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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another heart warming recipe^^… tried it tonight and it goes without saying my boys luv it…it feels so great to see my little boy eat brocolli (coz he never liked it ^^,
hmmm just wonderin if you could share some recipe for little children also?
thank you very much^^,
tc ^^
thanks for the wonderful recipe! Luckily I managed to buy all the ingredients in Mexico City. Now we have a Korean cuisine in the Polish home in Mexico:)
xoxo
Kasia
I love your jongol.
I have a question. Could I put a cup of honey-powder instead of sugar?
I don’t know the answer because I have never used honey powder, but I think it will be ok. Start with 1/2 cup and if it needs to be sweeter, use more. Good luck with making delicious bulgogi stew and let me know the result! : )
Hi Maangchi,
I’ve made Bulgogi using your recipe a number of times now and am always happy with the outcome! I’m a bit mad about Korean dramas and take a lot of inspiration from them, and your site helps me a great deal in identifying foreign produce and products. Here’s my post on Bulgogi: http://www.kdramafood.com/2011/04/my-girlfriend-is-a-gumiho-bulgogi-grilled-marinated-beef/
Thanks again, Maangchi for all your amazing recipes!
-Kdrama foodie :)
awesome! Your bulgogo photo looks so yummy especially the big chunks of white mushrooms!
I just made this for the family dinner tonight and was amazed by how easy this was to make. I marinated the meat yesterday night so it was ready to go for tonight. What impresses me about your recipes is that they are so very tasty, and you do NOT use MSG – my husband gets sick from MSG. Thanks for teaching us the tricks that lead to naturally tasty food!!
I’m glad to hear about your successful Korean cooking! Cheers!
The Bulgogi that I made turn really good.. so yummy.. thanks for the recipe..
Hello! What kind of ‘cooking wine’ do you mean in this recipe please? I am out of ‘store bought’ sauce for my bul go gi and want to make sure I use the proper ingredients!
Here’s a suggestion, can you please list substitutions for ingredients-if they’re not available? example, if you’re out of honey-can you use more sugar?
I made YooHae the other night! OMG Fabulous!!!! Thank you so much for this site! We love Korean food but the restuarants araound the DC area are very expensive! Now I can make things myself, with your expert assistance!!!
You Go Girl!!! :)
You can use any type of wine or skip it. I’m glad to hear that your yukhoe (korean style beef tartare) turned out delicious.
https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/yukhoe
Hi there
I liked your video of making this dish. You make Korean recipes very easy for people to follow. I do make Bulgogi & the stew often but a little different way than you do. I like how you made a big batch just like my mother used to make, although she use anchovy stock instead of water. The dish brings the memory of my childhood dinner table…
Thanks for sharing. Keep up the good work!
That’s true. Certain food reminds us of good memories. My mom still think about me when she eats my favorite food.
Maangchi, would this taste good for leftovers? This recipe makes more than our family would eat in one meal, but I would still like to try it!
yes, simply reheat it and enjoy it.
hi maangchi!
If I would to use chicken instead with this recipe, what type of chicken: thigh or breast?
I would use chicken breast. Slice it thinly and use it in this stew.
I just tried this korean bulgogi stew tonight for dinner , it happened to be in the 60’s outside , so this stew is perfect meal for us . Very delicious !! Thanks Maangchi !
“Very delicious!” I’m very glad to hear that! : )
Hello, I can’t find any Asian pears so what can I replace it with?
Bosc pears work well. Check my Korea bbq video. I mentioned it in the video. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosc_Pear
The marinade for LA galbi can be used for bulgogi.
https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/la-galbi
Hi Maangchi! I have tried some of your recipes and they have all turned out delicious! Everyone loves them <3 I am a pesce-vegetarian (vegetarian that eats fish) but I wanted to try to make this bulgogi jungol for my boyfriend sometime soon. He really likes korean food but he doesnt like spicy food, so do you think I should leave out the green chili pepper? Thank you!
Thank you very much! I’m glad to hear that your Korean cooking goes well! : ) Yes, you can skip green chili pepper. It will still be delicious.
Hello Maangchi~
Just found your website and I have been cooking up a storm!
I made the bulgogi jungol with clear noodles for dinner and it came out fantastic!
Living in Southern California, there is no shortage of Korean restaurants or markets, but I feel the homemade taste beats them all!
Thanks again!
awesome! Welcome to my website and Happy Cooking!
I made three of your recipes today…bulgogi, mak kimchi and samgak kimbap. What a day, but well worth it. Every recipe was great!!! Thanks for work you do, can’t wait to try LA galbi.
Wow, what a feast! You are a hard worker!
I love the bulgogi stew after I’ve tried the chicken bulgogi stew in one of the korean stall here. And I’m glad that to find your recipe here. But I am allergic to beef, can I use pork and chicken to replace beef? May I know which part of the pig and chicken should I use?
Thank you
I think chicken works well with this recipe.
Hi Maangchi, I put your blog link in my site http://yukiashiato.blogspot.com :)
Really love your site and the food!
Thank you very much! You have a nice and informative blog!
This dish is great. I’m from Toronto and used to live on bloor street near spadina. I used to eat sogogi gookbap at a restaurant called Seoul. This is just like that. They put ass noodles in theirs but I really like this dish. I put cabbage and 1 spoon of red chilli flakes in it too. It’s one of my favourite foods.
Now I live in Italy and my Italian husband has never eaten Korean food. Korean ingrdients are hard to find here and I have to make my own dishes from scratch. I use the recipes here a lot and it’ really a blessing caue I love Korean and Japanese food. Maangchi, you’re great. My husband enjoys the food I make so much and everything is great. Thanks so much for this. I will be n Toronto at the end of July and I hae to buy a lot of ingredients from Korean Town. I can’t wait.
u used to live near bloor street near spadina! I I miss Toronto! That’s where I walked around when I went to China town or Korea town! : )
Nice meeting you through my website!
Hi,
I want to have korean glass noodle in the bulgogi stew as well. Should it be cooked and rinsed under cold water before i add it to the stew? Or do i just add it in the stew with all the ingredients when its dry and uncooked?
Yes, I recommend adding the cooked noodles to your stew.
Hi Maangchi
Can you write down the name of the beef broth in Korean? I can’t see the can very well in the video. I live in Korea and would like to find it in the supermarket. Thanks!
If you can’t find a can of beef broth or chicken broth, skip it. Use water instead. It will still be delicious!
Hi Maangchi,
I made your bulgogi jungol last night and it was delicious!! I just ate some left overs for lunch!
Next time I make it, and I definitely will, I think I’ll halve the amount of sugar in the marinade, I think that would suit my taste (and maybe Australian tastes) better.
I love your videos so much! They have inspired me to start learning Korean! Bulgogi nun masshisouyo!
Zoe,
I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed the bulgogi stew you made! Thank you for your update!
Hi Maangchi,
I’m so glad that i’ve found your website because I love korean foods. I made bulgogi for my husband and kids and bulgogi stew for me and it was good. Thanks for the recipe. Keep up the good work. Have a nice and great weekend!
Thank you! You, too!
Hi, can you tell me how many people the recipe you are showing in your video serves? I want to make this for six people. Everyone is contributing something to the meal, so there will be quite a bit of other food. What do you suggest? Thanks! I just discovered this website and am excited about it! Your music choices are delightful!
It’s for 4-6 servings. Perfect amount for your 6 person’s party!
Thank you for this brilliant website, I have a friend who is a Korean adoptee now living in London, she has been back to Korea and loves the food, I am making the Bulgogi Jongol for a suprise for her.
I’ve made a trial run and really enjoyed doing the recipe, it tastes amazing, also it’s brilliant that your site also has pictures of all the ingredients and a section where to get the ingredients.
I plan on making kimchi and bibimbap next.
Thanks again Maangchi
Let me know how your bibimbap turns out. Thank you!
Hi Maangchi! My mouth just waters when I watch the video of the Bulgogi stew so I decided to make it tomorrow along with bean sprout side dishs, green onion salad, and maybe kimchi fried rice! Hope my stew turns out as good as yours looks!! I was wondering is it ok to skip the tofu and noodles? My kids don’t care for tofu and I don’t have any noodles available.
sorry about the late reply. yes, you can skip tofu and noodles.
Hi Maangchi,
just wanted to tell you how much we enjoy watching you cook… Your recipes are delicious and unique. Thank you!!
thanks a lot!
Hey Mangchi, is there a substitute for the beef broth? I’m trying to avoid msg =P
If you don’t like to use a can of beef broth, make your own beef broth or skip it. Use just water.
Hi Maangchi,
For the can of beef broth, how many mL is it? This is because instead of a can of beef broth, I bought a box of it which is 2L. How much of it should I add if I want to cook the same amount as you did.
Thank you and I am loving all of your recipes! Keep up the good work!
How about using 1 cup of broth and cup of water? Check the taste and add more broth or water according to your taste.
Using 1 cup of each worked well! It was delicious! Thank you!
Thank you for your update! I will let my other readers know about it if they ask me the same question.
can i skip cooking wine/mirin?..
or do u have any suggestion?as long it doesn’t contain alcohol
thx
yes, you can skip it.
and how bout an apple, if I don’t have a pear?
pear is better, but if you don’t have it, apple will be ok. No,you can use ginger, too.
is adding ginger to bulgogi sauce faux paux?ie, do you ever?
Last week I had a Bulgogi in a hotpot dish, there were sweet potato noodles at the bottom.
I’d like to cook it with the noodles, when can I add it in?
You can add the starch noodles when the stew starts boiling.
Hello Maangchi!
I made korean bbq this sturday it was a SUCCESS!! so delicious! I made the bulgogi of course, and the kimchi i made thursday, also bean sprout side dish and potato side dish! so delicious.
Then sunday, for diner i made a “saute” with the rest of the beef, and after that kimchi bokeumbap , like you did. You know what was amazing? i always wanted my bf to eat kimchi cuz its so healthy but he doesnt like the taste. But he really like kimchi bokeumbap i think he will get used to kimchi taste then eat REAL kimchi haha.
Thank you so much you dishes are amazinngggg. YOU are amazing ^^
Next stop…. JAJANG!
wow, good news! It sounds like you are very busy cooking Korean dishes these days.
Hi Maangi. I thought bulgogi was Beef with Noodles? One time a korean student brought some food to school and we all liked it. She said it’s called BUlgogi.
Bulgogi is actually Korean style barbecued or roasted beef. I am showing how to make bulgogi stew using marinated beef in the video.
Hi Maangchi,
Can i use pork or chicken for this recipe?
Thank you.
I think chicken can be replaced, but not pork.
I love how u cook. but I just wanna comment on one thing. I think it’s not proper to scoop again the spoon that u put in your mouth.
I hope u won’t take it personally. :)
heh, did I double dip? I don’t think so!
Anyway, thank you for your comment because I also think people may think I don’t wash my cutting board and my hands, and double dipping. I can’t show all the process of cooking in the less than 10 minutes video. I’m editing my video and skip showing lots of cooking process. Trust me!
just to let you know.. Korean ppl dont use serving spoon, they just dig in! So… even IF maangchi double dip thats perfectly normal since normally there wont be a serving spoon anyways. Cultural difference lol.
Maangchi, I LOVE YOUR WEBSITE!!! You’ve taught me soooo many things! Your soondubu recipe is the best and my bf loves it too! (he’s korean)
Thank you so much =D
yeah maangchi.. never mind them.. a good cook always knows what to and not to do.. i’m sure you don’t double dip.. ;)
and yeah your website is cool..!! btw, i finally can enjoy my kimchi after 3rd time trying.. LOL.. sarang hae maangchiii… gamsa hamnidaaaa!!!
Love your website, thanks so much for sharing!! About double dipping, I think that is such a silly comment. You are cooking in your home and not in a restaurant so you can triple dip all you want. Especially since you are so generous to share with us your recipes!
Sometimes I scoop after I put it in my mouth, but that is only when I make something for me and my girlfriend, lol.