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Sweet and easy to make, this Bulgogi Marinade recipe is perfect for marinating beef, chicken, or pork. It takes just a minute to whip up using simple ingredients, and after a few hours of marinating you will have the most delicious sweet-and-sticky bulgogi ready to go!
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Bulgogi Marinade Recipe
One of my all-time favorite cuisines is Korean BBQ - especially bulgogi! I love how flavorful bulgogi beef is, with the perfect balance of sweet, sticky, and savory. It's so good served over a rice bowl or in tacos with spicy coleslaw on the side.
Of course, I like to be able to make all of my favorite foods at home, so figuring out a perfect bulgogi marinade recipe was a must for me. And I have to say, this is an amazing bulgogi sauce for more than just beef - you can use it for pork and chicken, too!
I've even used it for meatballs, and I bet it would be delicious with roasted vegetables for a vegetarian option. No matter what you use this bulgogi recipe for, I guarantee you will love it!
Bulgogi Sauce Ingredients
- Soy sauce
- Sesame oil
- Maple syrup
- Pear (peeled and grated)
- Green onions
- Garlic
This recipe for bulgogi marinade uses a mix of soy sauce, sesame oil, maple syrup, pear, green onions, and garlic for a sweet-and-savory blend that perfectly complements meat. It's easy to adjust the flavors to your liking, too.
If you want a little spice, you can add Korean red chili paste (gochujang) or a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. For more or less salt, adjust the amount of soy sauce used.
Maple syrup is a great sweetener for marinating meat, but if you'd rather, you can use brown sugar instead. Use an equal amount. To make the marinade less sweet, you can use less of whichever sweetener you choose.
How to Make Bulgogi Sauce
Making bulgogi marinade is simple. In a bowl or dish large enough to fit the meat* you plan on marinating, mix together soy sauce, sesame oil, maple syrup, grated pear, green onions, and garlic.
*If you would rather, you can use a medium bowl, then add the marinade to a bag to marinate the meat instead.
Bulgogi Marinade Recipe Tips
- The meat you're marinating will work best when sliced into bite-size pieces with fat trimmed away, especially if you're using steak. For pork chops marinated in bulgogi sauce, I'll leave them whole.
- If you don't want to cut the meat before cooking, you can either buy it pre-sliced or ask your butcher to slice it for you.
- Make sure to really cover it with the bulgogi marinade for best results. You want the meat to soak up all the flavors of the marinade!
- You can use the marinade to cook a sauce if you save it after marinating. Add it to a skillet over medium-high heat with your protein and reduce it down into a sticky, sweet bulgogi sauce to coat the meat.
Bulgogi Marinade FAQs
It's possible to marinate bulgogi for too long, so don't leave it for longer than a night or two, especially if you cut the meat into bite-size pieces. If you marinate it for any longer, the marinade will start to break down the fibers of the meat too much, and it will become too soft.
Bulgogi marinade is for so much more than beef. You can use it on chicken or pork, if you like. It's delicious with both. Try mixing up the ingredients depending on the meat you're using - if you prefer, you can use honey as a sweetener instead of maple syrup, or add spice by using Korean chili paste or chili flakes.
Marinade Recipes
- London Broil Marinade
- Buttermilk Marinade for Chicken
- Lamb Chop Marinade
- Asian Marinade for Chicken and Steak
- Carne Asada Marinade
- Also try my Ham Bone Broth!
Easy Asian Sauces
Bulgogi marinade makes an amazing Sauce for Meatballs!
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📖 Recipe
Bulgogi Marinade
Equipment
- 1 bowl for mixing marinade
Ingredients
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup or equal parts brown sugar or honey
- 2 Tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 pear peeled and grated
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 1 Tablespoon garlic minced or smashed, approx. 2 cloves
Instructions
- In a bowl or dish large enough to fit the meat you plan on marinating, mix together soy sauce, sesame oil, maple syrup, grated pear, green onions, and garlic.¼ cup soy sauce, 2 Tablespoons maple syrup, 2 Tablespoons sesame oil, 1 pear, 2 green onions, 1 Tablespoon garlic
- Add meat to the marinade and marinate for at least 2 hours, up to overnight. Don't marinate for longer than 2 days.
Notes
- The meat you're marinating will work best when sliced into bite-size pieces with fat trimmed away, especially if you're using steak. For pork chops marinated in bulgogi sauce, I'll leave them whole.
- If you don't want to cut the meat before cooking, you can either buy it pre-sliced or ask your butcher to slice it for you.
- Make sure to really cover it with the bulgogi marinade for best results. You want the meat to soak up all the flavors of the marinade!
- You can use the marinade to cook a sauce if you save it after marinating. Add it to a skillet over medium-high heat with your protein and reduce it down into a sticky, sweet bulgogi sauce to coat the meat.
Nutrition
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