Korean · Marinade · All year
Bulgogi Marinade
4.6 community
10m
Prep
0m
Cook
Easy
Level
120
kcal
Korea's sweet-savory classic with its secret weapon: grated pear, whose enzymes genuinely tenderize. For paper-thin beef destined for a screaming pan.
What you need
Ingredients
Servings
4
100 ml
🍶 Soy Sauce ›
1/2
🍐 Pear ›
grated — the traditional tenderizer
3 tbsp
🟤 Brown Sugar ›
2 tbsp
🛢️ Sesame Oil ›
4 cloves
🧄 Garlic ›
grated
1 tbsp
🫚 Ginger ›
grated
3
🌱 Scallions ›
sliced
1 tsp
⚪ Sesame Seeds ›
toasted
1 tsp
🌶️ Gochugaru ›
optional warmth
Add all to shopping list
Mise en place
Before you start
10m
Prep
0m
Cook
10m
Total
—
Serves
Yield: Enough for 700 g of thin-sliced beef
Equipment
Bowl or jar
Whisk
Zip-top bags
Prep checklist
Pear — grated — the traditional tenderizer
Garlic — grated
Ginger — grated
Scallions — sliced
Sesame Seeds — toasted
Gochugaru — optional warmth
3 steps
Method
1
Whisk everything, pear pulp included.
2
Marinate thin-sliced ribeye or sirloin 1–4 hours — the pear's enzymes work fast on thin slices; overnight turns them mushy.
💡
Freeze the beef 45 minutes before slicing and you can shave it paper-thin at home.
3
Sear in a blazing pan or grill in a single layer, 1–2 minutes a side, in batches. Serve with rice, lettuce cups, and ssamjang.
From the chef
Notes
Taste before serving and adjust salt and acid — the last 30 seconds of seasoning matter more than any single ingredient.
Afterwards
Keep, reheat & pair
Storage
Unused marinade keeps 5 days refrigerated. Once it touches raw protein, discard it — or boil 3 full minutes to serve as a sauce.
Freezing
Freeze protein IN the marinade: it seasons as it thaws. 2 months.
Reheating
Marinades aren't reheated — but boil any used marinade for 3 full minutes if you want to serve it as a sauce (it touched raw protein).
Make ahead
Mix up to 5 days ahead and refrigerate; marinate proteins in zip bags so cleanup is nothing.
Wine pairing
Follows the finished dish.
Beer pairing
Follows the finished dish.
On the plate
Serve it with
Sides
·
Applies to whatever you marinate
Garnish
Reserve a spoonful (before it touches raw meat) to finish the cooked dish
Taste map
Flavor profile
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Umami
Heat
Per serving
Nutrition
120
kcal
2g
protein
14g
carbs
6g
fat
3g
fiber
11g
sugar
520mg
sodium
Asked and answered
FAQ
How long should I marinate?
Acidic marinades: 30 minutes–4 hours for thin cuts (acid "cooks" the surface mushy past that), up to 12 for thick cuts. Yogurt and enzyme marinades: 4–24 hours. Salt-forward soy marinades: 1–24 hours. Seafood: 15–30 minutes only.
Can I reuse the marinade as a sauce?
Only after a hard 3-minute boil — it touched raw protein. Better habit: reserve a clean portion before the meat goes in.
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My notes
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