LA galbi (LA 갈비) is one of my favorite Korean barbecue dishes! Thinly sliced beef short ribs are marinated in a savory, slightly sweet sauce made with soy sauce, garlic, Korean pear, and other delicious ingredients, then grilled until the edges are caramelized and slightly charred. The meat is juicy, tender, and full of flavor. It’s perfect for a family dinner or a backyard barbecue!
Galbi means “ribs” in Korean. What makes LA galbi special is the way the beef short ribs are cut: thinly, about ¼ inch thick, across the bones. Each long strip has several small pieces of bone, so the meat cooks quickly and is easy to grill. Traditional Korean galbi is usually cut differently, with thicker pieces of meat attached to individual rib bones. Both styles use a similar delicious Korean galbi marinade.
I first tasted LA galbi many years ago when I visited my sister in Los Angeles. She made it for my family, and I loved it! But I was surprised to see the ribs cut so thinly across the bones. I had never seen galbi prepared that way before.
At the time, I didn’t think much about why it was called LA galbi. But when I wrote this recipe in 2010, I became curious and started investigating its name. I found two theories. One says “LA” comes from the word “lateral,” referring to the way the ribs are cut. The other says the name comes from Los Angeles, where Korean immigrants helped popularize this style of galbi.
Personally, I thought the Los Angeles theory sounded more likely. After all, if “LA” came from “lateral,” why isn’t there an “HO galbi” for “horizontal”? : )
I also saw cross-cut beef short ribs called flanken-cut ribs at a Mexican market, but they were much thicker than the thinly sliced ribs I was looking for. Although the cutting style was similar, they weren’t quite right for making LA galbi.
In 2009, I brought my marinated LA galbi to a BBQ picnic in the Catskills with about 20 people. To my surprise, none of them had tried Korean barbecue before! Everyone enjoyed it, and some of my friends were still talking about it long afterward. That made me so happy.
I’m still curious about who first came up with LA galbi and how it got its name. If you know anything about its history, please contact me. I’d love to hear from you!
Whether you cook LA galbi on an outdoor grill or in a frying pan, I hope you enjoy sharing it with your family and friends as much as I do!
Ingredients (for 4-6 servings)
For the galbi and marinade:
- 3½ pounds (about 1.6 kg) LA-style beef short ribs
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ⅓ cup water or cooking wine
- ¼ cup honey (or ⅓ cup brown sugar)
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 Korean pear, or 2 ripe Bosc pears, peeled and cored
- 8 garlic cloves
- 1 medium onion, cut into chunks
- 1 teaspoon peeled ginger
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
For the ssamjang dipping sauce:
- 2 tablespoons doenjang (Korean fermented soybean paste)
- 1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
- 1 green onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
For serving:
- Lettuce leaves
- Perilla leaves
- Green chili peppers, chopped
- A few garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 cucumber, cut into strips
- Carrot, if using
- Cooked rice and kimchi (optional)
Directions
Prepare the short ribs
- Trim any excess fat from the short ribs and rinse them a couple of times in cold water.
- Soak the ribs in cold water for 10 to 20 minutes to draw out excess blood.
Make marinade
- In a large bowl, combine ⅓ cup soy sauce, ⅓ cup water or cooking wine, ¼ cup honey (or ⅓ cup brown sugar), and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper.
- Blend 1 Korean pear (about 2 cups when chopped), 8 garlic cloves, 1 medium onion, and 1 teaspoon peeled ginger until smooth and creamy.
- Add the blended mixture to the soy sauce mixture. Stir in 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil.
Tip: If you can’t find a Korean pear, use 2 ripe Bosc pears instead. I sometimes use Bosc pears, and they work well!
- Rinse the short ribs a couple of times in fresh cold water to remove any remaining bone fragments. Drain well.
- Add the ribs to the marinade and mix well with your hands, making sure every piece is coated.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Overnight is even better because it gives the meat more time to absorb the flavors.
Make the ssamjang dipping sauce
See my ssamjang recipe and video fior more details
- Combine 2 tablespoons soybean paste (doenjang), 1 tablespoon hot pepper paste (gochujang), 1 chopped green onion, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds in a small bowl. Mix well.
Prepare the vegetables
- Rinse and drain the lettuce and perilla leaves. Arrange them on a serving plate or in a basket.
Cut the cucumber into sticks about 3½ to 4 inches (9 to 10 cm) long and ½ inch (1.3 cm) thick. Prepare the carrot the same way, if using.
- Chop green chili peppers and slice a few garlic cloves. Arrange them alongside the lettuce and perilla leaves.
Grill and serve!
Grill, pan-fry, or barbecue the marinated ribs until nicely browned and cooked through on both sides. Because LA galbi is thinly sliced, it cooks much faster than traditional thick-cut ribs, usually in about 5 minutes, depending on the heat and thickness.
Transfer the cooked ribs to a serving plate. Use kitchen scissors to cut the meat away from the bones into bite-sized pieces.
To make a wrap, place a piece of galbi on a lettuce leaf with a perilla leaf. Add a little ssamjang, some sliced garlic, and a piece of green chili pepper. Fold everything into a small bundle and enjoy it in one bite!
You can also serve the galbi with rice and kimchi.
Enjoy the recipe!
I cooked this Kalbi recipe + the baechu dwenjangguk recipe for my 2 sister-in-laws and they loved it! I am an American living outside of Seoul and your recipes have come to my rescue so many times! Thank you, Maangchi!
~Tina
Tina,
Welcome to Korean cooking! Kalbi and baechu dwenjangguk are go well with each other. Great menu choice!
Hello Maangchi!
These thinly-sliced beef ribs are referred to as a flanken cut and is most commonly used in Korean cooking (according to Alton Brown) but also in the UK (according to Wikipedia). I’ve never had bbq korean ribs cut any other way so I’m interested to see what other preparations there are. (I’m first generation Korean but grew up in the United States.)
Love your site!! I just discovered it a few months ago and made 11 bahnchan the first day I found it!! ELEVEN!!
I’m a food blogger but I write about things I cook from recipes I find online and in cookbooks. This summer I’ll be teaching my kids to cook from your site and blogging about it. Thanks for the great stuff you’ve put on here!
Thank you so much for the information! “This summer I’ll be teaching my kids to cook from your site ..” Update us how it goes. If you want, you can make a new topic on the forum and post some photos there! I like to see them. https://www.maangchi.com/talk/forum/general-discussion
When you cook with your children together, the good memory will stay with them forever.
About the “LA style” cut:
My theory is that the Koreans (whether in LA or HI) learned the cut from Mexican butchers. This is a cut I’ve seen in Mexican grocery stores and meat counters, and it is also a cut used in Argentinian churrascaria style restaurants. It wouldn’t surprise me if this showed up in other cultural cuisines like Portugese, which could explain the Hawaiian connection. In LA, I can see the Korean Americans seeing and using this cut. The reason I think it was called “LA Style” was that when the big wave of Korean American immigrants came to LA in the late 70s and 80s, their relatives and business contacts from Korea would visit, see this cut, and nicknamed it because that’s where they saw it. It wouldn’t surprise me if this cut made it back to Korea (I was last there in 2008, but I didn’t go to any “kalbi jib” restaurants).
I am sooooooooo glad i found your site. I love korean food!!! I am half thai and filipino and grew up in Los Angeles. I can remember eating lateral cut ribs since I was 6-7 which is more than 20 years ago. I think it is definitely an L.A. thing.
yaya I am making this tonight for dinner! Can’t wait!
cool! I see the photos of LA galbi you made on my flickr group! I will approve soon! It looks so tasty!
I bought pre-cut galbi at the Korean grocery and it turns out we use LA galbi cut here in New Zealand too! So it is LA-NZ Galbi :) I can’t wait to try this with friends. May I ask what the grill is you are using? I can’t tell in the video but it looks like it has holes in the bottom of the part that sits directly over the fire.
