Today’s recipe is bibimbap, a super-popular Korean dish you might have heard about already! It’s made of a bowl of rice, sautéed and seasoned vegetables (namul: 나물), a bit of hot pepper paste (gochujang: 고추장), and usually a bit of seasoned raw beef, too (yukhoe: 육회).
Bibim (비빔) translates as “mixed,” and bap (밥) means “cooked rice,” so bibimbap literally means “mixed rice.” Before eating it you’re supposed to mix everything all together.
There are many variations on this dish, from simple to elaborate, and this recipe I’m showing you today is for one you could consider “classic” bibimbap. If you ordered bibimbap in a Korean restaurant, you would probably get something like this dish, with regional variations. I’m also going to show you bibimbap prepared and served in a heated stone or earthenware bowl called dolsot-bibimbap (돌솥비빔밥). “Dolsot” means “stone pot” in Korean, and this version is well-known for the way the bowl makes a layer of crispy, crackling rice on the bottom of the bibimbap.
Even though we mix up bibimbap before we eat it, each ingredient needs to be prepared with care and individuality, bringing out their unique flavors, textures and colors so they come together beautifully in the bowl and deliciously in your mouth. The different ingredients aren’t random, they’re chosen because they balance, harmonize, and offset each other.
This recipe isn’t quick and easy, it takes some time to make. But if you’re really in a rush you can make a great bibimbap with the soybean sprouts, spinach, and carrot (or red bell pepper, or both), and gochujang, toasted sesame oil, and an egg— those items are unskippable!
I’m going to share some more bibimbap recipes on my website in the future, and you’ll see how many different variations there are. This version is a little different than the version in my cookbook, because I make a quick and simple soup with the bean sprouts. When I started my YouTube channel, bibimbap was one of the first recipes I made, because it’s such an essential dish in Korean cuisine. So I’m happy to remake the video now in HD with much better editing and instruction. I’ve been building up to this video by remaking videos for the ingredients, too. I remade yukhoe, and sigeumchi-namul, and my yukagaejang video has a lot of detail about preparing the mountain vegetable fernbrake.
So if you’ve been following my videos, you’re now ready to be a bibimbap master! Ready? Let’s start!
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 5 cups cooked short-grain rice
- 12 ounces soy bean sprouts, washed and drained
- 8 ounces of spinach blanched and washed with the excess water squeezed out by hand
- 1 large carrot
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1 large zucchini
- 1 English cucumber
- 3 to 4 green onions, chopped
- ½ pound fresh lean cut of beef (fillet mignon, flank steak)
- 4 ounces fernbrake (gosari), fresh or soaked from ½ ounce dried gosari (details below)
- 1 ounce dried bellflower roots (doraji), soaked in cold water for 18 to 24 hours.
- 4 eggs
- kosher salt
- vegetable oil
- toasted sesame oil
- toasted sesame seeds
- garlic
- soy sauce
- honey (or sugar)
- Korean hot pepper paste (gochujang)
How to prepare dried fernbrake (gosari) for use
If you have presoaked or fresh fernbrake you can use it straight away, but if you have dried fernbrake you’ll need to get it ready to eat. It’s fast if you have a pressure cooker, but if you don’t it will take some time.
With a pressure cooker:
- Wash ½ ounce of dried gosari and boil it with 5 cups of water in a pressure cooker for 30 minutes.
- Drain and rinse in cold water a couple of times.
- Drain. It should make 4 ounces.
In a pot on the stove:
- In a large saucepan add ½ ounce of dried gosari to 7 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for 30 minutes. Cover and let stand until cool, about 2 to 3 hours.
- Rinse the fernbrake a couple of times, drain and put in a bowl. Cover with fresh cold water and let soak for at least 8 hours or overnight in a cool place, changing the water 2 or 3 times during the soaking.
- Taste the gosari: It should be soft. If it’s tough, boil it again in a fresh pot of water for about 20 minutes and then let it sit, covered, until soft.
- Drain. It should make 4 ounces.
Make rice
If you have a usual method for making rice or have a rice cooker, go ahead and make 5 cups of rice like you usually do. But here’s how I do it on a pot on the stove. 2 cups of dried rice makes about 5 cups of cooked rice.
- Rinse 2 cups of rice in cold water and scrub the wet rice with your hand. Rinse and drain until the drained water is pretty clear.
- Put the rice in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add 2 cups of water, cover, and soak for 30 minutes.
