Easy Korean Beef Bulgogi

This easy Cupbop copycat Korean bulgogi with beef will get your tastebuds watering and meet all your wildest Korean food expectations. The marinated beef is versatile to repurpose in different dishes, but the two easy sauces & cabbage really make this bowl a flavor bomb.

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[This recipe was originally posted in May 2018. It has been updated with new photos, cooking instructions, expert tips, FAQ, related recipes, video and ways to repurpose/use up ingredients]

How will this Korean Bulgogi make your life easier?

If you have or even if you haven't been Cupbop, a Korean food truck & restaurant in Utah, you've really got to try this Korean bulgogi. It's got the mixture of rice + sweet potato noodles, flavorful beef, crunchy cabbage, and two sauces.

Obviously this isn't the traditional <30 minute recipe for one, but it's so packed with flavor and would be a great easy meal to prepare for a dinner party because it's super easy to double or triple so it'd be a fun and delicious party food. If you want a faster beef recipe, I'd recommend making beef & broccoli or Thai beef with spinach & fried garlic.

What makes this Cupbop copycat beef bulgogi so good?

This recipe does call for lesser used ingredients like oyster sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil. But the sauces are staples in Vietnamese & Thai dishes, so you can use them over and over again.

• Oyster sauce
• Soy sauce
• Pear
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Red pepper flakes
• Dark brown sugar
• Sesame oil
• Flank steak
• BBQ sauce
• Rice vinegar
• Mayonnaise
• Sriracha
• Jasmine rice
• Sweet potato noodles
• Cabbage

How do I make Korean Bulgogi?

Start with the beef marinade: Mix together quarter of a pear (grated), 2 garlic cloves, 3 T soy sauce, 1 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 T ground ginger, 1 T brown sugar, 1 T sesame oil, and 1 tsp oyster sauce in a plastic bag. Add 1 lb sliced beef.

Expert Tip: buy presliced thin beef at the grocery store. Any pre-sliced thin cut will work. Ask your butcher for recommendations if you'd like.

Let beef sit out for at least 15 minutes.

Heat up grill or skillet. Cook at least 3 minutes on each side, or until desired doneness. Pour remaining marinade over beef as it's cooking to create a thick sauce.

Cook grains: Cook 4-6 oz noodles (&/or) 1 c rice according to package directions. Rinse noodles off well so they're not sticky.

Expert Tip: Sweet potato noodles are usually just found at Asian markets and online, if you don't have access to them definitely use rice noodles.

Make Korean BBQ sauces by mixing together ½ c plain BBQ sauce, 1 T oyster sauce, 2 tsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp ground ginger, and 1 tsp sesame oil. Set aside.

Expert Tip: To save time, you can find premade Korean BBQ sauce, but this one is really good & easy so make this if you can!

To make sriracha mayo, mix together 1tsp (or more) sriracha and ½ c mayonnaise, set aside. 

Remember to rinse noodles well after cooking. Make bowl by adding grains to bowl then layer in cabbage, beef, sauces last. Enjoy. 

Expert tips

• You can find the sweet potato noodles at your local Asian market.
• To save time in the kitchen, mix the marinade, add the beef and then set aside. The next thing I make is the rice & noodles. Then cook the beef and mix the sauces and chop the cabbage. Make sure to set timers for the rice & noodles so they don't get overcooked.
• You can sub out the sweet potato noodles for easier to find rice noodles, and many recipes call for rice noodles. But I love the texture of these noodles. Cupbob offers half noodles half rice in their bowls, so that's why I include both in this recipe.
• Increase the spice level by adding more sriracha or red pepper flakes to your dish.
• Pre-slice the beef so that it absorbs the marinade quickly. You can start the beef right away, and let it marinade while you start the grains and sauces. Then cook it quickly and it's ready to go.
• Feel free to grab minute rice, pre-made Korean BBQ sauce, and pre-shredded cabbage to make the process quicker. Trader Joe's carries a Korean BBQ sauce that's almost as good.

FAQ

What cut of beef is beef bulgogi?

I have made this Korean beef bulgogi with flank steak a few times and really like it. Traditionally it's made with sirloin, rib eye, or brisket. You can also use ground beef if that's what you have. Essentially any cut of beef that cooks quickly & fits within your budget. Ask the butcher at your local grocery store to get a recommendation.

What are sweet potato noodles?

They're really similar to rice noodles but made with sweet potatoes. I'd say the biggest difference is the size of the noodles, rice noodles are often really thin like angle hair pasta or they're flat ribbons, the sweet potato noodles I've had are just a bit thicker than traditional spaghetti pasta. Sweet potato noodles are really mild in flavor, just as rice noodles. Make sure to rinse them out well to remove the starch that will make them stick together.

What is bulgogi beef?

Bulgogi beef is really thin sliced beef that's been marinated and then cooked in a sweet and savory sauce, traditionally using pear to add sweetness . We use grated pear to add sweetness and help tenderize the meat.

Ways to repurpose this Korean Bulgogi

• Swap out the rice for sweet potato noodles or the opposite
• Stuff tortillas with the rice, beef, cabbage, & sauces
• Serve over a bed of lettuce for an easy salad

What can I make with leftover ingredients?

• (beef, rice) Beef & Broccoli, Thai Beef w/ Garlic & Spinach (use remaining sliced beef instead of ground), Stuffed Squash with Beef & Rice (use remaining sliced beef instead of ground)
• (cabbage) Corned beef & cabbage, Rainbow coleslaw, 5 min Asian coleslaw
• (rice) Warm harvest bowl

Did you make this Korean bulgogi recipe? Leave me a comment & rating to share how it turned out!

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