My friend bought it for me when we went to a Korean festival event in Toronto It was maybe $4.00? very cheap but it’s disposable. I threw it out after using it a few times. Use the broiler in your oven.
Hello Maangchi, just wanted to let you know that I really enjoy watching your videos and learning from you, and your recipes are great. Thank you so much! Karen
Cheers! Happy cooking!
Hey, I live in Toronto area, and a mother of three. I love you and your cooking. Please where did you buy your Tabletop grill. I need one.
It’s sold at a Korean grocery store. Check this out and find a store in your area. Happy cooking!
https://www.maangchi.com/shopping#Canada
In your written recipe steps you forgot to include when you added the sesame seed oil to the mix (2:50 on the video). I guess it would be after step 3 in the “make marinade”. Just a heads up.
Love your website and recipes. Its nice to attach recipes to the food my mom used to make for me as a kid.
Thanks a lot. I will check it out and fix it asap. “Its nice to attach recipes to the food my mom used to make for me as a kid” You miss your mom. I’m touched!
Hello Maangchi,
I’m your new fan from Indonesia. I’m a house wife and mother of 3. All my member family are huge fan of korean food. Luckily I found your website. Thank you so much for your effort to posting all the delicious recipes.
Whenever we go to Singapore,we will always have lunch or dinner in a korean foodstall in Le Meridien. Their food are very delicious. From there I know about Korean side dish like kimchi and stirfried anchovies.
We tried their new menu call saba fish and it’s yummy also.
I made my own kimchi and have tried many recipes such as kalbi, soondobu jigae, gamjatang and our most favorite recipe, kimchi fried rice!
I’m making the ribs now and tomorrow I’ll try the pan fried method instead of grill or BBQ. Hopefully they will taste delicious too.
Anyway, what is the use of the pear? is it to soften the meat?
Have a nice weekend
Nana
” what is the use of the pear? is it to soften the meat?” yes, pear tenderizes meat and gives sweetness, too. Sorry about the late reply. Happy Korean cooking!
Thank you so much for posting this recipe, Maangchi. I love it!! I have just recently found where i can get this cut of ribs here in Sydney. So, i’m really looking forward to making some more LA Galbi. :)
Just wondering how long the marinade would last if i make it in advance and keep it in the fridge? Also you say to marinade the ribs overnight. Would it be ok if i marinade it more than a day?
I think you will have to cook the marinated beef in 24 hours because the sauce may go bad. Keep it in the freezer as long as you want if you want to cook it later. Thaw it out 1 day in advance in the refrigerator and enjoy!
Hey Maangchi, I was wondering if I can use this recipe in my essay for college. Including the pictures. It would really be highly appreciated. Even though im korean myself, i dont quite know the recipe but your post on it explains everything thoroughly which is what i need.
oh yeah? That’s cool! Sure, of course I’m honored that you use my recipe and the photos for your essay. All I need is that you can confirm the credit. Good luck!
Maangchi – I am a huge fan of yours! :) Thanks for your enthusiasm and your videos; it’s like a friend is with me and helping me cook some pretty yummy dishes. Num num.
I made these ribs tonight (Uwajimaya had a killer deal) and when I got home I realized I didn’t have any pears; but I had some organic, homemade applesauce in the fridge. I used that in lieu of the pears and it was AWESOME.
Also; I made some radish salad and didn’t have green onions (a first for me; I always seem to have a few bunches in the fridge) so I used cilantro stems instead. That worked too.
Keep it up, hun! We love it! :)
-Brian
Thank you very much for considering me as your friend! Yes, I’m your friend. You make homemade applesauce? Great! “..I used cilantro stems instead. That worked” Interesting, I should use cilantro in my musaengchae someday.
Hello Brian! Nice to see a neighbor who loves Uwagimaya as much as me!
Sharon – Yelm, Washington
I can remember the taste of this food ,the first time was more than 20 years passed in Soul [Olympic], and the last was in San Francisco last year. Now it will be in my own kitchen.Thanks again .