- Cook over medium high heat for 7 to 8 minutes until the surface is covered with abundant bubbles that are spluttering noisily and look like they’re about to overflow the pot. Turn the rice over a few times with a spoon and cover the pot again.
- Turn the heat to very low and simmer for another 10 minutes until the rice is fully cooked and fluffy. Remove from the heat.
- Fluff the rice with a spoon to release excess steam. Let the rice stand, covered, at room temperature to keep it warm.
Prepare and cook the ingredients for bibimbap
I like to get a big platter and then put each vegetable on it as they’re ready. I think it looks really pretty, but you don’t have to do this. When all vegetables are prepared and ready to use, the platter looks pretty delicious!
Soybean sprouts:
- Put the soy bean sprouts in a pot and add 4 cups water and 2 or 3 teaspoons salt. Cover and cook for 20 minutes over medium high heat. Take out the sprouts with tongs and put them into a bowl, leaving about ½ cup of sprouts in the pot with the water you used to boil them. This is the soup to serve with bibimbap later.
- In a bowl, mix the sprouts by hand with ½ teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, and 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil. Put them on the large platter.
Spinach:
- Cut up the blanched spinach a few times and put it in a bowl. Mix by hand with 1 teaspoon garlic, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon sesame seeds. Cover and put it next to the soy bean sprouts on the platter.
Other fresh vegetables:
- Cut the carrot into matchsticks, put them in a bowl, and mix with a pinch of salt. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes until sweating.
- Cut the red bell pepper into halves, deseed, and slice into strips. Put them in a bowl.
- Cut the zucchini into matchsticks and mix with ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
- Cut the cucumber into halves lengthwise and slice thinly crosswise. Mix with ¼ teaspoon kosher salt.
Beef:
- Cut the beef into matchsticks and put them in a bowl.
- Mix with 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon sesame seeds with a spoon.
- Cover and keep in the fridge until ready to use.
Mountain vegetables:
- Cut the fernbrake (gosari) a few times into bite size pieces. Set aside.
- Put the bellflower roots (doraji) in a large bowl. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons salt. Rub for a minute to wilt slightly and release some of the bitterness. Rinse them in cold water a couple of times and drain. If you find some roots are too thick, split them lengthwise. Set aside.
Let’s cook!
- Heat up a pan over medium high heat. Squeeze out excess water from the carrot. Add a few drops of cooking oil to the pan and sauté the carrot for 1 minute. Put it on the platter next to the soy bean sprouts and spinach. Clean the pan with wet paper towel or wash it.
- Heat a few drops of cooking oil in the pan and squeeze out the excess water from the cucumber. Sauté with ½ teaspoon minced garlic and a few drops of toasted sesame oil for 30 seconds. Put it on the platter. Clean the pan.
- Heat up the pan with a few drops of cooking oil. Add the red bell pepper and sprinkle a pinch of salt over top. Sauté for 30 seconds. Put it on the platter. Clean the pan.
- Heat up the pan and squeeze out excess water from the zucchini. Add a few drops of cooking oil and sauté with 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon chopped green onion, a drop of toasted sesame oil for 1 minute until slightly softened. Put it on the platter. Clean the pan.
- Heat up the pan with a few drops of cooking oil. Add the bellflower roots and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Lower the heat to medium so as not to brown them. Add 1 teaspoon minced garlic and a drop of toasted sesame oil. Stir for another minute until a little softened. Put it on the platter. Clean the pan.
- Heat up the pan. Add a few drops of cooking oil. Stir the gosari for 2 minutes until a little softened. Add ½ teaspoon of minced garlic, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, and 2 teaspoons sugar, and keep stirring for another minute. Put it on the platter.
Serve
Here are a couple of ways to serve: bibimbap in a regular, shallow bowl, and dolsot-bibimbap in a stone or earthenware bowl.
In a regular, shallow bowl
- Reheat the soybean sprout soup.
- Divide the cooked rice into 4 portions. Each portion will be a little more than 1 cup of rice.
- Put the rice in each of 4 bowls and arrange the vegetables and beef on the rice. Top with a raw egg yolk and gochujang. If you prefer your eggs and beef cooked, use a fried egg sunny side up and slightly pan-fry the beef before putting them on the top of rice.
- Sprinkle the bibimbap with the sesame seeds and drizzle with sesame oil to taste.
- Ladle the soup to a small bowl and sprinkle some chopped green onion over top.
- Serve right away with more hot pepper paste on the side, and maybe kimchi too.
Dolsot-bibimbap in a hot earthenware bowl (ttukbaegi) or hot stone bowl (dolsot)
- Reheat the soybean sprout soup.
- Put a few drops of toasted sesame oil in the bottom of each of 4 earthenware bowls. They should be big enough to hold 4 to 6 cups each.
- Divide the rice among the bowls. Arrange the vegetables and beef on the rice. Top each serving with a raw egg yolk and 1 tablespoon gochujang. If you prefer your eggs and beef cooked, use a fried egg sunny side up and slightly pan-fry the beef before putting them on the top of rice.
- Set each pot on a burner. Heat over medium high heat until you hear a ticking, crackling sound coming from the rice.
- Sprinkle the bibimbap with the sesame seeds, drizzle with sesame oil to taste.
- Ladle the soup to a small bowl and sprinkle some chopped green onion over top.
- Serve right away with more hot pepper paste on the side and maybe kimchi too.
Eat
- Gently but firmly mix everything together in the bowl with your spoon. Try not to crush the more delicate ingredients.
- Eat with your spoon.
Maangchi's Amazon picks for this recipe
It's always best to buy Korean items at your local Korean grocery store, but I know that's not always possible so I chose these products on Amazon that are good quality. See more about how these items were chosen.
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I tried super simple bibimbap last night. I’m really curious about the taste, and since I recently bought gochujang (hot pepper paste) and sesame oil, I decided to put them on my rice without having vegetables.
One word I can say – the simple bibimbap I tried was really delicious. It was slight sweet and spicy. <33 Next thing will I do is making it with veggies. Can't wait!
yes, I love simple bibimbap, too.
AAAAHHHH!!~
Mouth wateringgg food!
Thanks unnie for sharing this. I wanna try this someday but I don’t know where to find fern brakes (kosari). I’m not really sure if it’s available here in Philippines supermarket. If ever it’s not available, is it okay not to have the ingredient for Bibimbap? :))
Check this out. https://www.maangchi.com/talk/topic/where-do-you-buy-your-korean-ingredients
Make your bibimbap without kosari. It will still be delicious.
Ohh! Kamsahamnida~~ I thought kosari was one of the main ingredient of Bibimbap. :))
btw, is it okey to use cucumber instead of zucchini? :)
I love it more and more every time I make it! I think tonight was my fifth time? I should pick something new next time =)
what kind of rice do we need? we are gonna make this today at my house!
감사합니다!!!!!
short grain rice (known as sushi rice), that’s what you need. : )
Hello!
I think you had meant to write that the bean sprouts should be cooked for 2 minutes instead of 20. 20 minutes + 1 cup of water will result in burnt bean sprouts and pot! ;-)
Boiling the sprouts for 20 minutes is correct – it doesn’t burn the sprouts and they still retain some of their crunch. In my opinion it makes them a much nicer flavor and texture :)
hi maangchi.I love this recipe so much.I really want to try to do it.But gochujang is’t sold here where i live.So can i make it myself.And how?Please help.Thanks a lot
It takes months and months to make gochujang. Someday I will post a tutorial for gochujang (hot pepper paste). Check “where do you get korean ingredients” on the forum here:
https://www.maangchi.com/talk/forum/where-to-buy-korean-cooking-ingredients
Happy Cooking!
hi maangchi.i love this recipe so much.i really want to try to do it.but gochujang is’nt sold here where i live.so can i make it myself?and how?please help!thanks a lot
Where do you live? Check this forum, please.
https://www.maangchi.com/talk/forum/where-to-buy-korean-cooking-ingredients
maangchi!!!
i finally decided to leave a comment for you after making this recipe (bibimbap) tonight for dinner. i love trying out new recipes, the more authentically cultural, the better. Korean food was something of a black box to me before i found your site through youtube, and i must say, everything i have made so far is not only delicious, but so easy! i tried your kimchi and kaktugi recipe first (i was so scared but determined, because i LOVE kimchi and cant find it here) then your butternut squash porridge (hobakjuk), and now this. my husband liked the bibimbap so much he just closed his eyes and nodded happily with the first bite, lol. i can’t wait to try the next recipe!
“…my husband liked the bibimbap so much he just closed his eyes and nodded happily with the first bite, …”
funny! I’m glad to hear that! Thank you for the update!
How do you make hot peper paste? Please tell me recipe to make it.
Thank you very much. I love your recipes ^^ Please reply me soon.
