such as sweet apple, pineapple, normal American pear, kiwi..I recommend sweet apple the most because that can be the closest for the flavor to the Asian pear..
I just cooked this recipe, my husband loved it! He ate it as a wrap. I love your website and your cookbook. It’s my go to for anything Korean!
HI Danielle,
I’m so happy to hear that your husband liked your bulgogi. Good job ^^ hehe.. please share more of your Korean cooking experience with us. thanks
Hi, Aeeri, can I make this with pork?
hi suansuan,
Sure you can use pork instead. π Thanks
Hi Aeri this is my first attempt at Korean cooking. I am making your bulgogi beef recipe and will serve it with jasmine rice. Also making crab stick fritters. Will let you know how it came out. Thanks for the easy recipes!
hi Deborah,
I really wonder how you liked your first Korean cooking. Hope it turned out good. Thanks π
I’ve made this recipe before (YUM!) but was wondering if I could make it and let it marinade for a bit and then freeze it in the marinade before cooking it? If you don’t think it’s a good idea please let me know.
Thanks for much for sharing your recipes with us. I’ve tried quite a few and love them.
hi Andrea,
That’s a great idea. Put right amount of each serving you will eat in the freezer bag and freeze it. It can be a very simple easy meal for you to prepare. ^^ thanks
Hi Aeri is there anything i can substitute with asian pear juice?
hi Michelle,
Some people use sweet apple or kiwi also.. ^^ thanks..
About cooking wine is that OK if I change it with apple vinegar???or just water
hi Jamil,
I will say..just use water instead.. vinegar will give too much flavor to it. ^^ thanks
I bought a bottle of korean galbi sauce instead of bulgogi sauce by mistake. Anyway, yesterday I marinated some sliced beef with the sauce and stir fried the beef with thinly shredded red capsicum. It was very tasty! If I had read your post and watched your video earlier, I wouldn’t buy the galbi sauce…I would make the sauce using your recipe instead since I have all the ingredients available in my kitchen! I will try your recipe next time, Aeri! π
hi Mildred Yeo,
I think.. bulgogi sauce and galbi sauce are actually very similar. So try the galbi sauce for your bulgogi dish too. Yes, try my bulgogi recipe someday too. π Thanks for your comment.
Hi Aeri,
I have just prepared this recipe and it is yummy!!! I have discovered your website just few weeks ago and I can’t wait to try more recipes! Thank you so much for sharing your passion, giving a little background for each recipe, I really enjoy that. I have been looking for a way order your cooking book all the way from France but looks like I can’t! Is it still possible to buy it ?
hi vero,
Thank you very much for your comment. I’m very happy to meet you. You can buy my cookbook through amazon France… π Hope to see you more often here.