Ditch the delivery and whip up a make-ahead recipe for Easy Beef Bulgogi Bowls served with pickled veggies and fried eggs.
This is the true definition of a “meal in-a-bowl”: marinated beef Bulgogi, pickled cucumbers, spicy kimchi and a fried egg, all served atop a bed of rice. Lunch, dinner and/or leftovers is done!
The real secret to restaurant-worthy Bulgogi is to very, very thinly slice the beef. The thinner it is, the faster it will cook and the more tender and melt-in-your-mouth it will be.
Slicing a raw steak at room temp can be difficult, so here’s the trick: Pop the beef into the freezer for about 10 minutes then grab your sharpest chef’s knife and start slicing. The quick freeze helps firm up the fat, making the steak easier to slice to your desired thickness (i.e. THIN!).
This marinade knocks every flavor element out of the park. It’s savory (hello, soy sauce!), sweet (I see you, brown sugar!), sour (shout-out to the rice wine vinegar!) and loaded with a garlicky, gingery punch. The longer the beef sits in the marinade, of course the more pungent those flavors will be, so don’t hesitate to toss it all together a day in advance and save yourself some prep time when hunger calls!
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Ingredients
For the beef bulgogi:
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 Tablespoons chili garlic sauce or Gochujang Chili Sauce, or more to taste
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 Tablespoons minced ginger
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
- 2 pounds ribeye or top sirloin steaks, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices (See Kelly’s Note)
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
For assembling the bowls:
- 3 cups cooked rice
- 4 fried eggs
- 1 cup homemade or store-bought kimchi
- 1 English cucumber, cut into ribbons
Instructions
Make the beef bulgogi:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, chili garlic sauce, rice wine vinegar, garlic, ginger and shallots.
- Add the sliced beef to the bowl with the marinade and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate the beef for a minimum of 2 hours and up to overnight.
- Heat a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the vegetable oil then using a slotted spoon, add the marinated beef, searing it quickly on all side and being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Transfer the beef to a plate.
Assemble the bowls:
- Divide the rice among four serving bowls and top it with the beef bulgogi.
- Top each bowl with a fried egg, a portion of kimchi and cucumber ribbons. Serve immediately.
Kelly’s Note:
- To thinly slice the steak, place it in the freezer for 30 minutes to help it firm up before using a sharp knife to cut it into thin slices.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!
Nutrition
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Recipe by Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
Delish! I’ve made this several times, and everyone loves it! Thank you!
You are so welcome, Heather! I’m thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipe!
Amazing! Recipe turned out fantastic. Kiddos said was 10/10. Thanks for the great recipe!
You are so welcome, Shannon! I’m thrilled it was a hit!
This recipe was simple to follow and packed with flavor!!! And we even forgot to add the fried eggs!! It will go on repeat!
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Trevin!
Love this recipe. So easy and delicious.
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Norma!
Made this with my daughter! It was outstanding, highly recommend marinating over night. We did both ways snd overnight had more flavor though both were great!
I made it with cabbage salad that had siracha mayo, cilantro, lime and green onions! Divine and my 14 year old loves it too!
LOVE reading this, Samantha! I’m thrilled you and your daughter enjoyed the recipe!
Easy and so yummy! I did a quick pickle of the sliced cucumber in rice wine vinegar for some extra punch
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Lindsey!
This is one of my daughter and husband’s favorite meals!! And it is really so easy! It just takes some planning because letting it marinate overnight is the best! We have had it without the egg and it is so much ch better with the egg! We tried kimchi with it once and just really didn’t feel like it made a huge difference, so we usually leave that out. Once, I didn’t have cucumber and we did miss that in the dish so I will make sure to always have that when making this. I am so glad I found this recipe! Thank you!
Love, love, LOVE reading this, Maria! I’m so thrilled your family has been enjoying the recipe!
Love this recipe and have made it at least 5 times now. I haven’t made it with regular brown sugar, but used brown Swerve as a sugar substitute. It’s my go-to favorite recipe. Thank you for sharing.
You are so welcome, Claudine! I’m thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipe!