• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Sunday Supper Movement logo
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • Sunday Supper Pledge
    • Family Foodie TV
  • Browse Recipes
    • Instant Pot Recipes
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Dinner Ideas
    • Side Dishes
    • Desserts
  • Holiday Recipes
  • Cooking Chart
  • Newsletter
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Browse Recipes
  • Holiday Recipes
  • Newsletter
  • Cookbooks
  • Media
  • Contact Us
  • The Sunday Supper Pledge
  • Follow us on social!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Asian Cuisine » Korean Beef Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Beef Bowls)

    Korean Beef Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Beef Bowls)

    Published: Jan 26, 2020 Modified: Jan 27, 2023 by Isabel Laessig

    Share
    Pin
    Share

    This post may contain paid links. If you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.

    Jump to Recipe

    We have the most delicious recipe to share with you all! The best part is that our Korean Beef Bulgogi Recipe is super easy to prepare and the thinly sliced beef cooks up in just 5 minutes!

    Meal prep is the way to go during the busy week. Our Bulgogi Bowls are easy to make, highly adaptable and full of delicious flavor.

    Korean BBQ Beef is one of our favorite meal prep recipes! Everyone can add their favorite toppings to this recipe!

    beef bulgogi meal prep bowl set on a striped blue table cover

    What is Bulgogi?

    It is a Korean beef recipe with thin slices of marinated beef. The Korean BBQ marinade showcases the flavors of soy sauce, sesame oil along with garlic and the sweetness of brown sugar and Asian pear.

    The word bulgogi comes from the Korean dialect “bul” meaning fire and “gogi” meaning meat. Pork is also a popular dish, called Dwaeji-bulgogi (with “Dwaeji” meaning pig).

    Beef bulgogi is a popular Korean BBQ recipe. You can find it just about everywhere in South Korea, and for good reason!

    It’s super easy to make and tastes incredible. In fact, it is so good, you can serve it with just about any side dish. I personally love beef bulgogi with rice and veggies.

    You really can’t go wrong with this recipe. Not only is it so easy to make, but you can customize it in so many ways.

    One of my favorite things to do is to add spicy gochujang sauce to kick up the heat a few notches. Gochujang is a Korean chili paste that adds a ton of flavor to any recipe you put it in, but especially in a Korean BBQ sauce!

    Korean BBQ Beef Bowls Ingredients

    Bulgogi Sauce Marinade

    • ¼ cup soy sauce
    • 2 Tbsp. sesame oil
    • 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
    • 1 small pear, peeled and grated
    • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
    • 1 Tbsp. garlic, minced (approx. 2 cloves)
    • 1.5 lb boneless rib eye beef, sliced thin

    Beef Bulgogi Bowls Ingredients

    • 1 cup of rice
    • 4 oz. cucumber, cut julienne
    • 4 oz. carrots, peeled and cut julienne
    • 4 oz. shiitake mushrooms, stem removed and sliced (optional)
    Close up of Beef bulgogi meal prep bowl ready to eat

    How to make Beef Bulgogi

    For the marinade

    1. In a medium bowl, mix together ¼ cup soy sauce, 2 Tbsp. sesame oil, 2 Tbsp. maple syrup, 1 small peeled and grated pear, 2 thinly sliced green onions, and 1 Tbsp. minced garlic.
    2. Cut 1.5 lb. boneless ribeye beef into thin slices, trimming any fat as you go. Or, if you are like me, I ask my butcher to do this step for me! I like to make it super easy.
    3. Marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.

    How to cook bulgogi

    1. When ready to cook beef, preheat a skillet to medium-high heat. Cook the thinly sliced beef in a single layer in batches on the skillet. The beef cooks quickly – just one minute on each side will do it! Continue to cook beef in batches until done.
      cooking beef for beef bulgogi bowls
    2. Place all the beef back in the skillet and add the remainder of the bulgogi marinade. Cook for an additional couple of minutes or until the beef is well coated. This will give the beef a delicious sauce to use over the rice.

    Korean BBQ Beef Bowls

    1. Put together the bowls with some rice, beef, and vegetables of choice. Top with a pinch of sesame seeds, if desired. This dish is great enjoyed warm, but is also good cold!

    Our Korean BBQ dish is really easy to make, and it’s simple to add a variety of vegetables to as well, making it perfect for easy lunch ideas! I love topping it off with cool cucumber.

    The beef is simply sliced up and added to a simple Korean marinade It is then ready to quickly and easily cook up the next day.

    The beef bulgogi sauce is the key to making these delicious bowls!

    Easy Rice Recipe

    This easy beef dish is great served with rice, and you can then add whatever vegetables you like alongside. Easy Meal Prep Recipes are key to enjoying dinner around the family table! It is one of our favorite family meal ideas because it is so customizable.

    We have the best rice recipe to share with you – it practically cooks itself! The secret to the perfect rice is not to touch it – NO stirring is allowed!

    Follow our step by step direction to making the perfect rice.

    Stirring a pot of rice with a spoon

    Tips for Making Beef Bulgogi

    • Buy beef already sliced: Buy your boneless ribeye steak already sliced. If you don’t see it sliced, grab a ribeye steak and ask your butcher to cut it into thin strips for you.
    • Cook in batches: Cook the beef in batches on the skillet. You want nice crisp beef. Do not overcrowd your skillet.
    • Make a sauce with leftover marinade: Use the leftover marinade to create a delicious bulgogi sauce. Trust me, you need this sauce in your life!
    • Don’t add veggies when reheating: If you will be reheating, don’t add the veggies until after you have reheated the bowl. You want a nice crisp cucumber on top!
    • Make meal prep easy: Another way to help your meal prep, you can add the beef to the marinade, freeze it then when you defrost it the beef will take on the marinade as it defrosts.

    Easy Beef Bulgogi – Ground Beef Bulgogi

    Want to make this recipe even easier? We have a perfect weekday night solution for the busy family!

    You can substitute one pound of ground beef for the ribeye steak! Skip the marinating in the refrigerator part and just add the bulgogi marinade ingredients right into the skillet with the marinade ingredients.

    This is such a delicious option. It is our of our family’s favorite recipes!

    Korean Beef Bulgogi Recipe Options

    You can change up your Korean BBQ by adding other ingredients or swapping out the rice!

    One of my favorite things about this recipe is how much you can switch things up. It keeps so well, and you can use it for so many different easy dinners!

    • Try noodles, quinoa, or couscous instead of rice!
    • Create Korean BBQ tacos with beef bulgogi and thinly sliced veggies.
    • Add some gochujang sauce or other hot sauce if you like it a bit spicier.
    • Add some kimchi.
    • Recipes with beef are a perfect way to incorporate high protein, keto meals. You can leave out the rice and substitute with more veggies.
    beef bulgogi meal prep bowl ready to eat

    What to Serve with Korean Beef

    • Cauliflower Rice Salad
    • Tomato Cucumber Salad
    • Shishito Peppers

    Korean beef bulgogi pairs deliciously with my favorite side dish, shishito peppers. I love these mild Japanese peppers!

    They have just a slight kick to them and a nice crunch. I typically pair these peppers with citrus pesto dip but imagine them with bulgogi sauce.

    Shishito Peppers with Citrus Pesto Dip

    Our Best Asian Recipes

    • Korean Braised Short Ribs
    • Korean Cream Cheese Garlic Bread Recipe
    • Dragon Chicken
    • Shrimp Shumai

    Meal Prep Ideas

    What are some of your easy healthy meal prep ideas? We’d love to know your favorite Sunday Dinner Ideas and Healthy Food Recipes. Let us know in the comments below!

    📋 Recipe

    beef bulgogi meal prep bowl

    Korean Beef Bulgogi Bowls

    Isabel Laessig
    Make life easier with our Beef Bulgogi Meal Prep Bowls! Whether you’re looking to get ahead on weeknight dinners, or make lunches to take with you, nobody can deny meal prep recipes make life easier. Our Beef Bulgogi is easy to prepare, highly adaptable and full of delicious flavor.
    4.42 from 12 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 5 minutes mins
    Total Time 25 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Korean
    Servings 4
    Calories 473 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    For beef – marinated ahead of time

    • ¼ cup soy sauce
    • 2 tablespoon sesame oil
    • 2 tablespoon maple syrup
    • 1 pear peeled and grated
    • 2 green onions thinly sliced
    • 1 tablespoon garlic minced (approx 2 cloves)
    • 1.5 lb boneless ribeye beef sliced into thin strips
    • 2 teaspoon olive oil

    To serve

    • 1 cup rice
    • 4 oz. cucumber cut julienne
    • 4 oz. carrots peeled and cut julienne
    • 4 oz. shiitake mushrooms stems removed and sliced (optional)
    • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)
    Cooking Conversions

    See our Cooking Conversions Chart for help converting measurements!

    Instructions
     

    • In a medium bowl, mix together the soy sauce, sesame oil, maple syrup, pear, green onions, and garlic.
    • Cut the beef into thinly sliced beef, trimming any fat as you go. Cut the slices into bite-sized pieces then add to the marinade and mix. Or you can have your butcher cut the beef into thin slices for you. This is always my preference.
    • Marinate in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight.
    • When ready to cook beef, preheat a skillet to medium-high heat. Add olive oil to skillet. Place slices of beef in a single layer on the skillet. Beef cooks quickly, cook beef approximately one minute on each side. Do not overcrowd the skillet. Cook beef in batches.
    • Place all the beef back in the skillet and add the remainder of the marinade. Cook for an additional minute or until beef is well coated with the delicious sauce.
    • Have fun putting together the bowls with some rice, beef and some of each of the vegetables. Top with a pinch of sesame seeds, if desired. This dish is great enjoyed warm but is also good cold.

    Notes

    1. We recommend using Certified Angus Beef® brand for best results
    2. Try serving with our Korean Cream Cheese Garlic Bread Recipe
    3. If you will be reheating, don’t add the cucumber until after you have reheated the rest.
    4. Another way to help your meal prep, you can add the beef to the marinade, freeze it then when you defrost it the beef will take on the marinade as it defrosts.
    5. Cook beef in batches, do not overcrowd the skillet. 
    6. For convenience, pick up already sliced steak or ask your butcher to slice the beef or you. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 473kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 41gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 1226mgPotassium: 924mgFiber: 3gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 4815IUVitamin C: 5.3mgCalcium: 79mgIron: 4mg
    Keyword Beef Bowls, beef bulgogi, Beef Bulgogi Bowls, Beef Bulgogi meal prep bowls, Healthy Bowls, Meal Prep Dinner
    Did you try this recipe?Tag #SundaySupper on social and leave a comment below!

    Photography Credit: Caroline Williams

    Share
    Pin
    Share

    More Asian Cuisine

    • yum yum sauce in a white dish with fried rice behind
      Yum Yum Sauce Recipe
    • teriyaki sauce with a spoon in a jar
      How to Make Teriyaki Sauce
    • Close up of Asian peach glaze chicken with grilled peach slices
      Peach Chicken
    • Four shrimp shumai dumplings in a steamer basket on parchment paper
      Shrimp Shumai
    Isabel, AKA Family Foodie

    About Isabel Laessig

    Hi! I’m Isabel Laessig, also known as Family Foodie, creator of Sunday Supper Movement and author of the Boujee Steak Cookbook. Sunday Supper is my mission to bring family back around the dinner table. Join me in making family meal-time a tradition to celebrate!

    » About Me

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ali says

      November 23, 2019 at 5:32 am

      I am a really big fan of the rice with beef so i had to try out this recipe. It was fun to make and it tastes amazing, thank you.

