Ground Beef Bulgogi - Ground Beef Recipes (2024)

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This Ground Beef Bulgogi is a fantastic 20 minute meal that's perfect for busy weeknights. The sweet and savory sauce makes this a favorite of kids and adults alike!

If you love these flavors, be sure to check out our Korean Sloppy Joes!

Table of Contents

What is Beef Bulgogi?

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Beef Bulgogi is a Korean dish featuring thinly sliced and marinated beef. It traditionally uses a steak, like ribeye or flank, and a sweet and savory marinade featuring soy sauce, brown sugar, and garlic.

In this recipe, I’ve swapped the steak for ground beef to make an incredibly fast and affordable weeknight meal. When I say fast, I mean FAST. This meal can be on your table in about 20 minutes!

If you’ve never tried bulgogi before, you’re in for a treat. This Ground Beef Bulgogi has amazing flavor. This sweet and savory sauce is so easy to make, but it really packs a flavor punch! With a hint of garlic and sesame, this sauce is a crowd pleaser. Even my picky kiddos gobbled it up!

If you like heat, I’ve included instructions for spicing things up.

Don't forget to try our other quick and easy Asian ground beef bowls, including Thai Basil Beef and Ground Beef and Broccoli.

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Ingredients in Ground Beef Bulgogi

For ground beef bulgogi, we'll use the same ingredients as in the traditional marinade, but without the need to marinate the meat! It's a huge time saver for busy weeknights.

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For the sauce, you’ll need:

  • Soy sauce (I use low sodium)
  • Brown sugar
  • Sesame Oil
  • Toasted Sesame Seeds
  • Garlic

Beyond that, you’ll just need some vegetable oil for cooking the beef and a few green onions for garnish.

How To Make Bulgogi with Ground Beef

This recipe comes together so quickly! I recommend getting a pot of rice started before you begin the bulgogi so they’ll be ready at the same time.

  1. Start by whisking together the sauce ingredients: soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and garlic.
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  2. Heat vegetable oil in a wok or stainless steel pan over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until no pink remains, and the edges are starting to brown.
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  3. Add the sauce and continue to saute until the sauce is reduced slightly and thoroughly coating the ground beef.
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  4. Remove from heat, and top with sliced green onions and additional sesame seeds.
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Variations and Additions for Korean Ground Beef

  • Want to make spicy beef bulgogi? Add a tablespoon of gochujang to your marinade. Gochujang is a Korean chili sauce with a sweet, hot, and smoky flavor. You can find it here or in most grocery stores, or you can use Sriracha if you prefer.
  • Prefer to use steak? Stir all the sauce ingredients together then add ¼ cup of water. Place thinly sliced steak (I prefer ribeye) in a bag with the marinade ingredients, and marinate at least 3 hours or overnight. Sear in a hot skillet for 1-2 minutes per side.
  • This ground beef bulgogi is great with a side of rice, but we also love to top it with an over easy fried egg or a sous vide poached egg. The yolk coats everything in its silky sauce and really brings everything together.
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Korean Ground Beef Bowls

You could also use this ground beef bulgogi as a base for Korean Bibimbap, which is a dish typically served with bulgogi, rice, and a variety of vegetables and sides. To make them, combine the bulgogi with rice, a poached or fried egg, and your favorite pickled or stir fried veggies. Here are a few great ones to try!

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📖 Recipe

Ground Beef Bulgogi - Ground Beef Recipes (10)

Ground Beef Bulgogi

Ground beef subs in for steak in this quick and easy ground beef bulgogi. This 20 minute meal is a sweet and savory delight!

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 20 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Calories: 395kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil (for cooking)
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • ¼ cup soy sauce (I use low sodium)
  • 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds (plus more for serving)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 green onions (sliced)

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook until no pink remains.

  • Meanwhile, in a bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, garlic, and brown sugar.

  • When the beef is cooked, add the soy sauce mixture and stir for a few minutes until beef is well coated and most of the liquid is absorbed.

  • Serve bulgogi over rice with green onions and sesame seeds for garnish.

Notes

Leftover ground beef bulgogi will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, and reheats well on the stove top or in the microwave.

For extra flavor and a silky sauce, top the bulgogi with a fried or poached egg.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Korean

Keyword easy, ground beef, quick, sesame oil, soy sauce

Nutrition

Calories: 395kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 890mg | Potassium: 375mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 3mg

More Asian

  • Ground Beef Fried Rice
  • Thai Basil Beef
  • Korean Sloppy Joes
  • 30 Minute Ground Beef and Broccoli

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Ground Beef Bulgogi - Ground Beef Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is beef bulgogi eaten with? ›

In many Korean restaurants, tables are outfitted with grills in the center so customers can cook the bulgogi meat themselves and eat it straight from the grill. Bulgogi is typically served with steamed rice, lettuce wraps, chili sauce, and other traditional Korean accompaniments.

