This Beef Bulgogi Bowl is a popular Korean dish that you can make at home! Thinly sliced rib eye or sirloin steak is marinated and becomes super tender and flavorful. Add to bowls with cooked rice and your favorite toppings such as kimchi, a fried egg, veggies, and more!
Is it just me or does everything taste better in 'bowl' form? I love loading up my bowl with lots of toppings and texture. The best part? It allows each person to pick their own combination so no worries about pleasing picky eaters!
Some other favorite asian-inspired recipes are these Baked Sticky Korean Wings, Grilled Sesame Chicken Thighs, Air Fryer Orange Chicken, and Pork Egg Roll Bowls.
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⭐Why I Love It:
- Tender Beef - The thinly sliced steak stays super tender thanks to the marinade and quick sear in the pan.
- Quick Cooking - The beef slices cook in just a minute or two!
- Customizable Bowls - You can use your favorite bowl pairings such as rice, veggies, kimchi, and more!
🥘Ingredients
- Ribeye or Top Sirloin steak - make sure to slice it very thin so it gets super tender!
- Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- Brown Sugar - light or dark brown sugar works
- Sesame Oil
- Chili Garlic Sauce or Gochujang
- Rice Wine Vinegar
- Minced Garlic
- Minced Ginger
- Vegetable Oil - or other neutral, high heat cooking oil. I use canola oil.
- Bowl Ingredients - Cooked Rice, Kimchi, Cucumber, Sesame Seeds, Green Onions, and more!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
📖Variations
- Ground Beef Bulgogi Bowl - Want to use ground beef? Make this easy Korean Ground Beef instead.
- Slow Cooker Korean Beef - Instead of using steak, you can also cook a chuck roast low and slow in your crockpot using this Slow Cooker Korean beef recipe.
- Chicken or Pork Bulgogi - Although beef is most common, you can also use sliced chicken or pork with the marinade. The amount of time to cook will vary slightly.
🍚Serving Ideas
What sides go with bulgogi? Load up your bulgogi bowl with any of the below pairings - my favorite is rice, kimchi, and cucumber with a generous sprinkle of sesame seeds and sliced green onions.
- Cooked White Rice
- Fried Rice
- Kimchi - You can use leftovers to make Kimchi Fried Rice.
- Fried Eggs
- Cucumber Ribbons
- Carrot Ribbons
- Pickled Red Onions
- Sliced Green Onions
- Sesame Seeds
🔪Step by Step Instructions
I love how fast this recipe is to both prep and cook! Just slice the steak, marinate, and quickly cook in a hot pan.
Photo 1 - Start by slicing the steak into thin slices (it helps to pop the steak in the freezer for about 30 minutes first).
Photo 2 - Mix up the marinade in a large bowl and toss in the beef slices. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
Photo 3 - Heat up a large sauté pan over high heat and add oil. Working in batches, use a slotted spoon or tongs to add a layer of the beef slices (allow excess marinade to drip off into the bowl). Quickly sear the beef on all sides and remove to a plate. Repeat with remaining beef.
Photo 4 - Assemble the beef bulgogi bowls with white rice and your choice of toppings such as kimchi, cucumber, and sliced green onions/sesame seeds.
🍽Leftovers and Storage
Leftover beef can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days OR frozen for up to 3 months. I prefer to reheat the steak quickly in a hot pan. But you can also microwave it if you're warming it up with the cooked rice.
💭Recipe Tips
- Freeze Steak Before Slicing - Freezing the steak for about 30 minutes makes it much easier slice into super thin slices.
- Cook in Batches - Cooking in batches helps make sure you don't overcrowd the pan which can make it harder to get a good sear and browning on the steak.
- Allow Excess Marinade to Drip Off - This is crucial to getting a good browning is to not have too much moisture and marinade in the pan when cooking the steak slices.
👩🍳Recipe FAQs
Bulgogi consists of thin slices of sirloin or rib eye steak that is marinated before being quickly seared. The results are super tender and flavorful.
Bulgogi translates to "fire meat" because it is traditionally cooked on a barbecue. It originated in Korea and is most commonly made from beef.
Bulgogi is made of marinated thinly sliced beef that is served over rice. Bibimbap is similar, but is typically topped with a fried egg and a spicy sauce.
🥩Related Beef Recipes...
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PrintRecipe
Beef Bulgogi Bowl
Beef Bulgogi Bowl is a popular Korean dish that you can make at home! Thinly sliced rib eye or sirloin steak is marinated and becomes super tender and flavorful. Add to bowls with cooked rice and your favorite toppings such as kimchi, a fried egg, veggies, and more!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings
- Category: Main
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients
Beef and Marinade
- 2 pounds rib eye or top sirloin steak
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce or Gochujang
- ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons minced ginger
- 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil, for cooking up the beef
Bowl Ingredient Ideas
- Cooked Rice
- Cucumber, sliced into ribbons using a vegetable peeler
- Carrot, sliced into ribbons using a vegetable peeler
- Kimchi
- Fried Eggs
- Sliced Green Onions
- Sesame Seeds
Instructions
- Optional - Chill Beef - I highly recommend popping the steak into the freezer for 30 minutes, this makes it so much easier to slice.
- Slice Beef - Start by slicing the steak into thin slices (about ⅛ inch thick). The thinner the slices, the more tender the end result will be!
- Marinate Beef - Mix up the marinade (not the vegetable oil) in a large bowl and toss in the beef slices. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
- Cook Beef - Heat up a large sauté pan over high heat and add 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Working in batches, use a slotted spoon or tongs to add a layer of the beef slices (allow excess marinade to drip off into the bowl). Quickly sear the beef on all sides (since the slices are thin, they cook fast!) and remove to a plate. Repeat with remaining beef - if needed, wipe out excess sauce in the pan and add a little more oil.
- Assemble Bowls - Assemble the bulgogi bowls with white rice and your choice of toppings such as kimchi, cucumber, and sliced green onions/sesame seeds.
Notes
Storage - Leftover cooked beef can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. I recommend storing the beef separately from the veggies and other bowl ingredients for easier reheating.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ of the beef + rice, kimchi, and veggies
- Calories: 651
- Sugar: 29.9 g
- Sodium: 1348 mg
- Fat: 18.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 62.2 g
- Fiber: 1.9 g
- Protein: 56.4 g
- Cholesterol: 134 mg
Katie says
I love the tip about freezing the meat for a bit - so much easier to slice!