Marinated beef strips and vegetables are barbecued or broiled. Best served over rice, with egg rolls and Korean cucumber salad (from this site)!!
My father is Korean so I remember having this dish as a kid. We never put carrots in it so I left them out. I also omit the salt--the soy sauce already has plenty of salt and I used reduced sodium soy sauce at that. I added a bit more sugar to taste as I recall it to have a slightly sweet and salty taste. Also topped with fresh scallions when it was done and served it over hot white rice. Yum!
Read MoreI made this after seeing it on the recipe buzz a few times. I had already defrosted the meat for the recipe and was ready to make it before I realized I had forgotten sesame seeds and the recipe was meant for an outdoor grill. I went through with the recipe anyway and made it under the broiler. I had thought the carrots and onions would be no good after sitting in the marinade and I was right. The meat had nice flavor but it was way too salty and a lot tougher than I expected. I think a thicker cut of meat would have worked much better. But, I do realize I also cooked it under the broiler although it wasn't my first time using it for grill recipes. I wasn't sure what to serve it with and wish I would have read the submitters comments. I went with white rice but a cucumber salad, as suggested, would have been a really good compliment also. I have nothing to compare this to. It did all get eaten, but I think I would like to try a recipe with the meat only and that is cut after it is grilled. I think that would help with the tenderness.
Read MoreMy father is Korean so I remember having this dish as a kid. We never put carrots in it so I left them out. I also omit the salt--the soy sauce already has plenty of salt and I used reduced sodium soy sauce at that. I added a bit more sugar to taste as I recall it to have a slightly sweet and salty taste. Also topped with fresh scallions when it was done and served it over hot white rice. Yum!
I worked at an authentic Korean restaurant, and this is BY FAR the closest recipe to the Bulgogi we made. At the restaurant, I first fried the beef and some marinade in a fry pan to get it nice and cooked. THEN, I would put it over the flames to give it that little bit of flame kissed goodness. One suggestion, try eating the beef with a little bit of fresh Pineapple. It's an amazing contrast. Bravo though, this is a great recipe.
Delicious!! I used london broil, sliced very thin. Tripled the marinade and used a reviewer suggestion and added seasoned rice vinegar (3 tablespoons, 9 if you triple it). I cooked the beef in a large skillet, added about a teaspoon of cornstarch mixed with a little warm water to the cooking beef/marinade and it gave a nice consistency. I also threw in Asian style frozen veggies and served over white rice. I've made this twice and I plan on keeping this as part of my 'main' dishes. I think this would also be excellent to try with chicken.
This is good stuff....I used chuck because chuck roasts were on sale that week. This recipe was almost exactly like my friend Son Chan makes, but not quite. I asked her what the difference was between what she makes and this recipe and she says she puts vinegar in the marinade, so I'll try that next time. My husband loves hers, and said mine was pretty good, but I couldn't expect to be a 5 star Korean cook right off the bat. I'll definitely be making this again, but adding a bit of vinegar next time.
I was so glad to see this recipe... my Korean friend in college used to make this for parties, but would never give me the recipe! Her recipe didn't contain veggies, but I like the addition. Wonderful flavor and easy to prepare... thanks Paula!
THIS WAS AWESOME!!! I lived in Korea for a year and have been searching for a good Bulgogi recipe. Even my picky husband liked it and he hates "meat that doesn't taste like meat." The only modification I did was adding a bit more sugar and rice vinegar for personal taste. Also I cooked it on the stove because it was raining.
Was super good!!!!!! Didn't change a thing and wouldn't dream of doing so!!
Made this last night, it was great. We cooked half the batch that was marinating for 3 hours and then cooked the rest later that had been marinating for 8 hours and the 8 hour batch tasted alot better! Big difference in taste. I also added 1 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar, which is what I had, to cut down on the saltiness. Ill be making this again for dinner.
While spending time in Korea many years ago, my husband has been looking for a recipe for Bulgogi that tasted authentic. He said this is the flavor he remembers exactly. And how much easier does it get then this!!! Thanks for sharing!!!
Pretty Good. A repeat. I read the other reviwers suggestion and doubled the sauce. Marinated overnight and did not discard the marinade. We ended up stir frying this and serving over rice. Nice flavor.
This is the best and simplest recipe for Bulgogi I've run across. Made the Korean Cucumber Salad as suggested with it and I wouldn't change a thing about either recipe. And, I'm fussy! These are excellent.
