Name: Spicy Korean Pork Bulgogi
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 cup Korean gochujang; 1/2 cup soy sauce; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 1/4 cup Japanese rice wine; 1/4 cup sesame oil; 1/4 cup honey; 1 teaspoon chili flakes (or to taste); 2 cloves garlic, (minced); 4 pounds pork butt, (thinly sliced); 2 sweet or Maui onions, (thickly sliced); 6 green onions, (chopped); 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds

Traditionally made with beef, this spicy Korean Bulgogi is thinly sliced pork that is marinated and quickly grilled. The meat goes great with steamed rice, pasta, noodles, or as a gyro, burrito, or taco wrapped in lettuce leaves. The sauce is a mixture of sweet, spicy, and salty and the meat gets a hint of smokiness from the grill.

It is important to use tender cuts of pork for this recipe and to slice them as thin as possible. To make slicing easier, you can freeze pieces of pork or beef for an hour or two, to help them firm up but not completely freeze through. The meat should be frozen enough that your knife can effortlessly make thin slices.

Korean Gochujang sauce is a fermented chili paste. It is spicy, salty, and pungent with a touch of sweetness. If you can’t find gochujang at your local market, you can substitute it with other hot sauces or even tomato paste.

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Slices of thinly sliced and marinated pork on a wire rack above hot coals.

Lay the thin slices of pork over the hot side of the grill to initially char, then move them to the cool side to finish cooking without burning.

A black bowl holds grilled bulgogi garnished with sliced green onions and white sesame seeds.

You can eat the grilled bulgogi as is, with green onions and sesame seeds, or serve it alongside rice or tucked into lettuce leaves.

A close up of thinly sliced grilled pork that is red in color from the marinade and with char marks.

The spicy marinade gives the bulgogi a distintinctive orange-red color.

A skillet holds a pile of red bulgogi on top of a wire rack.

Once the pork is cooked to your liking, move it to a skillet or foil pan to keep warm while finishing the remaining meat.

Spicy Korean Pork Bulgogi Recipe

Harry Soo

reviews

This recipe is sponsored by Slap Yo’ Daddy.

Traditionally made with beef, this spicy Korean Bulgogi is thinly sliced pork that is marinated and quickly grilled.

Print Review

Preparation 20

Cook 15

Ready in 35

Servings

CourseMain Dish

InfluenceAsian

DifficultySeasoned

MethodGrill

Print Review

Ingredients

Pork Marinade

1 cup Korean gochujang
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Japanese rice wine
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon chili flakes or to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 pounds pork butt, thinly sliced

To Cook

2 sweet or Maui onions, thickly sliced

To Serve

6 green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon white sesame seeds

Equipment

grill
2-gallon ziplock bag

Directions

Pork Marinade

Combine the gochujang, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice wine, oil, honey, chili flakes, and garlic in a mixing bowl and then pour into a 2-gallon ziploc bag.
Add the sliced pork and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

To Cook

Light one full charcoal chimney with briquettes.
Once the briquettes are gray, dump them into a 22-inch (56cm) kettle style BBQ on one half of the pit. Leave the other half as a cool zone.
Close the lid and wait for the pit to warm up.
Remove the pork from the ziploc bag and discard the marinade.
Start grilling the pork when the grill is medium-hot, where you can place your palm about 6 inches (15cm) above the hot coals for 2 seconds.
Cook the pork on the grill, ensuring you do not burn the pieces. When they are starting to brown, move them to the cooler side of your grates. Put the cooked meat in a saucepan or foil pan to keep warm while you cook the pork in batches.

To Serve

Garnish the pork with the chopped green onions and white sesame seeds.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 447kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 58gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 181mgSodium: 245mgPotassium: 1204mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 220IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 80mgIron: 4mg