Thin beef marinated in soy, pear, sesame, and garlic, seared fast and sweet-savory — Korea’s beloved "fire meat."

Where does Bulgogi come from?

Bulgogi is a Korean dish from Seoul (Gyeonggi), South Korea.

Can Bulgogi be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?

Yes. This Bulgogi recipe includes ingredient substitutions to make it vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, or egg-free — including several of those at once, such as gluten-free and dairy-free together.

How long does Bulgogi take to make?

About 40 minutes total (30 minutes prep, 10 minutes cooking), serving 4.

Bulgogi — a Seoul (Gyeonggi), South Korea recipe

Name: Bulgogi
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 1.5 lbs ribeye or sirloin, sliced paper-thin; 1/3 cup soy sauce; 1/2 Asian pear, grated; 2 tbsp brown sugar; 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil; 5 cloves + 1 tbsp garlic + ginger, grated; 2 tbsp peanuts or sesame seeds, to finish; 4 + for 4 + a head scallions + rice + lettuce leaves, to serve

Asia → 🇰🇷 South Korea → Seoul (Gyeonggi)

Bulgogi

Korean · easy · serves 4

prep 30 min · cook 10 min

~497 cal · 48g protein · 12g carbs · 28g fat (estimated, per serving)

🍽️

Caramelized marinated beef with scallions and sesame

🇰🇷 Seoul (Gyeonggi)

Bulgogi ("fire meat") traces back centuries to grilled skewers of the Goguryeo era, refined into the sweet, tender marinated beef Koreans grill at the table today. The grated Asian pear is the secret — it tenderizes the meat and lends its signature sweetness.

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Make it yours

Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.

🥕 Vegetarian

🌱 Vegan

🌾 Gluten-Free

🥛 Dairy-Free

🥜 Nut-Free

🥚 Egg-Free

Ingredients

Serves 4 —

•

1.5 lbs ribeye or sirloin, sliced paper-thin

•

1/3 cup soy sauce

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1/2 Asian pear, grated

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2 tbsp brown sugar

•

2 tbsp toasted sesame oil

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5 cloves + 1 tbsp garlic + ginger, grated

•

2 tbsp peanuts or sesame seeds, to finish

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4 + for 4 + a head scallions + rice + lettuce leaves, to serve

Instructions

1

Whisk the soy, grated pear, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger into a marinade.

2

Toss the thin beef (or mushrooms) through it and marinate at least 30 minutes, or overnight.

3

Sear in a screaming-hot pan or grill in small batches so it caramelizes instead of steaming, 2–3 minutes.

4

Scatter with scallions and sesame.

5

Serve with rice and lettuce leaves for wrapping, with kimchi and ssamjang on the side.

Seoul tabletop-grill tradition.

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🌏 While it simmers — know your destination

📍

Seoul (Gyeonggi). A capital that eats late, spicy, and always together.

🗺️

South Korea. Fermentation nation — kimchi, gochujang, and shared tables.

🌍

Asia. From street-cart woks to slow monastery kitchens.

The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.

👩‍🍳

Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker

Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →