Delicious Korean Beef Bulgogi (Korean BBQ)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Asian, Korean
- Cuisine: Dinner
Description
We love Asian food. We have fully immersed ourselves in just about every Asian culture. My son and I went to Southeast Asia last year and went on a food tour in every country visited, and man did we have some delicious food. Honestly, there are three dishes that stick out to me: Mi Quang, banh mi, and this spicy Cambodian beef topped with ants. Ants, I know! But let me tell you, they’re really delicious. They add this nice pop of citrus with every bite. Even my teenage son really enjoyed that meal!
Anywho, I transgress because this recipe isn’t Vietnamese nor Cambodian; it’s Korean! I haven’t visited Korea… yet, but, NYC has a fantastic K-town with AMAZING Korean BBQ. I don’t know if our favorite restaurant will survive the pandemic (fingers crossed), but we obviously can’t go and have our usual Korean BBQ experience where you grill the meat at the table. Total bummer 🙁.
I have no hesitation cooking cuisine from all over the world at home (I wish I could get some ants!). Our home recipes are diverse, and as I’ve said, my travels have influenced A LOT of my cooking. My husband was stationed in Asia during his time in the navy, so he too loves Asian food. He prefers we have Asian at least once a week!
So Korean Bulgogi. This is such a delicious dish, with caramelized beef and onions. This is a warm the belly meal. Not all bulgogi recipes add spice to the marinade, but we like things on the hotter side. We added Gochujang, a spicy Korean red pepper paste. If you want a subtle heat, add just a tablespoon. If you want a stronger heat, add two! (We add two).
Another thing other recipes don’t do is marinate the onions. But marinating the onions make them soooo much better!
A tip for thinly cutting sirloin ~ throw it in the freezer for about 20 minutes. This makes slicing it easier because the meat is firm.
The key to this meal is a screaming hot pan. You don’t want to cook the meat for long, otherwise it’ll get tough. If the pan is screaming hot, you can throw the meat on for 2 minutes, flip it and cook for an additional 30 seconds, and it’s done! Just don’t throw all of the meat in at once! You want to make sure there is space between the sirloin so you don’t steam it. We serve this over rice and top it with chopped kimchi. If you want a lower carb dinner, make lettuce or cabbage tacos!
Enjoy!
Ingredients
1 ½ lbs sirloin, thinly sliced against the grain
1 ½ onion, thinly sliced
1 TB sesame oil
Marinade
1 cup soy sauce
¼ cup brown sugar
2 TB sesame oil
1 to 2 TB Gochujang
1 TB rice wine (mirin)
½ small onion
6 garlic cloves
1 inch ginger
1 small pear, pealed and core and seeds removed
To Serve
Steamed white rice
Kimchi, chopped if desired
Sesame seeds
Lettuce, if desired
Instructions
In a food processor, add all of the marinade ingredients and process until smooth. In two medium bowls or zip lock bags, split the marinade and add onions to one and the sirloin to the other and cover. Alternatively, you can combine the sirloin and onions, but you will have to separate out the meat when cooking.
Marinade at room temperature for 1 hour, or overnight in the refrigerator. If refrigerating, remove 1 hour before cooking to bring to room temperature.
If serving with rice, start the rice before making the Bulgogi. Start the Bulgogi about 10 to 15 minutes after starting the rice.
Heat a large cast iron pan over medium high heat. Drizzle in 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. When the pan is screaming hot, add a layer of meat. Do not crowd the meat; this will have to be done in batches. Sear one side for 2 minutes, flip the meat over and cook an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove and place into a serving dish. Continue with the remaining meat.
Once all the meat is cooked and set aside, remove the onions from the marinade and add to the cast iron pan. Stirring frequently, cook until just starting to soften ~ 3 to 5 minutes. Add the onions to the serving dish and toss to combine with the cooked sirloin. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Serve with kimchi, lettuce, rice, or as desired!
Enjoy!
Keywords: Bulgogi, Korean Bulgogi, Korean Beef Bulgogi, Korean Beef BBQ, Korean BBQ