I don’t have the recipe for hot pepper paste.
But I will keep it in mind.
Happy New Year!
Hi Maangchi!
Its my first time to watch your videos on your blog! You’re a good cook! I love Korean cuisine! Im a Filipino but Im based here in L.A. Im wondering, is there any alternative for Kosari just in case I couldn’t find any kosari in the market? I wanna try to cook your delicious bibimbap!
Thanks and more power!
I would love to go and visit South Korea one day!
If kosari is not available, skip it or use more mushrooms. Thank you!
I’ve eaten bibimbap here in the GTA that uses daikon instead of kosari. At least I think it’s daikon, it’s white-ish and tender with a crunch when they don’t cut them too thin.
I’ve been craving for bibimbap for some time now so I decided to make it myself. I followed your recipe and it ended up so good! Thank you, Maangchi! I have to say that I love your site! I’m not really very good in the kitchen so most of the time I watch your videos because I enjoy them but I don’t really do any cooking. I felt brave enough to try this one, though, because it looked easy enough. I’m really glad that I did!
yay! good news! You made successful bibimbap, so I think it is going to be pretty easy for you to make another dish. Happy Cooking!
That looked so delicious. How I wish I would have been able to try your cooking. I’m American, but I remember a Korean couple taking me out to a Korean restaurant in the Philippines. They ordered bimbimbap. I found you as I was looking for a recipe. Maybe I will try to make this some time.
hmm, I feel you are ready to make bibimbap soon! Let me know how your Korean cooking goes, please.
I am SO glad I found your site. I went to Seoul for the first time last month and fell in love. I’d had some Korean food before, but was really exposed to it on my visit. I can’t wait to try some of these amazing recipes. Thanks!
Just a quick update to say that I tried your recipe for bibimbap and it was absolutely delicious. It was actually really exciting to sit down and eat it – it really tasted like what we had in Seoul!
Thanks so much.
Awesome news! I’m so proud of you! Now you can make your own bibimbap anytime!
Hi Maangchi..
i’m Indonesian and my husband is Korean, i’m so lucky to found this website.. my husband really loves my food that i learn from ur website and he really apreciated ur website..in december my mother in law will come to indonesia. i can’t wait to show her my new skill, cooking Korean food. hihihi.
Thank You Maangchi…
im indonesian too. lived in usa. is there any korean market in indo? esp jakarta? i would love to know that. because i will be visiting jakarta soon. thanks. =]
Hi, please leave your question here. I hope someone else gives you the answer. https://www.maangchi.com/talk/topic/where-do-you-buy-your-korean-ingredients
Hi..i’ve made the BiBimBap and Jap Jae recipes, both of which were delicious! LUckily there is a Korean grocery store nearby so I was able to find the proper ingredients. I am going to make the BiBimBap again tonight. Thanks for the great recipes…I can’t wait to try even more!
Hi Maangchi,
I tried this Bibimbap recipe last night and posted it on my blog http://the-palate-pleaser.blogspot.com/2009/11/bibimbap with a link to your website. I had to substitute some ingredients since I didn’t have them on hand but they still turned out so yummy! Your blog will definitely be my go-to place whenever I want to try making Korean food. And I just love your video tutorials! Thank you and keep them coming… :D
Your bibimbap looks so delicious! I’m happy to hear that you impressed your mother-in-law and husband with the bibimbap! http://the-palate-pleaser.blogspot.com/2009/11/bibimbap.html
hey maangchi. i tried the bibimbap recipes and it turned out great. but i add water to the hot pepper paste coz its very thick and its very hard to mix. but it still tasted great. thanks for the recipes. =]
Dear Maangchi
nice glad to know you website, i am very glad today because i just try your recipe Bibimbap and success, all my family and my friend total lovely, just share for you this the first time i cook for my parents and is Korean food. i am really lovely anything about Korea.
thanks you very much…. :)
Good news! Thank you for your update!
This is the dish that made me very curious about korean cuisine :D
This looks SO GOOD! I only heard about bibimbap today on the epicute.com blog, I will have to try it soon! I also liked how you mentioned the vegetarian option :)
This video is cute and so are you!
