Bulgogi (Korean Marinated Beef) — High-Protein Training Meal
Thinly sliced, tender marinated beef seared quickly and served with rice or lettuce wraps — a protein-forward Korean classic easy to scale for training meals.
37 min
start to finish
25 min
hands on
Some skill
difficulty
4
servings
Ingredients
For the beef
For the marinade
To finish
To serve
Optional garnish
Contains soy, sesame. Cooking for an allergy? Check the label on every packet you use — brands differ, and we can only tell you what the recipe calls for.
Roughly, per serving
520 kcal52g protein18g carbs28g fat
An estimate, not a lab analysis.
Method
Chill the beef in the freezer for 20–30 minutes to firm it (this makes thin slicing easier).
Slice the chilled beef across the grain into very thin slices (about 2–3 mm thick).
Combine tamari, mirin, sesame oil, brown sugar, grated pear, grated garlic, grated ginger, sliced green onion and black pepper in a bowl and whisk to make the marinade.
Add the sliced beef to the marinade and toss until evenly coated.
Marinate the beef in the refrigerator, covered, for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours for deeper flavor.
Heat a large heavy skillet or cast-iron pan over high heat until very hot.
Add neutral oil to the hot pan and swirl to coat the surface.
Working in a single layer, spread half the marinated beef in the pan and let it sear without stirring for 45–60 seconds to get good browning.
Toss and press the beef briefly in the pan and continue to cook until just cooked through, another 1–2 minutes.
Remove the cooked portion to a warm plate and repeat the searing with the remaining beef in the same pan.
Return all cooked beef to the pan, add toasted sesame seeds and sliced scallions, and toss once to combine.
Rest the bulgogi off the heat for 3–5 minutes before serving.
Serve the bulgogi over warm rice or with lettuce leaves for wraps and garnish with extra sesame seeds if desired.
Worth knowing
- Freeze the beef briefly (20–30 minutes) to make razor-thin slices by hand; alternatively ask your butcher for thin-sliced bulgogi beef.
- If you want to boost protein further for training, serve with a scoop of quinoa mixed into the rice or add a side of pan-fried tofu.
- Do not crowd the pan; sear in batches so the beef browns instead of steams.
- Asian pear is a traditional tenderizer and adds sweetness; use half an apple if you can't find pear.
- Leftover bulgogi keeps well in the fridge for 3 days and reheats quickly in a hot pan — good for meal prep.
Make it yours
Cooking without dairy, without an oven, for someone who won't touch chilli, or for six instead of four? Have the recipe rewritten around it — quantities, steps and all.
Gluten-freeDairy-freeHigh proteinMeal prep
Watch someone make it
A different recipe for the same dish, by a cook who has spent years on it.
More Korean cooking
An original Restaurant Pro recipe — our own composition in the idiom of Korean cooking, not any restaurant's recipe. Written to be gluten-free and dairy-free as listed.