Beef bulgogi
Sweet‑savory Korean marinated beef, quickly charred with onions, mushrooms and spring onions. Perfect for midweek feasting.
Bulgogi is the dinner-party wonder that tastes like a fuss but really isn't. Thinly sliced, marinated beef gets a fast, high-heat sear for sweet, smoky, caramelised bites.
Make the marinade a few hours ahead and you’ve effectively done the work — the fast cooking keeps the meat tender and the dish screamingly moreish. Serve with steamed rice and kimchi for an easy, proper Korean spread.
Ingredients
- 600 g beef sirloin — very thinly sliced (ask your butcher or chill first)
- 60 ml light soy sauce
- 30 g soft light brown sugar
- 15 ml toasted sesame oil
- 15 ml mirin
- 120 g Korean pear — peeled and grated
- 4 garlic cloves — finely minced
- 10 g fresh ginger — finely grated
- 3 spring onions — trimmed and sliced 4 cm long
- 1 brown onion — thinly sliced
- 150 g chestnut mushrooms — halved or sliced
- 1 carrot — julienned
- 15 ml vegetable oil
- 15 g toasted sesame seeds — plus extra to garnish
- black pepper — freshly ground, to taste
Equipment
- grater
- tongs
Instructions
Chill the beef sirloin in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm it up for slicing. This makes very thin slices much easier.
Slice the beef sirloin as thinly as you can across the grain (about 3–4 mm). Put the slices into a large mixing bowl.
Make the marinade: whisk together light soy sauce, soft light brown sugar, toasted sesame oil, mirin, grated Korean pear, garlic cloves, fresh ginger, black pepper and half the toasted sesame seeds until the sugar has mostly dissolved.
Add the brown onion, spring onions, carrot and chestnut mushrooms to the bowl, then pour in the marinade and mix thoroughly so everything is evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Heat a large frying pan over medium‑high heat and add half the vegetable oil. Working in batches so the pan is not crowded, fry the beef and vegetables for 2–3 minutes per batch until the meat is caramelised and the edges are slightly charred. Transfer cooked batches to a plate.
Return all cooked batches to the pan, add the remaining oil if needed and toss over the heat for 60 seconds to glaze with the reduced marinade. Sprinkle over the remaining toasted sesame seeds and extra spring onion to finish, then remove from the heat and serve immediately.
Tips
- If you can't slice the beef thinly at home, ask your butcher to do it. Alternatively chill the meat until just firm for easier slicing.
- Do not overcrowd the pan — work in small batches so each slice gets colour instead of steaming.
- Make the marinade up to 24 hours ahead for deeper flavour; bring the bowl back to fridge temperature before cooking.
- Use a coarse box grater for the pear so it breaks down quickly and helps tenderise the meat evenly.
- Leftovers keep in an airtight container for 2 days; reheat quickly in a hot pan so the beef stays tender.
Substitutions
Korean pear → cooking apple (peeled and grated), same weight
Stays closelight soy sauce → tamari, same quantity (use gluten‑free tamari to make the dish gluten‑free)
Stays closebeef sirloin → ribeye, same weight (more marbling — richer flavour)
Stays closesoft light brown sugar → clear honey, use 20 g (will give a slightly different glaze and flavour)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 440
- Calories
- 37 g
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 14 g
- Sugar
- 950 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I use frozen beef?
Only if you thaw it fully in the fridge and pat it dry before slicing or cooking. Part‑frozen meat is fine to firm for slicing but should not be cooked while frozen.
How long should I marinate the beef?
At least 2 hours for noticeable tenderising and flavour; overnight (up to 24 hours) is fine and gives deeper flavour.
Can I make bulgogi ahead and reheat?
Yes — keep cooked bulgogi in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat briefly in a hot pan so it warms through without overcooking.
What should I serve with bulgogi?
Steamed rice, lettuce leaves for wraps, kimchi and pickled veg are classic. These are not included in the ingredient list, but highly recommended.
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