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My easy Bulgogi Bowls are a meal-prep dream come true! These flavorful Korean beef bowls are ready in under 30 minutes. Thinly sliced, marinated ribeye beef with vegetables makes for a delicious lunch or dinner recipe that's a perfect fit for any day of the week. 🍜
Korean BBQ recipes make some of the best BBQ you will ever try, and beef bulgogi is by far our favorite alongside Korean braised short ribs. You can serve it with rice, vegetables, noodles, or even in tacos!
Beef Bulgogi Bowl Ingredients
- boneless ribeye beef, sliced into thin strips
- soy sauce
- sesame oil
- pear, peeled and grated
- green onions, thinly sliced
- garlic, minced
- olive oil
How to Make Bulgogi
- In a medium bowl, mix soy sauce with sesame oil, maple syrup, grated pear, sliced green onions, and minced garlic.
- Cut boneless ribeye into thin slices, trimming the fat as you do. Then, cut the slices into bite-size pieces, and add to the bowl with the marinade. Mix together.
- Marinate the beef in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
- When ready to cook, preheat a skillet to medium-high heat. Add olive oil to the skillet, then add the slices of beef. Place them in a single layer. It will cook quickly - about 1 minute on each side - so keep an eye on it.
- After cooking all of the beef, add it back to the skillet with the remaining marinade. Cook for an additional minute or until the beef is well-coated with the marinade.
- Serve over rice with cut vegetables such as sliced cucumbers, carrots, and shiitake mushrooms, and enjoy!
Bulgogi Bowls Recipe Tips
- Use pre-sliced steak. If you would prefer not to cut the beef into strips yourself, you can ask your butcher to do it for you or buy pre-sliced steak.
- Don't overcrowd the pan. When cooking the beef, do not overcrowd the pan. Add in a single layer and cook for 1 minute on each side. Cook the beef in batches.
- Freeze your beef in the marinade. To make meal prep even easier, you can add the beef to the marinade, then freeze it. When you defrost it, the beef will absorb the marinade.
- Leave out the cucumber when reheating. When reheating, do not reheat with the cucumber. Leave the cucumber for last until the rest is reheated.
Beef Bulgogi Variations
- Make it spicy. Make the beef bulgogi bowls spicy by adding a little Gochujang (Korean red chili paste). Gochujang is a popular ingredient in Korean dishes with a nice kick. Mix it in when cooking the beef at the very end, and add just a teaspoon. Taste, then increase if you'd like a little more spice.
- I love using apples instead of pears in this dish. The crispier the better! The crunch adds so much to this dishes flavor profile.
Beef Bulgogi Recipe FAQs
What cut of beef is best for bulgogi?
Boneless ribeye steak or sirloin steak sliced thin are perfect for beef bulgogi.
Can I substitute apple for pear in bulgogi?
I love using apples such as fuji or bosc in this dish. Have fun with it and try different flavor profiles.
Is Bulgogi the same as Korean BBQ?
Kalbi and bulgogi are Korean barbecues. Their flavor profile depends on the marinade you use.
How to serve Bulgogi Bowls
I love serving beef bulgogi over rice. What can I say, this Portuguese girl loves rice!
- Try my Portuguese-style rice which is so easy to prepare and makes the Perfect Rice Recipe every time!
- Or, if you have an Instant Pot, give this Instant Pot White Rice a try. It's perfect for a stir-fry!
Best Asian Beef Recipes
- Grilled New York Strip with Asian Marinade
- Korean Beef Short Ribs
- Beef Salad with Vietnamese Dressing
- Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli
- Instant Pot Pho
Try more of the best beef cuts according to your needs and budget by following my guide on the Best Cuts of Beef and our Popular Beef Dishes!
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Amazing Beef Bulgogi Bowls
Delicious Korean Beef Bulgogi Bowls are an easy meal-prep recipe your family will love! The perfect freezer meal.
Servings: 4
Calories: 722kcal
Equipment
- Skillet
Ingredients
Beef and marinade ingredients
- 1½ pounds boneless ribeye beef sliced into thin strips
- ÂĽ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 pear peeled and grated
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced (approx. 2 cloves)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
Ingredients for serving
- 1 cup rice
- Âľ cup cucumber cut into strips 4 oz.
- Âľ cup carrots peeled and cut into strips 4 oz.
- Optional: Âľ cups shiitake mushrooms stems removed and sliced (4 oz)
- Optional: 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix ¼ cup soy sauce with 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 peeled and grated pear, 2 sliced green onions, and 1 tablespoon minced garlic.
- Cut 1½ pounds boneless ribeye into thin slices, trimming the fat as you do. Then, cut the slices into bite-size pieces, and add to the bowl with the marinade. Mix together.
- Marinate the beef in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
- When ready to cook, preheat a skillet to medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil to the skillet, then add the slices of beef. Place them in a single layer. It will cook quickly – about 1 minute on each side – so keep an eye on it.
- After cooking all of the beef, add it back to the skillet with the remaining marinade. Cook for an additional minute or until the beef is well-coated with the marinade.
- Serve over rice with cut vegetables such as ¾ cup sliced cucumbers, carrots, and shiitake mushrooms, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 722kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 28g | Cholesterol: 151mg | Sodium: 1009mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g
Photo credit: Caroline Williams
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