Korean Beef Bulgogi
On October 13, 2025
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
With nothing more than a quick-but-effective marinade and your favorite grill, you can turn simple sirloin steak into grilled Korean Beef Bulgogi. This tender, juicy beef with a caramelized crust makes a satisfying meal when served with a scoop of rice and your favorite sides.
Korean Bulgogi Beef
You know Hey Grill Hey has the best BBQ recipes, and this Korean Beef Bulgogi is one of my favorites. With your favorite rich, beefy steaks and an easy homemade bulgogi marinade, you can grill up something amazing. By giving your thinly-sliced steak time to marinate, it infuses with sweet Asian pears and soy sauce for a pop of umami flavor. My quick searing method helps you get an awesome meal on the table fast. I’ve even got you covered with the perfect way to round out your meal. Now, let’s get to know bulgogi.
What is Bulgogi Beef?
Bulgogi translates to “fire meat” so I love making this recipe over charcoal. It helps the beef caramelize on the outside and provides some nice charring, while locking all that juicy, beefy flavor inside. I used my Weber charcoal grill, but you can also make this same recipe on a gas grill.
If you don’t have access to a grill, this bulgogi recipe works on a griddle. You can even make it stir-fry style in a heavy-bottom pot right on your stovetop. The great part about this recipe is that it turns out tender, flavorful beef, no matter how you grill it. Just keep in mind, you’ll get the best crispy exterior over a charcoal grill.
Ingredients for Beef Bulgogi?
I used sirloin steak for this recipe for a couple of reasons: it’s got great flavor for the price, and the lean muscle tenderizes beautifully with my Hey Grill Hey marinade. You can also use ribeye steak or New York strips with my marinade for delicious bulgogi. As long as you have a steak with decent marbling and get enough to feed everyone, you’ll have happy guests.
The recipe card calls for 2 pounds of beef, which will feed 4 people when served with some of my suggestions below in this post. You want to plan on about ½ pound of beef per person, but you can easily double or triple the recipe in the recipe card.
Bulgogi Beef Marinade:
My Hey Grill Hey marinade helps you achieve that lovely, crispy charring on the outside with rich, beefy flavor inside. You can customize it to your preferences, but this is what I use to nail that perfect combo:
- 1 medium yellow onion (thinly sliced, added after blending)
- 1 cup green onions (cut into 2-3 inch pieces, added after blending)
- ¾ cup Asian pear (peeled and diced)
- 8 cloves garlic (peeled)
- 1 1-inch piece ginger (peeled)
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup water
- 3 Tablespoons sugar
- 2 Tablespoons rice wine
- 2 Tablespoons sesame oil (toasted)
- 2 Tablespoons sesame seeds (toasted)
- 2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
How Long to Marinate Beef
You want to use a gloved hand to massage the marinade into the beef before sealing it for the fridge. I love using my Pitmaster Gloves because they’re food-safe, slip-resistant, and easy to clean after using, but a rubber glove will keep your hand clean. Use what you’ve got.
Once your beef and onions and evenly coated for flavor, place your sealed mixture in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. If you go less than 2 hours, your beef won’t have time to absorb all the amazing marinade flavors. I recommend going overnight for the most flavor, but you can go up to 24 hours. Once you’ve marinated the beef to your liking, follow the easy cooking steps in the section below.
How to Make Beef Bulgogi
Using my Hey Grill Hey method, you can create this Korean-inspired Beef Bulgogi recipe right in your own backyard. Just follow these simple steps to make something amazing for the people you love:
- Prepare the beef. The key to bulgogi with a tender interior and perfect crust is evenly cooked beef. To make slicing your steak easier, I have a few tips. First, place your beef in the freezer for about 30 minutes prior to slicing. Next, any pro will tell you using a sharp knife is the key to even slicing. For this recipe, slices around ¼-inch thick will yield the best results.
- Prepare the marinade. Combine all the marinade ingredients (except the onions and green onions!) in a food processor or blender until you have a smooth, even mixture.
- Marinate the meat. Place the sliced meat and reserved onions in a gallon-size zip-top bag or baking dish, then pour the marinade over them. Cover the dish or seal the bag, then place in the fridge to marinate using the marinade time guidelines above.