Welcome to my website! Let me know how your galbi turns out later.
I did it on 16th oct .my husband didn’t recognize it’s not the Thai dish but he eat it all and enjoy veggies and ask for this dish for next weekend that my son ‘s girl friend will come to join after her examinations done, this mean he love your recipes, thanks. Send you a big KISS.
awesome!
Hi Maangchi!
Love your website! What soup would you recommend as a good complement to galbi?
Good question! How about making baechu deonjangguk? https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/baechu-doenjang-guk
Looks so yummy, it might be better to use this recipe and make Korean bbq at home rather than going out to eat it :) Do you know how to make the bean paste they serve as a dipping sauce (I think) at Korean bbq restaurants?
Here it is,
dipping sauce (ssamjang):
Mix these 2 tbs soy bean paste, 1 tbs of hot pepper paste, 1 stalk of chopped green onion, 1 clove of minced garlic, 1 ts honey, 1 ts of sesame oil, and 1 ts sesame seeds in a small bowl with a spoon.
Thanks so much :)
hi, I really enjoy your receipies. looks simple and easy. also I like back ground much. can you tell me the name of the song on that use for this video? Thank you.
It’s Casker’s 인형 (doll) Casker is a Korean singer.
I’m not exactly sure but I was just curious: Are we allowed to substitute mirin for cooking wine and/or substitute miso paste for the soybean paste?
yes, you can, of course!
I love this recipe!!!!!!!!!
Thank you very much! It sounds like you made this. Great news!
Dear Maangchi,
Just wanted to say, I was just introduced to your website yesterday by a friend and I am in love with it! Your dishes look sooooo delicious and you make it look so fun and easy to make Korean food. I was always intimidated to try cooking Korean food but now I will try. My first will be this LA Galbi recipe and then the Mandoo.
Thanks again,
A Big Fan! : )
Thank you, I’m your big fan, too! You submitted korean grocery stores fro my other readers which is great!
do u have a bbq recipe for chicken.. i love korean ribs but they can be pricey
do you really eat the LA galbi with a piece of raw garlic and raw korean pepper? i bought a korean pepper for the first time yesterday.
Hi, Jason,
You don’t have to eat raw garlic. You can grill it with the LA galbi. Wow, you bought Korean green chili pepper for the first time yesterday? Congratulations! lol, I love to eat raw garlic but it has to be sliced. Try it out if you are brave. : )
Hello!
Where did you buy the grill plate? Korean store? Do you remember about how much it cost?
The grill is under $3.00 so cheap! Check either Korean grocery store or Japanese store. When I lived in Canada, one of my friends bought it for me.
I have always watched your videos religiously, but I was scared to attempt anything because I am still a beginner and can barely cook anything! I got some courage to marinate this last night and we just got done grilling it and it is divine! SooOOO delicious. I can not thank you enough for posting these recipes with such detailed instructions. I admire you for taking your time out to help us beginner cooks by making this website plus making great youtube videos. I just love your personality and watching you is a delight. You are the coolest person ever! Without you I don’t think I’d ever attempt trying to cook so Thank you so much maangchi. I just love you! I am so excited to start making more of your recipes!
“I admire you for taking your time out to help us beginner cooks by making this website plus making great youtube videos.”
wow, thank you very much! Your comment makes me feel happy!
Hey Maangchi, this recipe looks wonderful.
I wonder if you’ll do a video of another beef rib dish which I love: Galbi Tang. Whenever I go to New York, I always have this soup at the Gom Tang restaurant on 32nd Street between 5th and 6th Avenues. I particularly love it in winter because it injects the body and soul with hearty, rejuvenating energy! Across the street from Gom Tang is Hana Reum supermarket (I’ve never been to the one in Flushing).
yes, galbitang is one of my future video recipes. “I particularly love it in winter because it injects the body and soul with hearty, rejuvenating energy!” lol, I agree with you!
Hello!
