Tender, flavorful Korean beef bulgogi with an easy applesauce marinade you can make with everyday ingredients.
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Tender, juicy, and packed with umami — Korean beef bulgogi is one of Korea’s most beloved dishes. My mom taught me this clever applesauce trick for the marinade, making it easy to recreate authentic flavor at home with everyday ingredients. Perfect for weeknights or special meals, you’ll love this approachable take on a classic!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Authentic Korean flavor without hard-to-find ingredients
- Applesauce marinade for tender beef — no need for Korean pear
- Easy to find everything at your local grocery store
- Quick enough for a weeknight, but impressive enough for guests
- Freezer-friendly and great for meal prep
Ingredients You'll Need
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this flavorful Korean beef bulgogi at home.
Beef
- 1 pound thinly sliced beef (ribeye is traditional but you can also use flank steak, sirloin, or NY strip — see Tips below)
For the Marinade
- Soy sauce (low-sodium if preferred)
- Plain, unsweetened applesauce (do not use cinnamon-flavored)
- Brown sugar
- Sesame oil
- Garlic, minced
- Minced green onions
- Black pepper
Vegetables and Garnishes
- Thinly sliced onion
- Thinly sliced carrot
- Sliced green onion
- Mushrooms (button, shiitake, enoki, or oyster), optional
- Extra green onions, for garnish
- Sesame seeds, for garnish
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Make the Marinade:
In a large bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, applesauce, minced garlic, minced green onion, sesame oil, and black pepper until well combined. - Marinate the Beef:
Add the thinly sliced beef to the marinade. Toss gently to coat all the pieces evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight if using a thicker cut of beef). - Prepare the Vegetables:
While the beef marinates, slice your vegetables (onions, carrots, mushrooms if using) and set them aside. - Cook the Bulgogi:
You can use a stovetop or grill — both work great!- Stovetop: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- For saucy bulgogi: Cook all the marinated beef together at once.
- For caramelized, slightly charred bulgogi: Cook the beef in batches until most of the marinade evaporates. Then add vegetables at the end.
- Grill: Preheat your grill to medium-high. Cook the beef slices for 2–3 minutes per side until nicely browned. Use a grill basket if needed to keep pieces from falling through.
- Stovetop: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Garnish and Serve:
Transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and extra sliced green onions if desired. Serve hot with steamed rice, lettuce wraps, and your favorite Korean side dishes.
- Make the marinade.
2. Marinate the beef.
3. Cook the bulgogi.
4. Garnish and serve.
Expert Tips
- Use the right cut of beef:
Thinly sliced ribeye is traditional. You can usually find packages labeled Bulgogi Beef at Korean or Asian grocery stores. I personally like to buy the pre-sliced beef from Costco (they use NY strip, and I’ve had great results with it). It’s also perfect for meal prep. I portion it into 1-pound or ¾-pound servings, freeze them in freezer-safe bags, and pull out just what I need for one meal. Bulgogi freezes beautifully! - Freeze the beef slightly for easier slicing:
If you’re slicing your own beef, place it in the freezer for about 20 minutes first. This makes it easier to slice thinly. If you’re using a thicker cut like flank steak or sirloin, be sure to slice very thinly against the grain and marinate overnight (or up to 3 days) for the best texture and flavor. - Adjust the marination time:
For paper-thin ribeye, 30 minutes to 1 hour is enough. For thicker cuts like flank steak, marinate overnight to let the flavors soak in and tenderize the beef. I’ve even marinated mine up to 3 days and it was still great. - Skip the pear — use applesauce:
My mom’s trick: plain, unsweetened applesauce is a perfect substitute for grated Korean pear. It tenderizes the beef, adds a subtle sweetness, and is much easier to find. Just make sure to avoid cinnamon-flavored or sweetened varieties. - Cook in batches for caramelization:
If you prefer your bulgogi with a nice sear and less sauce, cook the beef in small batches so the pan isn’t crowded. Add vegetables at the end to keep them crisp.
Storage & Reheating
Bulgogi stores and reheats beautifully, making it perfect for meal prep or leftovers.
- Cooked bulgogi:
Store cooked bulgogi in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of water or oil, or microwave until warmed through. - Uncooked, marinated bulgogi:
Transfer the marinated beef into freezer-safe bags, press out as much air as possible, and freeze for up to 2 months. Portioning into 1-pound or ¾-pound bags makes it easy to pull out just what you need for one meal. - To thaw frozen bulgogi:
Place in the refrigerator overnight, then cook as usual the next day.
How to Serve
Bulgogi is one of the most popular Korean dishes. Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy it:
- With rice and side dishes:
The most traditional way to enjoy bulgogi is with a bowl of steamed white rice and an assortment of Korean side dishes (banchan), like kimchi, cucumber salad, or steamed egg. - In lettuce wraps (ssam):
Wrap a few pieces of bulgogi in a lettuce leaf, add a dab of ssamjang (Korean dipping sauce), and a slice of chili pepper if you like. - Over a bowl:
Serve bulgogi over a rice bowl topped with a fried egg and pickled vegetables.
Common Questions About Bulgogi
Bulgogi and kalbi are both popular Korean BBQ dishes. Bulgogi is thinly sliced beef marinated in a soy-based sauce. Kalbi (short ribs) uses a similar marinade but on bone-in beef ribs. Korean BBQ refers to the dining style of grilling marinated meats at the table, often with side dishes and lettuce wraps.
Thinly sliced ribeye is traditional. But you can also use NY strip, flank steak, or sirloin. If you’re slicing the meat yourself, cut it very thinly against the grain and marinate overnight for best results. Many Korean and Asian grocery stores sell packages labeled Bulgogi Beef. I personally like to buy the pre-sliced NY strip from Costco.
No! This recipe uses plain, unsweetened applesauce instead of grated Korean pear. Applesauce is much easier to find and more affordable. It works just as well to tenderize the beef while adding subtle sweetness.
If you’re using very thin ribeye slices, 30–60 minutes is enough. For thicker cuts, marinate at least overnight (up to 3 days) for the best flavor and tenderness.
Beef bulgogi is not spicy — it has a sweet and savory flavor. Pork or chicken bulgogi, however, often uses a gochujang (Korean chili paste)–based marinade, which can be spicy.
I hope you give this easy Korean beef bulgogi a try — it’s a dish that’s close to my heart and one of my favorite ways to share a little piece of my Korean kitchen with you. The applesauce marinade makes it so approachable while keeping all the authentic flavor.
Whether you serve it with rice, wrap it in lettuce, or make it part of your next Korean BBQ night, I know you’ll love every tender, savory bite. If you make it, I’d love to hear how it turned out — leave a comment below!
And if you’re stocking up to cook more Korean dishes at home, don’t miss my Korean Pantry Essentials list for all my must-have ingredients.
Easy Korean Beef Bulgogi (with Applesauce Marinade)
Easy, tender Korean beef bulgogi with a sweet and savory applesauce marinade. Perfect for weeknights or Korean BBQ night!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Pan frying
- Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients
- 1 pound sliced beef (ribeye, sirloin, flank, or New York strip steak, thinly sliced against its grain), cut into large bite-size (about 2 to 3-inch pieces)
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened plain applesauce
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 to 3 tablespoons brown sugar, depending on how sweet you like the meat to be
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced/minced
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ large onion, sliced
- 1 small carrot, thinly sliced
- 2 green onions, sliced at a biased angle
- Cooked rice and other side dishes, for serving
Instructions
- Cut your meat to be large bite-size pieces, about 2 to 3- inch pieces. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together applesauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic, minced green onions, sesame oil, and black pepper.
- Add the sliced beef. Mix well until all the meat is coated with the marinade. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes up to 24 hours.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add a little bit of oil. Add the marinated beef. Cook until most beef is cooked.
- Add the sliced onion, carrot, and green onion. Cook until the vegetables are heated through.
- Serve with cooked rice and other side dishes of your choice.
Notes
- I recommend buying the sliced meat but if you were to slice them yourself, place the meat in the freezer for 20 minutes before slicing. Slice the meat against the grain.
- Adjust the marination time depending on the cuts of meat and the thickness of the meat. Very thin sliced ribeye won't need to be marinated long but if you sliced sirloin yourself, marinate the meat overnight to tenderize the meat.
- If you like your bulgogi to be saucy, cook all the meat at once in a pan. But if you like more caramelization on the meat, cook the meat in batches and omit to add the vegetables. You can also cook this on a grill. Cooking them for 2 minutes per side is more than enough time. Since they are sliced meat, I recommend using a grilled basket to cook the meat on the grill.
- The Prep Time does NOT include marination time since it can vary depending on the cuts of meat and the thickness of the meat.
Narae says
This is my go-to bulgogi recipe! It’s so easy and quick to make, with an authentic and flavorful taste. Highly recommend!
Ne says
Great with mushrooms instead of beef
George says
That sounds fantastic! I love that you tried it with mushrooms. It sounds like such a great vegetarian twist!