When the weather gets chilly, we all start craving something warm and comforting!
So today, I’m sharing my recipe for traditional Korean bulgogi-jeongol (bulgogi stew), made by cooking tender bulgogi in savory broth with plenty of mushrooms, vegetables, and tofu.
I mentioned the dish name as “bulgogi stew” or “bulgogi-jeongol” but actually there’s a difference between a stew and a jeongol in Korean cuisine. A stew (jjigae) is made by putting all the ingredients into a pot, boiling it fully in the kitchen, and then serving it at the table like kimchi jjigae or doenjang jjigae.
Jeongol (pronounced jeon-gohl), on the other hand, is prepared by arranging the ingredients beautifully in a shallow pot, adding broth, and bringing the whole pot to the table to cook and share together. Because it’s cooked right at the table, it looks more visually appealing.
To make it easier and faster, I made this serves 2 people. Of course, if you want to make a larger portion, just double or triple the recipe. Enjoy!
Ingredients
For bulgogi
- 8 ounces beef tenderloin, sliced very thinly
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
For vegetables, mushrooms, and tofu
- 4 leaves of napa cabbage, cut into bite size pieces
- 8-12 assorted mushrooms, sliced
- 1 small carrot, sliced thinly
- 7-8 green onion, cut into 3 inch long
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce (or salt to your taste)
- 2½ cups to 3 cups chicken or beef broth, or homemade anchovy kelp stock
- A fistful of chrysanthemum greens
- Eggs, optional
Description
Marinate sliced beef:
- In a medium bowl, combine beef, soy sauce, garlic, sugar, black pepper, sesame oil, and 2 tablespoons water.
- Mix well by hand and set aside.
Arrange the ingredients:
- In a shallow pot, place the cabbage in the center, then arrange all the vegetables, mushrooms, and tofu nicely around the pot. Put the marinated bulgogi on top in the center.
- Pour in 2½ to 3 cups of chicken broth and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat with the lid off for about 7 minutes. (If you want to cook it right at the table, set a portable butane burner on the table and boil it there.)
Finish it off
- Use tongs to spread out the bulgogi so it cooks evenly. Season with fish sauce, cover, and cook for about 2 minutes.
(If you’d like to add eggs, crack one or two over top and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.)
- Remove the lid, add the chrysanthemum greens in the center, turn off the heat, and serve immediately.
Buy this recipe's ingredients online
I really like Weee! they deliver quality packaged and fresh Korean ingredients to the continental USA. Cheaper and better than Amazon! Check them out!
vita_chan
yes, you can skip pear. Yes, sliced beef is good! You can make bulgogi easily. Let me know how it turns out if you make it. Thanks!
Maangchi,
can i skip the pear?????
and can i use the already slices meat????
(sorry…i’ve never cook,so i’m about to try it now)
XD
Marcella,
Congratulation on your successful bulgogi making!
sweet pancake sold on the street in Korea? I think it’s hoddeok. Yes, I am going to post the video recipe someday. Thank you!
Hi Maangchi!
I made some bulgogi for a grilling party last night. Everyone loved it and craved for more. Thank you for such a great video and recipe!
When I went to Korea last time, I tried this sweet street side pancake that has cinammon spices inside, do you happen to have the recipe? Thanks for your help!
Lee Sue,
I bought it at Williams-Sonoma.
I don’t know its size is the same as mine though.
http://www.amazon.com/Calphalon-Infused-Anodized-12-Inch-Flat-Bottom/dp/B000162NXK/ref=sr_1_38?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1231763749&sr=1-38
Hi Maangchi,
I was wondering about your pan that you used in this video, and where I could get a pan like it and the cooking dome (lid). It looks kind of like a smaller version of the Spanish paella pan. Also, I love your easy to follow recipes/videos. Thank you for your teaching. :O)
Flux Capacitor,
haha,no it sounds like you are already sober.
yeah, I heard that some people use pop soda in bulgogi marinade, but I have never tried it. As I know, crushed pear acts as a tenderizer.
Hi, During a conversation about bulgogi (or kalbi–I was heavily intoxicated at the time so I’m not sure what we were talking about really) it was said that a common secret ingredient in the marinade is a little Sprite soda.
Have you heard of this, or tried this? Or was I just drunk?
Korean food lover!
Happy New Year! You made the first comment in 2009!
Thank you very much!!!
Maangchi…Your food is the bomb! My entire family & myself fell in love with Korean food when first introduced in 2001. Since then, we try to visit the most popular and affordable Korean restaurants when visiting new cities. Unfortunately, we (Stockton, CA) currently do not have any Korean restaurants as of yet. In the past, I have made attempts to making my own “version” of Korean food based on guessing the ingredients. Also, I purchased a Korean cookbook, but it seemed very intimidating that I never tried cooking 1 recipe. But, after discovering your website (about 1 week ago), you have demonstrated how easy it really is. In fact, after reviewing your videos, I have made the kimchi; tofu soup; and korean pancakes all in one evening!!! It was a success! I wanted to drop you this message because I am sooooooo grateful to you! Thank you for sharing your knowledge of Korean cooking to the world!
One of your biggest cooking admires,
“The Bok Choy & Fish Sauce family”
Judy,
Your exchange student is lucky to have a homestay mom like you! Your homemade Korean food will help the student forget about homesickness.
I have a young Korean exchange student living with us and I have been trying to find a way to learn how to cook for her so she does not feel too homesick. I found your site to be very informative and with your videos it was very easy to understand and follow. I know it will still not be her mothers but at least maybe I can get close with your help..:D Thank you for making the videos for us who have a very hard time cooking anything other than American food…:D I am trying the Bulgogi tomorrow night for her. Thanks again
Judy
foodie,
Sorry, I don’t know much about the cubes for broth because I have never used it.
Hi Maangchi,
i can’t find a can of beef broth….if im going to use the broth in cubes how many cups of water is that equivalent to your 1 can of beef broth?thnak you so much!! i want to cook this for lunch tom…so i can surprise my mom..thank you so much!!!
Hi Maangchi,
I tried the bulgogi junggol with tenderloin beef and it turns out great! I omitted sugar cos my brother-in-law has high tryglycerine but the sweetness from pear really came out. It’s very tasty, I love the natural sweetness! My husband says it is a very healthy and delicious bulgogi. I am happy! :)
One question though is I can’t seem to get the meat color right. Mine is light brown as it is a cooked meat, but I thought bulgogi is supposed to be dark-brown in color. I marinade for 3 hrs. It also look a bit like sukiyaki, did i put too much water? I am sorry I didnt take a picture of it, but the taste is really tasty! We love it!
Phoenix from Bandung, Indonesia.
Jake Gentry,
I don’t know! : ) Cook it now!
Hey Maangchi! I left my meat sitting in the marinade for over 12 hours and I can’t tell that it has absored any of it! :( What could be wrong?
Gin,
Yes, marinate the meat in the refrigerator.
Hi Maangchi,
You put the meat to marinate in the freezer, not the regular fridge? Thank you love all of your videos :)
Jake Gentry,
Check out a gas burner and bbp grill plate in my kitchenware section. You can use it indoor to cook your meat.
https://www.maangchi.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/grillplate.jpg
Hey Maangchi! I am wanting to cook just the Bulgogi meat. What do you consider the best cookware for indoor cooking? What should I buy? An electric wok or griddle maybe? What do you use? I would need something pretty big for 2 pounds of meat wouldn’t I? Does it really make much difference what I cook it on? I really want the best results I can get. :) Thank you so much for your help! :D
Sua,
How was your bulgogi making? I hope it turned out good!
Portugalbear,
Yes, pear makes beef tender and sweet, too. Congratulation!
Liz,
Thanks a lot! You are spreading Korean cooking to all your friends! ; )
Dear Maangchi,
I made this the other and my family loved it. I took the leftovers to work and everyone wanted to know how to make it. I’ve been giving out the address to your website left and right. Thank you. :)
I tried bulgogi last weekend because i found korean pear in the supermarket. it tasted so good. the juice from the pear made the meat really tender i think.
Hi Maangchi!
Wow, this is great! My boyfriend is Korean and he introduced me to Korean food when we first met. It was so good! Since then, we’ve been eating at Korean restaurants all the time. He misses eating his mother’s food. He told me that he wish I knew how to cook Korean food. Unfortunately, I don’t know how to cook a single Korean dish, but your website helps a lot. I’m going to try and cook your bulgogi recipe this weekend and hopefully he likes it. Thanks so much for posting up these videos. I’m sure that your website has helped many people. I’m one of them!
Isabel,
I’m glad to hear about your successful cooking news!
Yes, this dish goes with kimchi. You are exactly right! : )
Hello Maangchi,
I just cooked bulgogi for dinner. I followed exactly your recipe and it was good.
My husband enjoyed our dinner. We ate bulgogi with kimchi as a side this.
Thank you again, Maangchi.
Gosia,
oh, you like to add noodles in bulgogi stew. why don’t you use the noodles for jobchae? That’s what I’m using sometime.
https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/starch-noodles
It is my favourite meal!! Can you tell me how to make it?? What kind of noodles do I need?? (the transparent ones…??) :)
Gosia,
Serving bulgogi stew with noodles in a black ceramic bowl sounds good! ; )
I love your recipes!! Korean food is addictive!! :) And bulgogi is one of my favourite dishes of all!!! How to make the other bulgogi stew, the one they serve in korean restaurants in a black ceramic bowl with some noodels??
Mariana,
For this dish, you can skip sesame oil if you can’t find it around you. Anyway check out new category “Forum” and ask your question there. You may get good answer from another person. Thank you!
Hello.
I really love korean food, but my city in Brazil is too small and we don’t have a korean market, I looked everywhere for sesame oil but I couldn’t find it. Can I replace it with some other kind of oil? If I can which kind?
Thanks.
bacio 13,
egg plant with bugogi sauce sounds wonderful. Thanks for the tip!