I made this delicious L.A galbi for a Memorial Day BBQ. EVERYONE LOVED them! Thank you so much for this recipe! I can’t wait to make them again with the dipping sauce! :)
Hi, Amber, yes, you learned this recipe in the cooking class! https://www.maangchi.com/blog/april-22-korean-cooking-class-new-york
I taught so many different dishes, so I didn’t have enough time to demonstrate how to eat it with lettuce and dipping sauce.
: )
Here’s the interesting thing about LA galbi: it’s pretty similar to what is known in some places as “Maui-style ribs”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maui-style_Ribs
The original recipe for which can be traced back to ribs made at Azeka’s Snack Shop in Kihei, Maui:
http://azekas.com/
Closed in 2006, but these ribs were done in a very thin flanken style:
http://www.canada.com/topics/lifestyle/food/story.html?id=0bb459c3-ec63-4d37-abe2-ba0b172fc884
Reading the ingredients of the marinade, they sure sound like galbi ribs:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/522330
In fact more than one report claims that Azeka’s was a “Korean general store”
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/MAUI-STYLE-KOREAN-SHORT-RIBS-1274289
I think it’s possible that LA galbi originated in Hawaii, not Los Angeles, and that the originator was Bill Azeka’s mother who developed this thinly-cut short rib style which Koreans later took to LA.
I think it’s telling that commenters on this blog from Hawaii have never heard of “LA galbi” but are familiar with the food. That’s because LA galbi came from Hawaii, so there is no “LA galbi” there, only “galbi!”
oh my, Stanford, you are like a scholar! I will read it later after I finish my event for June.26. Thank you very much!
Hi Maangchi, Love your website, Luckily I stumbled upon your website couple of months ago, that’s how I started to learn cooking hahaha.. anyway quick question please, the LA galbi, do we have to buy it from Korean mart??I usually buy my meats from my local market where most of the butchers speak minimum english, I’m afraid they won’t understand LA galbi cutting style >.<
I don’t Know the answer because I always buy it from a Korean grocery store.
The 3 bone cut is called flanken style.
Your hair looks beautiful, like you are prom queen!
As for the Kalbi, I am so happy you put this recipe up.
I tried to make it myself before you put the recipe here. I made a big mistake and used ribs that were too thick. They were the right cut but too thick. They turned out tough, so next time I know to get thinner ribs.
My perilla in my garden is ready to start picking. They came up from the seeds that the plants dropped last fall, Yay :)
Thank you for the compliment on my hairdo! : ) Perilla leaves are very loyal! every year they come out! : )
wow looks amazing
thanks for making something i really wanted to learn
this looks very yummy! shall try this next time and keep you posted about the end result :)
In Hawai’i where we are from, most of the Korean restaurants and plate lunch places serve Kalbi in the LA Galbi style. I don’t think I’ve had it any other way in Hawai’i then you’ve presented it here. But I’ve never heard of the LA part of the the name! We’ve made it here in Boston with friends from Hawai’i and when we go to the Whole Foods we ask them to cut the ribs special with three bones in but we also like it nice and thick! H-Mart here in Burlington, MA sells them this way too.
i’m from HI as well. you should try O-bok in Manoa Market place. They serve kalbi the traditional way, along the rib. Best korean bento around!
awesome recipe! loved that you actually used pear for the marinade instead of just sugar and/or honey, with which a lot of other korean recipes call for.
i have a quick question (and you may have answered this already): what is the reasoning behind soaking meats in water before cooking them? i see this a lot with beef and/or pork. i asked one of my korean students and she said it’s mainly for taste and to make the meat softer. is this true?
keep up the great work! (and i love the HD quality of the video)
Fantastic recipe! And wonderfull presentation!
On around 8:56 i think i hear some police sirens investigating a fantastic smell report from your neighbours!
First!
This looks so delicious maangchi! Next time we use the barbeque we might have to use some of your recipes. I am not sure about this recipe (beef is a bit expensive), but perhaps we could… it looks easy to make and delicious.
That’s right, first! : )
Is it expensive? Make it on special days then.