I made this after seeing it on the recipe buzz a few times. I had already defrosted the meat for the recipe and was ready to make it before I realized I had forgotten sesame seeds and the recipe was meant for an outdoor grill. I went through with the recipe anyway and made it under the broiler. I had thought the carrots and onions would be no good after sitting in the marinade and I was right. The meat had nice flavor but it was way too salty and a lot tougher than I expected. I think a thicker cut of meat would have worked much better. But, I do realize I also cooked it under the broiler although it wasn't my first time using it for grill recipes. I wasn't sure what to serve it with and wish I would have read the submitters comments. I went with white rice but a cucumber salad, as suggested, would have been a really good compliment also. I have nothing to compare this to. It did all get eaten, but I think I would like to try a recipe with the meat only and that is cut after it is grilled. I think that would help with the tenderness.
Left out the onion and carrots, but added more green onions. Marinated 2 days. Put everything in the foil packet, no draining. Great flavor, tender meat... but a bit dry. Next time, I may double the sauce (add red pepper flakes?) and stirfry.
This was not good, the meat was still tough after marinating overnight. I had high hopes for this but it was dissapointing.
This dish was delicious! I left out the MSG because I wasn't really sure what it was. I marinated the meat for about 10 hours, the stir fry veggies I bought already came seasoned so I didn't add them with the meat to marinate. Those were the only changes I made and my BF loved it!!! I will be making this again. Thank you!
This is a great recipe that you don't have to mess with ... except maybe either halve the meat or double the marinade. If must monkey with the recipe, do simple things like maybe add ginger or peppers or pepper flake. Adding other fluids such as juices or colas will only destroy the experience. If you're going with a different meat, remember that tougher meats will need longer to marinade and less fatty meats are going to be dry. Stick with sirloin, ribeye or flank. Also, if you're going to marinade this for longer than a day or freeze it ... any vegetable you have in the mix is going to be mushy. complaining about something like this in comment is pretty pointless as it isn't the vegetable or recipe ... it is your preparation. Get a jar of Kimchi, some chili and bean paste ... look up recipes for items you would find in a traditional banchan and make a good Korean style meal out of this.
Awesome!!! My Koreans friends are missing Korea right about now and they LOVED it....he told me it taste just like Korean Bulgogi just a little too much salt...but still they loved it...
This is the most authentic bulgogi recipe I've found. I can't get enough of it! Tip: When you first throw the meat on the skillet, the fat will render out and form a liquid in the pan. Keep cooking it until ALL of the liquid has evaporated away, and the meat is searing on a dry skillet. It literally doubles the flavor.
I have made this recipe at least 5 times. It is never boring. We always make a ton of it, serve it wrapped in lettuce with hot sauce or (in my case) sweet Thai chile sauce, then the next day it is great in a wrap, or even on a bun for lunch! I have no Korean connections so have no idea on authenticiy, it is simply delicious!
Pretty good. Don't discard the marinade as it adds some nice flavor when you top this dish over rice. Paired with Asian cucumber salad this dish was a keeper!
My husband and I both loved the flavor of the dish, although it wasn't really like any other bulgogi dish we've had. I did broil it as suggested so next time I plan on using the grill to see if that's the difference. I used flank steak and tripled the marinade (I had 1.5 lbs of meat). I added rice vinegar and some ground red pepper for a kick.
This was a very good and fairly quick meal to prepare. I made a couple of changes to the recipe. I added some sliced bell pepper to my mix of meat and veggies. I also wanted a little bit of heat so I added about 1 teaspoon of hot chili paste.
Excellent recipe!!! I just added a few things according to my own taste. I added a couple cups of coke and some fresh chopped ginger and sliced the beef up and let it marinate overnight before stir frying it on the stove top cuz it was way too cold to grill outside lol!! I like to cook the beef with a little marinade so I can pour it over the rice. Yummy!!
This was a delicious recipe! My husband described it as "Wonderful". Thanks so much for the share!
I tripled the marinade ingredients. Left out the MSG, carrot, and onion. We are out of propane, so I could these in a frying pan. Very tasty and tender. Well liked by all. Thanks!
I LOVE bulgogi and this a a pretty great recipe if you ask me. I paired it with fried rice and pita bread and it was delicious.
Being Korean, and having eaten original Bulgogi, this is by far the best. Although, my heart is set on Pork bulgogi. Few adjustments to personal seasoning/flavor, but by far the best of all I've tried.
Good recipe. Found the beef already sliced/packaged at an asian grocery. Husband liked it, but would like just a bit sweeter.
This turned out great with some additions, since I can't seem to make anything without adding my own touches. I doubled the sauce recipe to have enough sauce to cover the meat. I added three tablespoons of rice vinegar as well as some pineapple juice for sweetness. I also doubled the amount of sugar. I didn't have a grill so I had to stir fry and still was great. Served with the korean cucumber salad and was one of the best dinners! Will definitely make this one again!
had this marinade overnight. Cut into 1 inch strips and in very hot pan, I quickly braised them. Served with spicy hot mustard sauce and used them in lettuce wraps. Used as an appetizer and even when they were cooled off these were delicious!
This was a pretty good recipe, I marinated mine for about 10 hours. I did add a little extra vinegar like some of the other reviewers had recommended but the recipe was still lacking something. If I were to make this again, I would use the thinly sliced bulgogi meat that can be found in Asian markets.
Delicious! Just like what you get from a Korean restaurant. I made this in a pinch and only marinated the meat for a few minutes, and believe it or not, the flavor was soaked right up! Also, since I don't have the grill out yet, I just broiled the meat on a grate with a pan underneath and it came out wonderfully. I served fried rice on the side. Fantastic and quick!
This was amazingly good. I added a TBL of ginger and some chili paste and doubled the marinade ingredients. My husband was dubious this would be good but it was supremely excellent.
THis only tasted like black pepper to me-not like the bulgogi my friends mom would make or what I've had in restaurants. I followed the directions as written choosing to leave out the optional MSG. I marinated the meat overnight...so my guess is that it really needs the MSG to kick in the flavors.
This was OK, I let marinade over night and it absorbed all of the marinate. It was a little dry to me. I thought it would have more sauce. I served over white rice. Easy to make though.
Taste is very good. I used raw sugar just because that's what we use at home. The sauce is more syrupy than runny. I marinated very thinly sliced beef for 6 hours and the meat was quite tender. I would make 3 to 4 times the sauce mixture next time though as it ran a bit dry once on top of rice.
You've done me a solid grneyedmustang! Follow the recipe exactly and its EXACTLY what you would want... Exactly means don't change anything. Anything means... anything :)
My grill was on the fritz when I made this so I put it in the broiler in a foil pan and it was delicious! I recommend doubling the recipe so you can have leftovers and serve over rice.
Really good. I omitted MSG(its just unecessary) but followed recipe otherwise. I grilled it outdoors and served over rice. YUM!
This is not bad but next time I'll add a few red pepper flakes to kick it up a bit. The meat came out very good and tender though.
This recipe was easy to prepare and had decent flavor, but it was too salty in my opinion and needed a "kick" of some kind. I'll make it again, but next time I'll omit the salt (there's enough in the soy sauce) and add some red pepper flakes.
I love bulgogi and kalbi, but Korean restaurants are SO expensive! Now I know why -- Korean ingredients are expensive! This is a nice alternative to the real deal, and equally tasty. But just a few tweeks: I never use soy sauce and salt together. This recipe begs for just a hint of ground fresh ginger. Amen to honey instead of sugar, and carrots add another sweetness that is essential.
Excellent! Even an 11 year old who says he doesn't like beef had seconds! Next time I will add a bit of hot pepper.
I didn't read the reviews before making this. I think it needs about 1.5-2 times the amount of sauce, depending on your tastes. But still very good overall.
Very yummy! My husband tried this while duty stationed in Korea and really liked it there so I thought I'd give it a try. It was very good!
What a great recipe, will make it again. I will slice the meat a bit thinner next time. Some slices ended up 1/2 thick. Thank you.
This was good but just good. Had fried rice and tried the Korean Cucumber salad with it. The salad was too vinegar for me.
Excellent! I actually used spare ribs with the bones 'cause that's what I had on hand & they marinated in my fridge for like 3 days (I was sick & forgot all about them!). Put them under the broiler for about 5-6 minutes per side, & they turned out AWESOME! I, too, skipped the MSG altogether. I didn't add carrots or the yellow onion as I didn't have any but I don't think they were missed. Thank you for this recipe! A definite keeper!
Excellent!! I couldn't believe it was that easy to make one of my favorite dishes.
I loved it!!! When I first smelled the marinade I was afraid that the taste would be to much like soy sauce but it was not, it was perfect. I broiled mine instead of grilling, I just made a bowl out of foil and broiled it to get the meat brown. It worked really well.
This is GREAT!!! I have never had anything like it, but I will make it again and again! I left out the MSG and addd a bit more soy. Hint #1; When I put the meat on the foil on the grill, I did not poor off the exrta liquid. I didn't think there was alot, but the meat ended up stewing in the juices. I used stir-fry beef, so the pieces were just big enough to lay across the grate, then cook on high flame just long enough to run in and get a clean plate. I served with a quick fried rice. Hint #2; You can buy the julienned carrots at the salad bar at the grocery store.
