Description
Easy Bulgogi is a classic Korean BBQ beef dish featuring thinly sliced, tender sirloin steak marinated in a sweet and savory sauce made from soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, and Korean red pepper flakes. This recipe is quick to prepare and cooks to juicy perfection in just minutes, making it an ideal flavorful weeknight dinner or crowd-pleasing appetizer.
Ingredients
Scale
Marinade Ingredients
- 0.33 cup soy sauce
- 2 green onions, chopped (separate dark green parts from white and light green parts)
- 0.25 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons white sugar
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 0.25 teaspoon Korean red pepper flakes
- 0.25 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 0.125 teaspoon ground black pepper
Main Ingredient
- 1.5 pounds beef sirloin steak, cut very thin using kitchen shears
- 1 teaspoon honey, or to taste
Instructions
- Gather Ingredients: Assemble all the ingredients listed for the marinade and beef to prepare for cooking.
- Prepare Marinade: In a large glass or ceramic bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, white and light green parts of the green onions, thinly sliced yellow onion, sugar, minced garlic, toasted sesame seeds, sesame oil, Korean red pepper flakes, fresh ginger, and ground black pepper until evenly combined.
- Marinate Beef: Add the thinly sliced sirloin steak to the marinade bowl, tossing thoroughly to coat each piece evenly. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or for up to 1 day for deeper flavor infusion.
- Cook Bulgogi: Heat a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, add the marinated beef and marinade to the skillet. Stir and cook until the beef is fully cooked and has a nice caramelization, about 5 minutes. Add the honey during cooking to help caramelize the beef and enhance sweetness.
- Garnish and Serve: Once cooked through, transfer the bulgogi to a serving platter and garnish with the reserved dark green parts of the chopped green onions for freshness and color. Serve immediately while hot.
Notes
- Bulgogi means “fire meat” and is traditionally grilled, but this stovetop version offers a convenient alternative.
- For easier slicing, slightly freeze the sirloin steak before cutting ultra-thin strips with kitchen shears.
- You can adjust the sweetness by altering the sugar and honey quantities according to taste.
- Serve bulgogi with steamed rice and kimchi for a complete Korean meal experience.
- Marinating longer than 1 hour up to 24 hours will deepen the flavor but is not mandatory for delicious results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 226 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 844 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 21 g
- Cholesterol: 49 mg