What are different ways to eat beef bulgogi? ›

How To Eat Beef Bulgogi
  1. Traditional Bulgogi Bowl. One of the most classic ways to enjoy beef bulgogi is by serving it in a traditional bowl with steamed rice. ...
  2. Bulgogi Tacos. For a fun and creative twist on beef bulgogi, consider using it as a filling for tacos. ...
  3. Bulgogi Bibimbap. ...
  4. Bulgogi Grilled Cheese. ...
  5. Bulgogi Stir-Fry.
Feb 18, 2024

Which part of beef is good for bulgogi? ›

Boneless ribeye steak is our cut of choice for this recipe and the most popular because it is tender and flavorful with nice marbling. Sirloin is also commonly used to make bulgogi and is slightly leaner that ribeye. You can also use flank steak in a pinch with good results, but the texture won't be quite as tender.

What are the three types of bulgogi? ›

There are three main regional styles of bulgogi: Gwangyang, Eonyang, and Seoul. Gwangyang, a city in Jeollanam-do in the.

Why do Koreans eat bulgogi? ›

The dish is believed to have entered South Korea as a result of refugees fleeing Pyongan Providence after the liberation of the Korean Peninsula from the Japanese in 1945. After its introduction into South Korea, bulgogi became popular in Seoul and many other cities.

Why does bulgogi taste so good? ›

Beef Bulgogi is crazy tender and juicy seeping with mildly sweet, savory, smoky flavors from the soy, sesame, garlic, ginger marinade. It is intensely flavorful, and tantalizingly delicious. This Bulgogi cooks super fast, so once your steak is done marinating, it's 15 minutes to dinner!

Why is bulgogi healthy? ›

From a nutritional point of view, Bulgogi enjoys an excellent reputation: grilled or burned beef steak in a pan does not require the use of additional fat and is a source par excellence of noble proteins, vitamins PP and B12, while the ginger present in marination speeds up the digestion process as well as fighting ...

What to eat Korean BBQ beef with? ›

Start with a base of rice or quinoa, then top it with the bbq beef and your choice of optional toppings. I topped mine with shredded carrots, sugar snap peas and diced scallions. You could also add kimchi, cucumbers, bell peppers, broccoli or jalapenos. It's your bowl, make it your own!

What is bulgogi meat in English? ›

Bulgogi (Korean: 불고기; American English /bʊlˈɡoʊɡiː/ buul-GOH-ghee; from Korean bul-gogi [pul. ɡo. ɡi]), literally "fire meat") is a gui (Korean-style grilled or roasted dish) made of thin, marinated slices of meat, most commonly beef, grilled on a barbecue or on a stove-top griddle.

Is brisket and bulgogi the same? ›

Bulgogi is a traditional dish of soy-marinated beef, but this recipe swaps in brisket as a cheaper alternative to the tenderloin and sirloin typically used in Korea. Brisket is tougher than these cuts; marinating overnight helps tenderize the meat.

How long should you marinate bulgogi? ›

Place the meat and vegetables in a large bowl. Add the marinade and toss gently to combine everything well. Marinate the meat for 30 minutes to an hour, up to overnight. Grilling: Grill the meat on a charcoal or gas grill or pan fry in a skillet over high heat until slightly caramelized.

What is bulgogi sauce made of? ›

It typically consists of soy sauce, sugar, mirin (sweet rice wine), sesame oil, garlic, and green onions, along with other ingredients such as ginger, pear juice, or rice wine vinegar. The sauce is used to flavor and tenderize thinly sliced beef that is then grilled, pan-fried, or stir-fried.

What does bulgogi mean in Korean? ›

The term 'bulgogi' comes from Korea and translates to 'fire meat' as it was originally cooked using skewers on a hwaro grill. This ubiquitous meal's early history and origin date back to the Goguryeo era (37 B.C. to 668 A.D.), when it was initially called maekjeok.

Can I use apple instead of pear for bulgogi? ›

Stir fry the meat in batches using a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat to help deliver those coveted crispy brown edges. Traditional bulgogi marinade calls for puréed or grated fruit such as kiwi, apple, or pear.

What is Korean BBQ eaten with? ›

Lettuce or perilla leaves. Garnishes like sliced garlic, scallions, and toasted sesame seeds. Banchan (small side dishes). Types of banchan include kimchi, marinated veggies, spicy cucumbers, bean sprouts, and sautéed spinach.

Can you eat bulgogi with rice? ›

This bulgogi rice bowl is an easy one-dish meal! The recipe adds extra veggies and sauce to make it a well balanced one-dish meal.

What goes with Korean BBQ meat? ›

Banchan: A variety of small side dishes collectively known as banchan are often served with Korean BBQ. Some common banchan include pickled vegetables, seaweed salad, and marinated bean sprouts.

What do Koreans drink with bulgogi? ›

Yoon Sook-ja, director of the Institute of Traditional Korean Food, recommends pairing dwaeji bulgogi (marinated grilled pork) with soju (clear liquor). Soju, the clear traditional liquor that comes in the iconic green bottle, is widely known to soothe the sorrows of Koreans as shown in many films and TV dramas.

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