My Korean sister-in-law gave this dish her stamp of approval and my husband practically inhaled it, so this is definitely going to be reappearing on our table. I had a little extra meat than called for, so ended up doubling the marinade. While I didn't do it this time around, I may omit the salt next time. I really liked the addition of the carrots. They added a welcome bit of color and flavor to the dish--and weren't mushy at all. Adding more green onions would also be a nice touch in terms of color. My sister-in-law stir fries this dish, which may be a good option for days when it's too cold to barbecue! I served the Bulgolgi with rice and Kimchi.
I served this when I had friends over. This was a hit! I had great reviews. I "will" be making this again! THANK YOU!
I have never rated a recipe before, but after my very picky kids called this their "new favorite dinner," I just had to thank you for this great recipe. My husband, who lived in Korea for some time, also loved it. I omitted the MSG and marinated it overnight. I slightly overcooked it on the BBQ (it was still wonderful), so watch it carefully. We ate it wrap-style in romaine lettuce leaves with rice. Next time, I will double the recipe because we inhaled it all and then licked our plates. Thank you!
After living in Korea for two years, I love Korean food including kimchi! I marinated the meat overnight and cooked it on my George Foreman grill and served it over rice. I didn't have a carrot but I wish I did, many Korean restaurants add a carrot and it adds color and texture. I omitted the salt and MSG, you don't need it. I used low sodium soy and Splenda 1/2 and 1/2 sugar (half sugar and half Splenda). The key to Bulgogi is marinating overnight and if you freeze your meat for 30 minutes prior to slice, it is easier to get thin slices. I will definitely make this again! It is a fabulous recipe.
An excellent example of some of the wonderful Korean cooking.... Exactly as I had it while living there!
Very tasty. I marinated rib eye steaks in this overnight. I broiled the steaks in the ovenon high approx. 8 minutes on each side. So juicy and tendet !
It had great flavor and tasted great... it just didn't taste like Bulgogi. I was stationed in Korea and had this dish there 2-3 days a week for a year. The actual dish would make a great stir fry though. I think next time I'll make the dish I'll finish it with a bag of frozen stir fry veggies and this "Bulgogi" in a wok for a few minutes.
Yum! We really enjoyed it with steamed rice and veggies and kim chee. Thank you for sharing!
It's the classic. I was looking for a new way to use flat iron steak and believe me, I found it! Slice as thin as you can. If you use Kikkoman soy sauce, understand that it is good in this dish but very salty. I eliminated the salt and got a good balance. Thanks!
This recipe was about 99% the same as my mother's bulgogi. It was delicious and very easy to make. I'm 1/2 Korean and was raised eating authentic Korean food from my mother so I have a picky taste for authentic vs. others. Me and my wife loved this and will definitely be making it again.
Very good. Do NOT use MSG it doesn't need it at all. Bulgogi should be slightly sweet. Use 1 tablespoon rather than one teaspoon of sugar. I stirfried saving the marinade. Once the beef was done, I boiled the marinade then added cornstarch dissolved in water to thicken to make a yummy sauce then served over rice.
This is good but very different. Korean barbecue flavor is very different than what I think of when I think barbecue.
The recipe is great as I didn't have time to marinade meat overnight like many of recipes I read. Love Korean BBQ but never made at home. Quick run to H-Mart (Korean specialty store) to pick up some broccoli, bean sprouts, mushrooms and red peppers. Bought some spicy kimchi and radish as side dishes. We didn't grill but turned this into a stir-fry. It made for delicious simple dinner. I always fret when I offer to cook but not anymore. Thanks to all the great cooks on Allrecipes!
I'm not sure what i expected, but the crowd I made this dish for LOVED it. I thought it was alright.
This recipe was fantastic! We are big fans of Korean food (my husband lived there for 2 years) and he gave me 2 thumbs up with this recipe. We did not add the MSG and it still came out fantastic. I let the marinade sit for 2 hours and served it with sticky rice...PERFECT! Thanks!
Very, very good. I upped the sugar and ommited the salt per other reviews and it turned out great. I also decided not to add the carrots while cooking since they just turn to mush. I shreaded some carrots and topped the dish at the table to add the flavor and texture.
Great recipe! I spent time living in South Korea and this bulgogi tasted so authentic. I used lean roast meat and had the butcher slice it into really thin pieces. I don't have a grill, so I cooked the meat and marinade in a wok instead. Served it up with steamed broccoli and some white rice--yum!
