This easy Cupbop copycat(ish) Korean bulgogi with beef will get your tastebuds watering and meet all your wildest bold flavor expectations. The marinated beef is versatile to repurpose in different dishes.
[This Korean bulgogi with beef 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]
Table of contents
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 that you find at Cupbop. Of course it's not exactly the same, but is tasty either way.
Since this is a recipe that takes a bit more time and effort, I decided to keep the 4 servings in the recipe instead of cutting it down to 1-2 servings. It's worth the leftovers as the beef gets better over time, and you can serve it a few ways.
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.
I'd also recommend that you check out these recipes: Korean Beef Bulgogi from Damn Delicious. She said it's based on a bulgogi recipe her mom would make. Yum! Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Beef) from My Korean Kitchen is great as well.
See suggestions to repurpose this Cupbop copycat Korean bulgogi in repurpose section below.
Ingredients
Scroll down to the Cupbop inspired Korean bulgogi recipe card for the amounts of each ingredient, but here's a quick description of what's in this recipe.
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
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for more detailed instructions. Here's a quick overview + photos to see how to make this recipe in general.
Start with the beef marinade: Mix together pear (grated), garlic cloves, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, ground ginger, brown sugar, sesame oil, and oyster sauce in a plastic bag. Add sliced beef.
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 noodles (&/or) rice according to package directions. Rinse noodles off well so they're not sticky.
Make BBQ sauces by mixing together plain BBQ sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, ground ginger, and sesame oil. Set aside.
To make sriracha mayo, mix together (or more) sriracha and 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.
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Storage/Reheating Tips
Store prepared ingredients separately for your Cupbop inspired Korean Bulgogi bowl. Store them in airtight containers for about a week. To reheat, assemble bowl and microwave, covered. You may want to add a dash of water to the rice/noodles.
You can freeze leftover rice and cooked Korean Bulgogi beef. Just freeze separately, and divide into individual portions for easiest use.
Substitutions/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. Set timers.
- You can sub out the sweet potato noodles for rice noodles, and many recipes call for rice noodles. But I love the texture of these noodles.
- 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 on this Cupbop inspired(ish) Korean Bulgogi beef.
FAQ
I have made this Korean 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.
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. They're great with this Korean 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.
Other good beef recipes
Repurpose this recipe
- Swap out the rice for sweet potato noodles or the opposite
- Stuff tortillas with the rice, beef, cabbage, & sauces
- Serve leftover Korean Bulgogi over a bed of lettuce for an easy salad
What can I make with leftover ingredients?
When you're cooking for one, you often have leftover produce, cans of whatever ingredient, etc. Here are a couple ideas on how to use up the leftover ingredients. It'll help you save money by wasting fewer ingredients.
- Beef: 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 Cupbop copycat Korean bulgogi with beef recipe? Leave me a comment & rating to share how it turned out!
Cupbop Copycat(ish) Korean Beef Bulgogi
Equipment
- knife
- cutting board
- Measuring Spoons
- Measuring Cups
- tongs
- Medium skillet or grill
- 2 small bowls
- Medium sized pot
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- ¼ whole pear grated
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger or ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 pound flank steak sliced thinly
- oil
- salt & pepper
- ½ cup plain BBQ sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (BBQ sauce)
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar (BBQ sauce)
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder (BBQ sauce)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil (BBQ sauce)
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1+ teaspoons sriracha
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 4-6 ounces sweet potato noodles
- 1 cup cabbage thinly sliced
- sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Mix together grated quarter of a pear, 2 garlic cloves, 3 Tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 Tablespoon ginger, 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon oyster sauce in medium mixing bowl. Add 1 lb sliced beef, and let sit out for at least 15 minutes.
- While beef is marinating, cook 4-6 oz noodles (&/or) 1 cup rice according to package directions.
- Make Korean BBQ sauces by mixing together ½ cup BBQ sauce, 1 Tablespoon oyster sauce, 2 teaspoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon ginger powder, and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Set aside. Mix together 1 teaspoon + sriracha and ½ cup mayonnaise, set aside.
- After about 15 minutes, heat up grill or medium skillet. Cook beef until desired doneness. Cook at least 3 minutes on each side. Pour remaining marinade over beef as it's cooking.
- Rinse noodles well after cooking. Add grains to bowl then layer in cabbage, beef, sauces last. Enjoy.
Notes
- 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.
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Tara says
This sounds flavorful and delicious! Any recommendations on a substitute for oyster sauce? I'm allergic to shellfish.
Rebecca says
Bon Appetite says to mix 1:1 soy sauce & hoisin sauce. Try that!
Sue says
I love love love these flavors...and I've never tried sweet potato noodles, so heading out to my Asian market today to track them down. I'm suddenly very hungry!
Rebecca says
yes! they don't have a strong flavor, but the texture is awesome!
Cookilicious says
Wow this looks so appetizing..nice recipe
Rebecca says
thanks!
Suzy says
This was so good! We were looking for something a little different to make and it came out great!
Rebecca says
that's great to hear! thanks