Name: How to make Vegan Bulgogi with Seitan
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 16 min
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon soy sauce (I use low-sodium soy sauce); 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce (See Note below); 1 tablespoon sugar; 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tablespoon oil; 8 ounces of beef-flavored seitan; 1/4 small onion, thinly sliced; 1 small carrot, thinly sliced; 2 to 3 green onion, cut into 2-inch pieces; Dash of black pepper; Sesame seeds (for garnish); Rice, lettuce, kimchi, Korean soybean paste soup (for serving)

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How to make vegan seitan bulgogi - learn how to make delicious seitan bulgogi with homemade seitan! Vegan-Friendly Korean BBQ Finally!

seitan bulgogi, vegan Korean bean paste soup and lettuce in the background

First thing first, What is Bulgogi?

Bulgogi 불고기 is a very popular Korean dish. "Bul불" means fire and "Gogi고기" means meat in Korean. So technically, if you cook your meat on the fire, you can call it bulgogi.

But the most well-known type of bulgogi is the dish with thinly sliced beef (usually, ribeye or sirloin) marinated in soy sauce. Today, I will be using homemade seitan to recreate this dish.

seitan bulgogi with vegetables in the pan

What does bulgogi taste like?

It is sweet, salty, savory, umami-rich, and meaty dish.

Bulgogi is extremely popular in Korea and it is often one of the dishes that you serve during major holidays like Seol 설 (Korean/Chinese New Year) or Chuseok 추석 (Korean Thanksgiving) in Korea.

Because of its sweet and savory sauce, bulgogi is very popular among children. So what makes bulgogi popular is in the sauce, in my opinion.

How to make bulgogi sauce

There are 4 major ingredients that make bulgogi sauce what it is.

Soy sauce
Sugar
Minced garlic
Sesame oil

The traditional bulgogi (with beef) recipe calls for grated Asian pear or apple in the sauce. The reason for these ingredients is to add sweetness and to tenderize the meat. Since we will be using homemade seitan, there is no need for these ingredients.

homemade seitan, one sliced, one hand-torn

onion, carrot, green onion and bulgogi sauce in the bowl

How to make Vegan Seitan Bulgogi

My vegan (beef-less) seitan bulgogi is easier and quicker to make than that of a traditional one. There is no need to marinate the meat so it's quicker but without no flavor compromise!

Prepare your vegetables. I am using onion, green onion, and carrot. They are the ingredients for the traditional bulgogi.
Mix together soy sauce, sugar, minced garlic, and sesame oil in a small bowl and set aside.
In a pan, add oil and seitan. Cook it until they are heated through. Add the vegetables and sauce and continue to cook.
Serve with rice and enjoy!

Easy enough, no?!

What else can be used in place of vegan beef-flavored seitan?

I am using my homemade beef-flavored seitan. If you are not using my homemade seitan (although I highly recommend it for this dish), You have other options.

You can use your favorite store-bought seitan or soy curl. If you are not a big fan of mock-meat or meat substitute, you can also use tofu or mushroom.

lettuce, seitan bulgogi, Korean bean paste soup, and other Korean BBQ side dishes

What to serve with Vegan Seitan Bulgogi (Vegan-friendly Korean BBQ)

Lettuce - Lettuce is a must in making a lettuce wrap. I'm using green lettuce but red lettuce and perilla leaves are popular options in Korea. This is a perfect vehicle to pile high your tasty seitan bulgogi, rice, and other toppings.
Fresh vegetables and ssamjang - Ssamjang 쌈장 is a seasoned soybean paste you enjoy with vegetables. I like to serve cucumber, carrot, and jalapeno slices.
Something pickled - Something pickled/fermented is a welcomed component in Korean BBQ. You can almost always find Kimchi at Korean BBQ. I'm serving my vegan kimchi with this delicious spread.
Korean Soybean Paste Soup 된장찌개 - When you go to a Korean BBQ restaurant, they always serve this soup with the BBQ to enjoy with your bowl of rice.
Rice - There is always a huge bowl of rice on the table in Korean households at every meal.