Now that winter is almost here, I’m going to show you a hearty, delicious, meaty dish called ttukbaegi-bulgogi (뚝배기불고기) that’s great for cold weather. It’s a stew made with bulgogi (Korean marinated beef) cooked in a Korean earthenware pot (a ttukbaegi, also sometimes translated as a “stone bowl” in English). You might have had bulgogi cooked as BBQ on a grill at a Korean restaurant, but in ttukbaegi-bulgogi it’s cooked and served in a stew in a sizzling hot traditional Korean eartheware pot.
It takes a while for earthenware to heat up, but once it’s heated, it keeps warm for a long time. So when you first take your ttukbaegi-bulgogi off the stove it will be sizzling and bubbling, and it’ll keep warm as you eat it, all the way down to the bottom. It’s not totally mandatory to have a ttukbaegi for this dish, and you can use a metal pot if you want.
I use beef skirt steak in my video, but you can use pre-cut bulgogi beef for bulgogi from a Korean grocery store if it’s easier for you. I also huge a wide variety of vegetables in this recipe, but don’t feel like you have to use everything I use. You can use whatever vegetables you like and that are available to you, but I would recommend that you don’t skip the onion.
And you can also make a vegetarian version of this dish by substituting the skirt steak for King oyster mushrooms. Check out the recipe below. Happy cooking!
Ingredients
For 1 serving
- 8 ounces beef skirt steak (or tenderloin, any tender cuts of beef), sliced thinly
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 ounce starch noodles (dangmyeon), soaked in cold water 30 minutes to 1 hour
- ½ teaspoon fish sauce
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ounce (¼ cup) onion, sliced
- 1 ounce (¼ cup) carrot, cut into matchsticks
- 2 ounces large green onion (or 2 green onions), sliced diagonally.
- 1 ounce (about ⅓ cup) Enoki mushrooms
- 1 ounce (about ½ cup) chrysanthemum greens (ssukgat), washed with the stems removed. If it’s not available, replace it with spinach or some basil leaves.
- 1 egg (optional)
- ¼ cup worth radish sprouts (optional)
- 1 red chili pepper (optional), sliced thinly
Spicy mixture
(optional, for a spicy version):
2 teaspoons hot pepper flakes mixed with ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil in a small bowl.
Directions
- Combine soy sauce, garlic, sugar, honey, ground black pepper, and toasted sesame oil in a bowl. Mix it well until the sugar is dissolved. Add the beef and mix well to marinate. Cover and refrigerate.
- Place an earthenware pot (ttukbaegi) on the stove with 2 cups of water, kosher salt, and fish sauce. Bring to a boil.
- When it starts boiling, add the beef, onion, carrot, and the large green onion. Let it cook without the lid for about 10 to 12 minutes over high heat. Stir it a few times and remove any foam from the surface with a spoon.
- Add the noodles, stirring a few times, and cook for 1 minute. Add Enoki mushrooms and radish sprouts and cook for a few minutes. Crack an egg and put it in the center of the bubbling stew. Garnish with the chrysanthemum greens and the red chili pepper.
- Remove from the heat and serve with rice, kimchi, and a few more side dishes. If you want the spicy version, put some of the spicy mixture into the stew and mix it in.
Vegetarian version: Bulgogi mushroom stew
The recipe is almost the same as beef version but the beef is replaced with mushrooms. And in the broth, leave out he fish sauce and increase the salt to 1 teaspoon (from ½ teaspoon). And skip the egg!
Hi Maangchi!
I want to make a large batch for the whole week. What’s the best way to store leftovers? I don’t want to noodles to get soggy. Thanks!
Sorry, typo error… It’s called Wok Pan
Bulgogi in the house . I really tried … My family demolished everything in a jiff . That’s the best compliment. Thank you for sharing your recipes and cooking tips.
See full size image
Tried making this for the first time tonight. Had fun doing it. I liked making this after seeing the YouTube video.
See full size image
It looks great! Happy cooking!
Hi Maangchi!
Decided to make this today and it was sooo delicious! Need to work on my presentation a bit but it tasty yummy! Thank you for the recipe :D
See full size image
Yes, it looks so colorful! You made a nice ttokbaegi-bulgogi!
Just made this tonight. Beautiful and flavorful! I didn’t add any heat and ate it with my homemade radish kimchi.
See full size image
What size Ttukbaeggi?
Thank you!!
BTW: I’ve made the easy kimchi, radish kimchi (my fave!), and kimchi jigae. Love them all! After this, I”m making Tteokbokki! :)
I just made this for the first time yesterday and it was fantastic! I wanted to make this stew for a while but only just recently found chrysanthemum greens. Great choice on using skirt steak, so tasty! My husband asked me to made again for dinner tomorrow. Thanks!
This recipe was very easy and tasted delicious! My husband was surprised how delicious this turned out.
See full size image
Yum! I’m glad to hear that you got some compliment on your homemade bulgogi stew!
Dear Maangchi
My craving comes for A bulgogi stew. But I only have a useless induction cooker which only able to use magnetic base pots. I can’t use earthen pot like what you use. Can I just use normal Stainless Steel pot? Or Happy Call won pan?
IMaangchi I love your channel and recipes. I went out and purchased my own little pots to make this dish and was wondering if I can use chicken instead of beef (not a big red meat eater). Thank you so much!
What size pots are best? I have these,…
See full size image
I just tried the recipe today and it was a success. I will definitely make this again very soon! :D
A Korean place near me makes this and I tend to order it as winter appears. It’s so good, I think I might like it better than plain grilled bulgogi.