Bulgogi- Korea

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Seoul Street Bulgogi

Experience the irresistible charm of Korean barbecue with this sweet, savoury, and slightly spicy bulgogi recipe. At its heart is tender, thinly sliced meat marinated in a complex sauce where gochujang (Korean chili paste) provides a gentle heat and depth, while Asian pear works its magic as a natural tenderizer. The marinade strikes a perfect balance between salty soy sauce, sweet mirin, honey, and brown sugar, while sesame oil adds its distinctive nutty aroma. This fusion of flavours, combined with the caramelization that occurs during cooking, creates those addictively crispy edges and succulent centers that make bulgogi a beloved dish far beyond Korea’s borders. The addition of fresh spring onions and a scatter of toasted sesame seeds adds both texture and visual appeal to this weeknight-friendly yet dinner party-worthy dish.

Bulgogi (Korean grilled pork or beef)
Nutrition Information
  • Serving size: 100g
  • Calories: 181g
  • Fat: 13g
  • Saturated fat: 2.1g
  • Carbohydrates: 5
  • Sugar: 4.3g
  • Sodium: 1g
  • Fiber: 0.7g
  • Protein: 11g
Recipe type: Grilled meat
Cuisine: Korean
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
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The literal translation for Bulgogi is “Fire meat”. This creates the impression that this is a hot dish, but this is not necessarily so. The Korean Chilli paste (Gochujang) used in the recipe is normally on the medium scale (but this can vary, depending on the brand). One thing is certain though, this dish is on fire with flavour. The ingredients come together in a pungent, sweet, salty and caramelised medley of flavours that dance in the mouth
Ingredients
  • Pork or sirloin steak, thinly sliced – 500 grams
  • Medium white onion - thinly sliced – 1
  • Spring onions- white part chopped into 1-inch pieces - 3
  • Sunflower oil or vegetable oil – ¼ of a cup
  • Toasted black sesame seeds - 1 tablespoon
  • Green part of spring onions – chopped (reserved from above)
For the Marinade:
  • Korean chilli pepper paste (Gochujang) – 4 tablespoons
  • Soy sauce or Tamari (for gluten free) - 3 tablespoons
  • Mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine) – 3 tablespoons
  • Soft brown sugar - 2 tablespoons
  • Honey – 1 tablespoon
  • Sesame oil - 2 teaspoons
  • Garlic - finely chopped – 1 clove
  • Asian pear – 1 finely grated
  • freshly ground pepper
Instructions
  1. Combine all the ingredient for the marinade. Using a blender, combine to form a thick sauce
  2. Reserve ½ cup and keep in the fridge
  3. Pour remaining marinade over the steak and add onions (white and spring) . Allow to marinate for at least one hour, but preferably overnight
  4. Heat vegetable oil in a griddle pan until very hot. Fry marinated meat in small batches until nicely browned (frying in small batches will prevent the meat from boiling and becoming tough)
  5. Serve on white rice, garnished with the green part of spring onions and sprinkled with sesame seeds The reserved marinade should be served in a separate bowl - for spooning over the dish when eating.
Notes
Great with Kimchi

Gochujang can be bought in many mainstream supermarkets or on-line (e.g through Amazon) .If not available, it can be substituted by using Chilli flakes moistened with a little Soya sauce(but at the loss of depth of flavour)

This recipe yields 2 portions

Image Credits

Sidebar image credit L. W. Yang / CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons