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.
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i will try to make triangle kimbap with bulgogi :) maybe this will taste good
i love your recipes <3
yes, it sounds good!
hi maangchi, so i want to make bulgogi tmrw but i’m a student living in an apartment with a poorly furnished kitchen, since i don’t have a grill, is there a way to make the bulgogi on the stovetop or in the oven?
Use a fry pan if you use stove top. If you like to use your oven, broil it instead of baking.
Just marinated the beef. In a few more hours I’ll make the entire soup. My mouth won’t stop watering! I grew up eating homemade Bulgogi and I can’t wait to see how mine (yours) turns out. I didn’t have any sesame seeds though :(.
Thanks so much for this awesome website! You are a great success!
Matt
Skipping sesame seeds is ok!
I hope your bulgogi turned out very delicious!
Hi Maangchi,
Thanks for great recipe. I cook Bulgoki follow your recipe few times already, at first I’m successful right away, it taste so good, smell so good, we really enjoy it. I don’t have to miss Korean restaurant too much since I can cook this at home. I’m now do bigger batch marinate beef, separate in Ziplock bag and put in freezer, and thaw when ever we want to cook, it realy save time (I don’t have much time to eat out), we are very happy with this recipe.
Thanks for great recipe ;)
yeah, homemade food is the best! Next time, make charcoal BBQ with the marinated bulgogi. You will looove it! : )
Hi Maangchi,
Thanks for the great recipe – I used the marinade to make short ribs. It was very tasty and easy – we may never pay high prices at a Korean restaurant again! I used pear juice and onion powder and it still turned out great.
I have a problem maybe you can help me with. I bought sliced short ribs at a popular large Korean market and there were many bone fragments in the meat. It tasted so good but we had to stop eating because there were so many bone bits it was hard to chew, probably from a bad meat slicer. Have you encountered this, and do you have any tips to help?
Thanks and keep up the great recipes! I always check your site when I’m in the mood for Korean food.
Rinse the short ribs in cold water to remove the bone fragments and blood before marinating. Thank you!
Oh thank you i will ue chicken for Bulgogi
Have You ever tried Indian Cuisine it have delecious lamb dishes;)
Gam Sam Ni Da
hi maangchi
because of some relegion reasons i can’t eat BEEF Can I Use Lamb OR Chicken
i’ve seen almost all of your videos i think you never used Lamb
in Future Are Going To use Lamb Someday ?
If Its Possible Please Show Any Recipe Using Lamb :)
THANKS
I am kinda embarrassed to confess this! I have never had lamb meat! I should try it. ; )
Use chicken for this bulgogi recipe.
me & my boyfriend eat it in dinner we liked it a lot you are a person with brain beauty and talent even
We Also Had Good Sex After Good Dinner :)
oops! just talk about the food. No need to talk about “s..”! : )
LOL that is nice
Hi Maangchi
With the BBQ beef, can I freeze the marinated beef or the marinade? thank you
I usually freeze leftover marinated beef and thaw it out in the refrigerator before use. You could freeze marinade and use it whenever you need.
Hi Maangchi
These videos are awesome and the food looks really good, korean food is one of my favorites:) I just have a question about bulgogi. One time when I ordered BBQ bulgogi from a restaurant, I ordered a special kind which used pork instead of beef and also had a spicy red sauce on top of it which added to the flavor. It kind of looked like the spicy pepper sauce used in making yukgaejang soup (such as in your video) but maybe more mild. I don’t know, I was wondering what you thought of this because I haven’t been able to find this dish anywhere and it is soooo goood!
Much thanks
oh, it’s pork bbq. The marinade is made with hot pepper paste, garlic, soy sauce, cooking wine, ginger, corn syrup or sugar… Some people use coke or sprite in the marinade. I’m planning to post the recipe someday, too.
Thanks,
Hi Manngchi,
Do you have to cover the bowl when you refrigerate the bbq beef?
Yes, you should, I guess
Thank you for your request! I usually buy patbingsoo at a Korean bakery store, but used to make it for my children long time ago. To make it, I need an ice shaver. Let’s see. I will keep your request in mind. Someday I will post it!
hi!..i like your videos on youtube!..and i always watch it!..can i request something?..how do you make a patbingso?..thanks!.
Hello Maangchi! i love your recipes!
i have a quick question about this one:
did you use firm tofu for recipe?
Hi, I prefer soft tofu for this recipe. Thanks!
Dear maangchi,
i am a filipino and i love eating korean dishes,
i was searching the web on how to cook korean dishes and i came across your website. your instructions are very easy to follow and informative. i think you are a great cook even if i haven’t met you yet.
from cee
cee,
Thank you very much for the nice message!
Hello, Maangchi! I was so excited to make this recipe that I threw everything together pretty quickly about 8hrs ago and just realized now that I forgot to add the water. I did everything else exactly as you said. Do you think I will still be okay? I hope so. I am cooking it tomorrow. Please let me know. I love all your videos by the way and thank you so much for sharing all of these delicious recipes! You are awesome!
Eileen
Yes, it will still be delicious!
rona,
yes, they are! soegogi means beef in Korean.
Hi! is bulgogi jungol and sugogi jungol are the same way to cook? i had sugogi jungol this lunch while i`m on my way to work I really like the taste it was so delicious, I want to know how to make it.. can you help me maangchi? please……….
Kim,
crushed pear tenderizes bulgogi meat. But if you don’t have pear, it will be ok to skip. It doesn’t matter if you pick good quality of beef such as sirloin.
Maangchi- Thanks so much for the recipes. I love them and have made black bean noodle, rice cake soup and many others. But I have a question on the bulgogi- why does this recipe have a pear in it, but the one for bulgogi and kimchi fried rice doesn’t? Does it matter? Thanks!
iteratewench,
lol, food purists!
no, you must be a very creative person when it comes to food! why not? : )
There are few things in life yummier than a big bowl of bulgogi. But I am an American, and as an American I am pathologically incapable of leaving well enough alone when it comes to food. So I went and put a big slice of sandwich cheese on top of my bulgogi and let it melt on, and it was delicious.
Sorry, food purists. I know I’m a heathen and I’m going to hell. But it was yummy in my tummy.
anni,
yes, brown sugar is even better!
can i use brown sugar??
Patt,
sure, Yukhoe (raw beef dish) is delicious! I’m going to post the recipe someday!
Kimchi made with raw squid? Use fresh raw squid in your kimchi paste instead of raw oysters. Thank you!
My korean grandmother used to make yukhoe when i was little and has long since passed away I have been looking all over for a yukhoe recipe, if you do post one can you email me, i am very eager to try to make this delicious dish.
sure, my yukhoe (raw beef with seasoning) recipe will be posted someday. Thank you for the request!
Here is a picture of the squid kimchi http://gb.123rf.com/photo_3404075.html
Can I have the recipes for the raw beef salad (I think it is called Yukhoe) and also kimchi made with raw squid? I had these dishes when I was in Seoul some years ago but it seems that these dishes are very difficult to find outside of Korea. Thank you very much! ^^
Thank you so much! I made the jungol and it came out pretty well!
Natasha,
$17.00 dollar is expensive! Get a good quality of tender beef to make very delicious bulgogi. Thank you!
Hi there! Bulgogi and bulgogi stew have became the regulars at our home. I have been cooking bulgogi stew for the last year and it always comes out great! We discovered this dish a few years ago at our favor.korean restaurant where we paid $17.00 for a small portion of bulgogi…Now we have even better bulgogi at home and almost for free!! Cant tell you how much I appreciate your kindness in sharing these wonderful receipies with us, your patience and promotion of the korean food. keep doing it! Best wishes!
anonymous,
Royal gala apple sounds good! : )
hi maangchi :)
i really enjoy your site and trying out your different recipes.
just had one quick question about this one:
can you substitute apples for the asian pear? if so, is there any in particular that you’d suggest? i have some GALA apples on hand and was wondering if that’s ok to use to tenderize the meat.
Hi Maangchi,
I love your site and all your effort (also the camera-person!!)
I made Bulgogi Jungol last night with a side dish of Mandu and we had unexpected visitors, fortunately i made enough! They was really impressed and liked it a lot!
Thanx from Rotterdam
Grace7073,
you can use any kinds of pear in bulgogi marinade
Check the ingredient section on my website
https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/enoki-mushrooms
Also I forgot to ask what are the thin white mushrooms called?
Thank you I will tell you after I try it how it was !
In Japan those mushrooms are called Enoki.
Hello Maangchi :)
I just found your website via youtube and im am SOOO excited I love the recipes you have, and the time and effort you put into it, its lovely to see the dedication!!!
Im so excited to try your recipes. I’ve never tried Korean but you make it look so delicious!
Tomorrow night im planning to make Bulgogi Stew, for I was wondering because its difficult to find Asian Pear can I use the pear they have in the big supermarkets, or will that make it taste wierd, or should I just not put it at all. What do you think?
Also the rice you served with it,which kind was it?
Thank you
I think you can use regular pear. Any pear should be fine since it will help tenderize the meat.
That’s right! I use any type of pear when I don’t have a Korean pear.