This was pretty good, but it seemed like something was missing. I made the recipe as is, but I think it needed more spice or something. Kind of bland. Might be better with red pepper flakes???
I did not care for this recipe. Prep time is crazy, the taste isn't even close to authentic Bulgogi.
It was very good. Next time, I think I will double the meat and triple the marinade. My oldest went for seconds which is a rarity. Easy to cook up and I think will be easy for a midweek meal. I cooked it in the pan. I can only imagine how great it is over the grill. Thank you for the recipe!
This is another keeper! My family doesn't like carrots, so those were left out. We also don't use MSG-there is enough salt in soy sauce to more than make up for it. Since I found this recipe in March, I decided to cook it in a skillet with vegetable oil. Very, easy to make since all the work is in the prep. The addition of sugar pairs nicely with all the other, more sour tastes, giving this dish a nice harmony of flavors.
This recipe was good, but didn't taste like the bulgogi that we order at our favorite Janapese restaurant. It wasn't as sweet as I thought it should taste. The next time I make this recipe I will tweak the sauce so that the soy sauce isn't the prevailing taste.
We loved it. It was easy to prepare. The meat came out soft and tasty. We served the meat with a bowl of steamed white rice and seasoned seaweed.
I used london Broil (it was on sale) I would likely go with a more fatty beef next time. It was good - my friends all liked it, it got better (and moister) when I added good ole fashion bbq sauce. I will make again - it easy the kebabs cook very fast and who does not like Meat on a stick!
Excellent. Let sit in marinade overnight. Used a tougher cut of meat and the marinade tenderized it very well, too.
I cooked a little to long so it was a little tough but my husband still liked it. I will definitely try again.
Amazingly good. Had to threaten bodily harm to save and protect a portion for someone who wasn’t able to join us for dinner. Followed others’ advice & let marinade overnight. Added extra minced garlic - at least a half cup more. (Didn’t have the scallions.) Used a stove top grill over the gas stove flame, grilling no more than 3-5 minutes each side or when pink mostly subsided. Poured leftover marinade into small sauce pan with a cup off water for about 10 minutes on low-medium heat to cook. Drizzled that over steamed broccoli and wow! I had broccoli eaters who didn’t complain! No rice cooked, so baked 4 small potatoes...and drizzled THOSE with marinade as well. Everything was made better by the seasonings. The meat held the flavors and was just the right tenderness. Everything is gone.
I would add several tablespoons of pear juice or a little pineapple juice for a little sweet tang.
This was a very good marinade recipe. I thought the marinade would have more of a crispy sweet taste to it but it didn't. We cooked it on the grill and the meat was very tender and moist. I did tenderize the meat before I started marinating it. We served it with rice and the veggies and my 9 year old gobbled it up. I also used a tenderized piece of chicken in this same sauce and it was amazing. We used a very good cut of grass fed beef and chicken. That may have helped with how tender the meat was. I would use this marinade again.
Really tasty! This was my first time at making Kirean food, so I don't have anything to compare this recipe to, but we lived it! The meat had a great flavor, but since it is wrapped in foil and sealed, I didn't think it had much BBQ flavor. I'm thinking it could have beef baked in the oven with the same results. I will be making this again!
Excellent recipe... I only got to marinate mine for about 30 minutes and they still tasted good/tender. I used a round roast sliced into thin strips. I also followed the advice of some other posters and added rice vinegar and extra sugar, which I think helped enhance the flavor. Will definitely make again, this time soaking overnight to increase flavor/tenderness.
I FOLLOWED THIS RECIPE EXACTLY AND IT WAS A GOOD STIR FRY, BUT TASTED NOTHING LIKE TRADITIONAL BEEF BULGOGI.
It was wonderful. I added celery, an extra half teaspoon of sugar, and I reduced the salt by half. Next time I will add half of a kiwi and some spinach.
This was easy to make and very simple. I made a few changes based on recommendations. I used 1tsp honey instead of sugar and added 1 Tbs of rice wine vinegar. I added a whole bunch of green onions minced but no yellow onion. I did not add the carrot to the marinade. I only marinated for about 1 hour but if still came out great! I did add minced carrot to the skillet once I had it hot with sesame oil then meat mixture on top. Light and flavorful. Loved this not a leftover in sight so I will double the whole recipe when I make it next time.
We love this recipe. I make it whenever steak is on sale. No msg and cooked in wok. Made as directed. Delicious. 2) Ran out of soy sauce so used some hoisin sauce. Delicious