Thank you, let me know how your bibimbap turns out when you make it.
hey love your blog here, check out mine and let me know what you think. cheers :)
http://3hungrytummies.blogspot.com/2009/10/bibimpap.html
do you mind i link u to my blog
Hi Maangchi,
I plan on making bibimbap for dinner one of these days but we don’t have an Asian store here in Idaho Falls so there is no way I can get a hold of kosari. What do I do?
oh, I see. Without kosari (fernbrake), it will still be fantastic taste! : ) You can use more mushrooms.
helloo maangchi say hello from mongolia me and my sister really enjoy your recipies
Thank you
Welcome! Welcome! : )
I made this last night and it’s sooo delicious!!! We have enough for leftovers tonight hehe. My husband loved it too. :) Thanks for this website! Without you I wouldn’t know where to start with Korean recipes.
Wonderful! I’m very happy to hear that!
Maangchi, thanks for your recipe… by the way do u have haemul jym recipe?
yes, someday haemuljjim recipe will be posted. Thank you very much!
Hi Maanchi!
I went to Korea for the first time a few weeks ago and I really fell in love with the culture,the people and especially the food. I’ve tried preparing spinach salad, kimpap, the eggplant, potato salad. I want to try this bibimpap but we don;t have zucchinis here in Manila. What can I use instead?
Just skip it. It will still be delicious without zucchini.
Thank you it looks really good i hope mine will turn out that way
hi maangchi, i love your site and your clips a lot! i love cooking, and korean food is so yummy!!! Thanks!!
Thank you very much!
Hi Maangchi!
I am going to make bibimbap soon, using your recipe :D Just wanted to know, does this sesame oil look ok to use? This is the only one they have on the website.
http://www.koamart.com/shop/34-1303-oil_vinegar_syrup_mayo-hot_sesame_oil_6oz.asp
Thanks,
Jonathan
no, it says hotpepper sesame oil (gochu chamkiereum). It sounds weird! Get pure sesame oil. https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/sesame-oil
annyeonghaseyo..
i just want to know if what can i substitue for gochuchang?..coz here in philippines i cant find them..kamsahamnida..
Hi Maangchi, i love korean food.Since i found your website i always cook your recipee and also i dont have to go to korean restaurant to enjoy korean food.Again thanks a lot.I really appreciate it.
yayee! You are making me happy now! Thanks a lot!
You can find hot pepper paste (gochujang) in your country.
Check this out please. https://www.maangchi.com/talk/topic/where-do-you-buy-your-korean-ingredients
If gochujang is not found where you are living, use green onion sauce by using hot pepper flakes.
“Chop 4 green onions and put them in a small bowl. Pour half cup of soy sauce in there, and add 1 tbs of sesame seeds, 2 ts of sugar, 1 tbs of sesame oil and mix it up”
You can add hot pepper flakes to the sauce if you like spicy food.
Dear Maangchi, I have a young lady from Cheonaan Republic of South Korea in my home. I have had Bibimbap at a restaurant where they served it in a very hot stone bowl. I purchased 2 of these bowls in a Korean neighborhood in Toronto Canada. How do I use the bowls in conjunction with your recipe?
You can google search “Dolsot Bibimbap” and there are a few videos of it on youtube on how to do it. It’s not that difficult.
oh, Patricia, I forgot to answer you. rv65, Thank you very much for leaving your comment here so that I can read this again.
I make dolsot bibimbap this way.
First spread some sesame oil in dolsot (stone bowl or earthenware bowl) and place some cooked rice evenly over the bottom of the dolsot. Then place all colorful ingredients on top of the rice.
Cover the dolsot and cook over medium-high heat until you hear rice crackling. Then crack an egg on top just before serving. Thank you!
I have an electric smoothtop so I must use either a portable burner or preheat it in the oven.
wow..i have wanted to make bibimbap since i saw kim sun ah ate it in ‘my lovely kim sam soon’..and that’s back in 2005..
thanks for the video maangchi..!^__^
i’m going to try it as soon as i can..
one question though..is the hot pepper paste raw? i mean, u dont need to add any salt or sugar into it before mixing it with the rice?
lol..i’m having an impression that the pepper paste doesnt taste at all except for the spiciness..
okay..my stomach’s growling now..hehe..
Yes, you can eat hot pepper paste by itself. You don’t need to add anything. It’s spicy of course : ),salty, and sweet. I hope your bibimbap turns out good! Let me know the result when you make it.
hi maangchi is its okay if i dnt put kosari coz i cnr find any here in supermarket…thank you so much
Yes, skip it. It will still be delicious!
really delicious ! i have try in home today ! =) thank you Maangchi !
i love bibimbap
(stephy from Malaysia)
Nice! It sounds like your bibimbap turned out delicious! Congratulation!