Savory bulgogi rice bowls combines sweet and spicy steak, fluffy rice, and crisp vegetables for a quick, flavorful meal. If you love rice bowls, give sesame salmon bowl or harissa chicken bowls a try!
Key Ingredients
- Marinade: Marinate thinly sliced ribeye steak with fresh garlic cloves, ginger, scallion whites, subtle sweetness from Asian pear (or another variety of pear), soy sauce, white sugar, toasted sesame oil, and coarse black pepper.
- Steak: Ribeye is the best option, but you can also use sirloin steak, beef tenderloin, or skirt steak. If you live near a Korean grocery store like H-Mart, they carry pre-cut bulgogi, labeled bulgogi meat, in the fridge or freezer section.
- Rice: Prepare jasmine rice according to the package or substitute cauliflower rice if you prefer a lighter option.
- Mixed Greens: I try to eat six cups of vegetables daily, and bulgogi bowls are a great way to work in vibrant greens like spinach leaves, microgreens, arugula, or spring mix. You can eat them as is or massage them with Gochujang dressing before adding them to the serving bowls.
- Vegetables: Include different vegetables in the bulgogi rice bowl, like shredded cabbage, carrots, and cucumbers, or use what you have.
- Kimchi: Make homemade kimchi or purchase store-bought kimchi. Use any leftovers to make recipes like vegetarian kimchi jjigae.
- Gochujang Dressing: Whip up a spicy and sweet dressing using gochujang paste, honey, toasted sesame seeds, rice vinegar, and minced garlic.
Additions and Substitutions
- Ditch the dressing. Serve ssamjang, a spicy Korean dipping sauce, on the side.
- Experiment with grains. Swap Jasmine rice for quinoa or brown rice, or go with cauliflower rice for a lighter option.
- Replace the greens. Try Korean-seasoned spinach, known as sigeumchi namul, instead of mixed greens.
How to Make Bulgogi Rice Bowls
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Set the steak on a plate and place it in the freezer uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove the beef and slice it at a bias into ½-inch pieces.
Step 2: Combine garlic cloves, ginger, scallion whites, pear, soy sauce, white sugar, toasted sesame oil, warm water, and black pepper in a food processor or small blender.
Step 3: Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl with the beef slices. Stir to coat, cover, and marinate for 6 hours (at least 30 minutes).
Step 4: Meanwhile, prepare the jasmine rice in a small saucepan according to the package and cut the cabbage, carrots, and cucumbers. Set them aside.
Step 5: Whisk gochujang paste, honey, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, and minced garlic. Add warm water until you get the consistency you prefer.
Step 6: Warm one tablespoon of oil in a large skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Add the steak in batches and sear until the slices are brown and slightly caramelized.
Step 7: Divide the jasmine rice and mixed greens between serving bowls. Add shredded cabbage, carrots, cucumber, and kimchi to each bowl. Then, evenly distribute the cooked beef. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped scallion greens.
If you enjoy bulgogi rice bowls, try more Korean dinner recipes!
Serving Suggestions
Serve Korean bulgogi rice bowls with small side dishes called banchan, including kongnamul muchim (soybean sprouts), sigeumchi mamul (seasoned spinach), or cucumber salad (oi muchim).
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store the vegetables, steak, and dressing in separate airtight containers for 3-4 days. If you’re preparing the bowls for meal prep, I recommend adding the steak and rice to one container and storing the vegetables and dressing separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
What cut of beef do I use?
Ribeye is ideal for making bulgogi, but you can use sirloin steak or beef tenderloin. Korean markets and Asian grocery stores often sell pre-cut bulgogi. However, I recommend buying the meat and cutting it at home for the best results.
It’s a little extra work, but the quality is worth it! Use a sharpened knife to thinly slice the meat against the grain at an angle. Aim for ⅛-inch slices to ensure the meat cooks evenly. You can prepare bulgogi using tougher cuts of meat like skirt steak or flank steak, but it requires a tenderizer and longer marination.
Whats the best way to cook bulgogi?
The best way to prepare bulgogi is over an open flame, but it is not always the easiest option. Cook the meat on a preheated skillet, griddle, or cast-iron skillet.
The key to preparing bulgogi this way is cooking the steak on a hot pan over medium-high to high heat (depending on your range) until it caramelizes. Work it in batches to sear the meat so you don’t overcrowd the pan. Doing so causes the meat to boil or steam rather than sear.
More Quick Dinner Ideas:
Bulgogi Rice Bowls
- Small Bowl
- 1½ pounds ribeye steak, thinly sliced into ½-inch pieces at a bias
- 1 tablespoon oil
- toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 -inch knob of ginger roughly chopped
- 2 scallions, whites (cut into 1-inch pieces), and greens (finely chopped) reserved separately
- ½ Asian pear, peeled, cored, roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons warm water
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 2 cups jasmine rice, cooked according to the package
- 2 cups mixed greens
- 1 cup shredded cabbage
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 medium cucumber, cut in half and thinly sliced
- 1 cup kimchi
- ½ cup gochujang paste
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup toasted sesame seeds
- 3 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup warm water
- Set the steak on a plate and place it in the freezer uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove the beef and slice it at a bias into ½-inch pieces.
- Combine garlic cloves, ginger, scallion whites, pear, soy sauce, white sugar, toasted sesame oil, warm water, and black pepper in a food processor or small blender.
- Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl with the beef slices. Stir to coat, cover, and marinate for 6 hours (at least 30 minutes).
- Meanwhile, prepare the jasmine rice in a small saucepan according to the package and cut the cabbage, carrots, and cucumbers. Set them aside.
- Whisk gochujang paste, honey, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, and minced garlic. Add warm water until you get the consistency you prefer.
- Warm one tablespoon of oil in a large skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Add the steak in batches and sear until the slices are brown and slightly caramelized.
- Divide the jasmine rice and mixed greens between serving bowls. Add shredded cabbage, carrots, cucumber, and kimchi to each bowl. Then, evenly distribute the cooked beef. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped scallion greens.