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        November 26, 2019 at 10:56 am

        We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Ali! Thank you for letting us know!

        Reply
    2. Alma says

      November 23, 2019 at 5:35 am

      I just made as instructed. I am so glad that i tried this out, it was really delicious.I loved the little sweetness from the maple syrup in it.

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        November 26, 2019 at 10:56 am

        Thank you, Alma! That’s awesome!

        Reply
    3. John says

      November 23, 2019 at 5:38 am

      I was looking for something to make for my anniversary dinner and i decided to make this, it took some work but my wife was really excited. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        November 26, 2019 at 10:55 am

        That’s awesome! We’re so glad you and your wife enjoyed this for such a special meal!

        Reply
    4. Sandra says

      November 23, 2019 at 5:48 am

      I did it the same way except the soy sauce. I tried out adding it, and it was really nice addition.

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        November 26, 2019 at 10:54 am

        We’re really glad you like it, Sandra! That’s awesome!

        Reply
    5. Simon says

      November 23, 2019 at 5:50 am

      These pictures are gorgeous – they inspired me to finally try out this recipe and it was so yummy.

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        November 26, 2019 at 10:53 am

        Thanks so much, Simon! We’re so glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    6. Andrea Metlika says

      January 26, 2020 at 2:34 pm

      This is a fantastic looking bowl of food. I was surprised to see pear as part of the marinade. I cannot wait to try this.

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        January 27, 2020 at 11:39 am

        Thank you so much, Andrea! The pear really adds something special to the marinade. We hope you love it!

        Reply
    7. Beth says

      January 26, 2020 at 2:49 pm

      This is so much better than takeout food! We loved it!

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        January 27, 2020 at 11:39 am

        Thank you, Beth! That’s awesome!

        Reply
    8. Amy says

      January 26, 2020 at 5:02 pm

      These look fantastic, such a healthy recipe!

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        January 27, 2020 at 11:38 am

        Thank you so much, Amy! Bulgogi is really delicious.

        Reply
    9. Alisha Rodrigues says

      January 26, 2020 at 7:38 pm

      This is so much more healthier than takeaways and that bowl has all that a healthy meal should contain. Loving the images too

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        January 27, 2020 at 11:38 am

        Thanks so much, Alisha!

        Reply

    Let us know what you think or ask a question about the recipe! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Leave a rating!




    Primary Sidebar

    Isabel, AKA Family Foodie

    Hi! I’m Isabel Laessig, also known as Family Foodie. Sunday Supper is my mission to bring family back around the dinner table!

    • Family Foodie Facebook
    • Sunday Supper Pinterest
    • Sunday Supper Youtube
    • Family Foodie Instagram
    • Family Foodie Tiktok

    Sunday Dinner Ideas

    • Southern smothered pork chops in a cast iron skillet
      Pork Chop Recipes
    • Overhead shot of beef chuck roast recipe on a white platter with carrots and fresh herbs
      Beef Chuck Roast
    • up close baked portobello mushrooms surrounded by lettuce
      Portobello Mushroom Recipe
    • A fork with a bite of air fryer pork chops
      Air Fryer Pork Chops
    • Candied Bacon
    • Elotes Mexicanos on a white platter
      Elote Recipe

    Footer

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    logos of brands sunday supper has worked with

    Connect with us!

    Join us around our family table by following us on social media, including our Sunday Supper Recipes group!

    • facebook
    • instagram
    • pinterest
    • youtube

    Our Brands

    Follow all of our websites for the best recipes catered to your needs!

    Sunday Supper Movement |
    Best Beef Recipes | Easy Sauce Recipes | Side Dish Ideas | Pork Recipe Ideas

    About Us

    • Contact Us
    • About Isabel and Sunday Supper
    • Our Partners
    • Disclosure & Privacy
    • No AI

    ↑ back to top

    Sunday Supper Logo

    Copyright 2012-2023 Sunday Supper Movement®, All Rights Reserved.