Thinly sliced beef marinated in a sweet, savoury and slightly spicy Korean sauce, cooked until caramelised and served in crisp lettuce leaves with rice, kimchi and sesame seeds.
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 2–4
Cuisine: Korean
Course: Main Dish
Tags: Bulgogi · Korean Beef · Lettuce Wraps · Korean Recipes · Quick & Easy
Ingredients
For the Bulgogi
- 500–700g thinly sliced beef, ideally rib-eye or sirloin
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Korean beef bulgogi marinade
- 1 tbsp Korean sesame oil
- 1–2 tsp gochujang, to taste
- 1 tbsp sugar or honey
- 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 2 spring onions, sliced
To Serve
- Butter lettuce or romaine leaves
- Cooked rice
- Kimchi
- Sesame seeds
- Extra gochujang or ssamjang, optional
Method
1. Prepare the marinade
In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, bulgogi marinade, sesame oil, gochujang, sugar, garlic and grated ginger.
Mix well.
2. Marinate the beef
Add the sliced beef, onion and spring onion to the marinade.
Toss thoroughly until the beef is evenly coated.
Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
For deeper flavour, marinate for up to overnight in the refrigerator.
3. Cook the bulgogi
Heat a large frying pan or grill over high heat.
Cook the beef in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
Cook until the beef is caramelised and just cooked through.
4. Prepare the wraps
Warm the cooked rice.
Separate and wash the lettuce leaves, keeping them whole so they can be used as wraps.
Prepare the kimchi and sesame seeds.
5. Assemble the lettuce wraps
Place a spoonful of rice into each lettuce leaf.
Top with the cooked bulgogi beef and kimchi.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Add extra gochujang or ssamjang for more heat, if desired.
6. Serve
Serve the lettuce wraps immediately while the beef and rice are warm.