- Preheat the grill. Set your favorite grill up for high heat, around 425 degrees F. You want to wait until you’ve given your beef time to marinate before firing up.
- Cook the meat. Remove the beef and onions from the marinade, then arrange them evenly in a grill basket for grilling, on your griddle, or in your pot. Cook the beef for 2-3 minutes per side, flipping occasionally with tongs until cooked through.
- Serve and enjoy. Transfer the beef from the grill to a serving platter or cutting board, then check out the serving suggestions for bulgogi beef below!
Serving Suggestions
My family loves this beef in bowls with a scoop of white rice and some kimchi for extra Korean flavor. I also like to garnish mine with some extra sliced green onions and sesame seeds, but you can use any extras you like. This bulgogi works for a full meal with any sides your family will love.
More Korean BBQ Recipes
You already knew Hey Grill Hey is the best place to find easy BBQ recipes to make in the backyard. Now you know Hey Grill Hey also has amazing Korean BBQ recipes you can make to feed the people you love. Here are a few more options to try if you love grilling this simple bulgogi recipe:
Amp up with the app
You can find all these Korean BBQ recipes and hundreds more right in the Recipe Library here on the site, but the Hey Grill Hey App is where it’s at. Yes, you can still find all your favorite Hey Grill Hey recipes. But you can also create your weeknight menu and make recipe-specific shopping lists right on your phone. If you’re a member of The Grill Squad, you’ve already got access.
Easy Korean Beef Bulgogi Recipe
The recipe card below has everything you need to create this Korean Beef Bulgogi right in your own backyard. You can also save the recipe and sign up for the weekly BBQ Beat by entering your email in the “Save this Recipe” box.
For more visual learners, my YouTube channel and Pinterest page both have hundreds of my top recipes and other fun BBQ ideas. If you want to connect with the best BBQ community on the web (or just look at some drool-worthy BBQ), follow my Instagram and Facebook page. Whatever you’re looking for, Hey Grill Hey is the BBQ resource to help you become a Backyard BBQ Hero!
Korean Beef Bulgogi
Ingredients
- 2 pounds sirloin steak thinly sliced
Beef Bulgogi Marinade
- 1 medium yellow onion cut into 2-inch to 3-inch pieces, added after blending
- 1 cup green onions cut into 2-3 inch pieces, added after blending
- ¾ cup Asian pear peeled and diced
- 8 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 1-inch piece fresh ginger peeled
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup water
- 3 Tablespoons sugar
- 2 Tablespoons rice wine
- 2 Tablespoons sesame oil toasted
- 2 Tablespoons sesame seeds toasted
- 2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the beef. Cut your beef into thin slices, around ¼-inch thick. Place your beef in the freezer for about 30 minutes beforehand to make slicing easier.2 pounds sirloin steak
- Prepare the marinade. Combine all the marinade ingredients except the onions and green onions in a food processor or blender. Blend until you have an even mixture.¾ cup Asian pear, 8 cloves garlic, 1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, ½ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup water, 3 Tablespoons sugar, 2 Tablespoons rice wine, 2 Tablespoons sesame oil, 2 Tablespoons sesame seeds, 2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
- Marinate the beef. Place the sliced meat in a gallon-size zip-top bag or baking dish, then pour the marinade over it and add the onions and green onions. Cover or seal the bag, then place in the fridge to marinate. I like to let my meat marinate overnight, but you want to give it at least 2 hours, and you can go up to 24 hours.1 medium yellow onion, 1 cup green onions
- Preheat the grill. Set your favorite grill up for high heat, around 425 degrees F. You can also make this on a griddle stir-fry style or in a heavy-bottom pot on the stovetop.
- Cook the meat. Remove the beef and onions from the bag or bowl, then arrange them evenly in a grill basket, on your griddle, or in your pot. Cook the beef for 2-3 minutes per side until caramelized and cooked through.
- Serve and enjoy. Transfer the beef from the grill to plates and serve with white rice, kimchi, or anything you like with Korean beef. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
