Description
This Korean Beef Bulgogi recipe delivers tender, thinly sliced rib eye steak marinated in a deliciously savory and slightly sweet Korean BBQ sauce made with pear, soy sauce, and gochujang. The meat cooks quickly in a hot cast iron grill pan, creating a perfectly charred and flavorful dish ready in just over 3 hours including marinating time.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 1 ½ pounds boneless rib eye steak
Marinade
- ½ small pear, peeled and coarsely grated
- ¼ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon gochujang, Korean red pepper paste
Cooking & Garnish
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Freeze and slice steak: Wrap the rib eye steak in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up, which makes slicing easier. Then unwrap and slice the steak thinly across the grain into ¼-inch thick slices.
- Prepare marinade and marinate steak: In a medium bowl, mix together the grated pear, reduced sodium soy sauce, brown sugar, toasted sesame oil, minced garlic, freshly grated ginger, and gochujang until combined. Transfer this marinade along with the sliced steak into a gallon size Ziploc bag. Seal and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight, turning the bag occasionally to evenly coat the meat.
- Cook steak in batches: Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a cast iron grill pan over medium-high heat. Add steak slices in a single layer without crowding and cook for 2–3 minutes per side until charred and cooked through. Remove cooked steak, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, and repeat with remaining meat.
- Serve: Immediately plate the cooked bulgogi, garnish with thinly sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds, and serve hot for the best flavor and texture.
Notes
- If a cast iron grill pan is unavailable, a large cast iron skillet can be used as an excellent alternative.
- Marinating overnight enhances the flavor and tenderness of the beef but a minimum of 2 hours is sufficient for decent flavor.
- For a spicier kick, increase the amount of gochujang or add some extra chili flakes.
- Make sure to slice the steak thinly across the grain to maximize tenderness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 520 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
