Korean bulgogi bowls
Sweet-savoury marinated beef piled over sticky short-grain rice with quick-pickled carrot and kimchi for an easy, crowd-pleasing bowl.
This bulgogi bowl is everything a midweek dinner should be — quick, saucy and moreish. Thinly sliced, marinated beef caramelises fast and sits perfectly on sticky short-grain rice for a proper, comforting bowl.
I add a small grated pear for authentic tenderness and a quick-pickled carrot for crunchy brightness. Ready-made kimchi finishes the bowl with punchy, fermented heat — take the easy route and use store-bought.
Ingredients
- 500 g rib-eye steak — trimmed, partially frozen for easier thin slicing
- 300 g short-grain rice — rinsed until water runs clear
- 450 ml water
- 60 ml light soy sauce
- 15 ml dark soy sauce
- 30 ml mirin
- 15 ml sesame oil
- 25 g soft brown sugar
- 15 ml cornflour
- 4 garlic cloves — finely grated or minced
- 20 g fresh ginger — peeled and grated
- 1 pear — small, peeled and grated (for tenderising and sweetness)
- 4 spring onions — 3 for garnish, 1 finely sliced into the marinade
- 1 brown onion — very thinly sliced
- 15 ml vegetable oil — for frying
- 1 carrot — medium, julienned
- 80 ml rice vinegar
- 15 g caster sugar
- 5 g fine salt
- 15 ml sesame seeds — toasted, for garnish
- 150 g kimchi — ready-made
- 5 ml ground black pepper
Equipment
- box grater
Instructions
Put the rib-eye steak in a single layer on a plate and place in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up — this makes very thin slicing simple.
Using a very sharp knife, slice the steak thinly across the grain (about 2–3 mm). Place slices in a large mixing bowl.
Make the marinade: in a bowl combine light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, soft brown sugar, cornflour, grated garlic, grated fresh ginger, grated pear, finely sliced spring onion and ground black pepper. Whisk until sugar and cornflour are dissolved.
Pour the marinade over the sliced beef, toss well so every slice is coated, then cover and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Make the quick-pickled carrot: put the julienned carrot in a bowl, stir together rice vinegar, caster sugar and fine salt until dissolved, pour over the carrots and leave to pickle at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Cook the rice: place the rinsed short-grain rice and 450 ml water in a saucepan, bring to the boil, reduce to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave, covered, to rest for 10 minutes.
Heat a large frying pan over a high hob. Add the vegetable oil, then add the marinated beef in a single layer (do this in batches so the pan isn’t overcrowded). Fry for 3–4 minutes undisturbed, then toss and cook a further 2–3 minutes until caramelised and cooked through. Add the thinly sliced brown onion during the last 2–3 minutes so it softens but still has texture. Stir in the remaining spring onions and a little extra sesame oil just before taking off the heat.
Assemble the bowls: divide the rice between four bowls, mound the bulgogi on top, add a portion of quick-pickled carrot and some kimchi. Scatter toasted sesame seeds and the reserved spring onion slices over each bowl and serve immediately.
Tips
- Partially freezing the steak for 30 minutes firms it up and makes razor-thin slicing much easier — aim for 2–3 mm slices.
- Always cook the beef in batches so the pan stays hot; you want fast caramelisation, not steaming.
- The pear in the marinade is a gentle tenderiser; if you can’t get one, use a small grated apple with the same quantity.
- Make the marinade and pickles up to a day ahead; keep the beef covered and chilled and the pickled carrots refrigerated in an airtight container.
- Reheat leftovers quickly in a hot frying pan to avoid drying the meat — add a splash of water or a little sesame oil to revive the sauce.
Substitutions
rib-eye steak → sirloin steak, same weight
Stays closepear → small eating apple, grated
Stays closelight soy sauce → gluten-free tamari, same quantity (use if you need gluten-free)
Stays closeshort-grain rice → jasmine rice, same weight (less sticky)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 737
- Calories
- 38 g
- Protein
- 72 g
- Carbs
- 33 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
- Sugar
- 1000 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I use chicken or pork instead of beef?
Yes — slice chicken breast or pork shoulder thinly and marinate the same way. Cook times will be similar; ensure chicken is cooked through.
How long can I marinate the beef?
At least 30 minutes is good; up to 4 hours is fine for rib-eye. Much longer (overnight) can start to change the texture from the pear and acids.
Can I make this gluten-free?
Use a gluten-free tamari or gluten-free soy sauce in place of light soy sauce and check any store kimchi labels — some contain fish sauce or additives.
How should I store leftovers?
Keep rice and beef refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat quickly in a hot frying pan to retain texture.
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