Korean cuisine is known for its bold, rich flavors—and these 13 easy and super-flavorful Korean beef recipes bring those tastes straight to your kitchen with minimal effort. Whether you’re craving a quick weeknight dinner or an impressive meal for guests, these dishes deliver that irresistible balance of savory, sweet, and spicy that makes Korean food so addictive.
Start with the crowd-pleasing Korean beef bulgogi, where thinly sliced beef is marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and a touch of sugar before being quickly seared for tender, juicy bites. For a faster version, ground beef bulgogi bowls offer all the same flavors but are ready in under 20 minutes—perfect for busy evenings.
If you love slow-cooked comfort food, Korean beef stew (galbi jjim) is a must-try, featuring short ribs braised until melt-in-your-mouth tender in a flavorful sauce. For something lighter but equally satisfying, Korean beef lettuce wraps pair seasoned meat with fresh, crisp greens and spicy gochujang sauce for a refreshing bite.
For a street food-inspired twist, Korean beef tacos and Korean-style meatballs combine familiar comfort with exciting flavor profiles. You can also take your barbecue game up a notch with Korean BBQ short ribs (galbi)—marinated to perfection and grilled for smoky, caramelized edges.
Spice lovers will enjoy spicy Korean beef stir-fry, loaded with vegetables and coated in a vibrant sauce that tingles the taste buds. For noodle fans, Korean beef japchae offers a savory-sweet combination of glass noodles, vegetables, and marinated beef for a dish that’s as beautiful as it is delicious.
The best part? These recipes are flexible. Serve them with steamed rice, kimchi, or quick-pickled veggies for a complete Korean-inspired feast at home.
With these easy Korean beef recipes, you can bring the bold flavors of Korea to your table without spending hours in the kitchen—just delicious, satisfying meals every time.
Bulgogi Beef
This amazing marinade features a peeled, grated Asian pear, which adds just the right touch of sweetness. It works beautifully with chicken and pork, too. “In the best examples I’ve had of beef bulgogi in Korean restaurants, the meat, while tender, still had a little bit of chewiness to it,” says Chef John. “You can control texture by the thickness or thinness of the slices and how long you marinate them. But this is a fairly fast-acting marinade, so I go with an hour or two.”
Dol Sot Bi Bim Bap
“Dol Sot Bi Bim Bap is Korean for ‘Hot Stone Bowl with Mixed Rice’ — oh, and vegetables, and meat, and egg,” says ieetcows. “This is my ‘go to’ favorite Korean dish, next to haemul pajeon and Bulgogi. I’m a big carnivore so my version has about 25% more meat than the traditional version.”
Kalbi (Korean BBQ Short Ribs)
The best cut of beef for kalbi is flanken-style or Korean-style short ribs. You’ll marinate the beef short ribs in a cola-based marinade for a couple hours to develop beef that’s “sweet, salty, spicy, and very tender,” says Potchie. “I use this same recipe to make Bulgogi and Dae Ji Bool Gogi (Spicy Pork) and simply change the onions to sliced bulbs for the bulgogi.”
Japchae
This traditional Korean dish combines sweet potato noodles, lean beef, and vegetables in a simple soy sauce, garlic, sugar, and sesame oil sauce. “This is one of my favorite Korean recipes,” says kpopkiwi. “It’s authentic, healthy, and absolutely delicious.”
Kimchi Fried Rice (Kimchi Bokkeumbap)
“Tired of the same ol’ fried rice? Well, this will add a kick to any of your favorite fried rice recipes by adding kimchi,” says abstractj. “If you love kimchi, you will surely love this recipe. You can substitute any meat (chicken, ham, pork, or spam) for the ground beef.”
Grilled Korean-Style Beef Short Ribs
This grilled short ribs recipe relies on thinly sliced beef and an Asian pear marinade with rice vinegar, sherry wine, hoisin sauce, sambal hot sauce, and sesame oil. “Go talk to your friendly neighborhood butcher, tell them you want some flanken-style beef short ribs, and give this great grill technique a try,” says Chef John. Because the meat is cut so thin, it will only be on the grill for a few minutes per side.
Easy Korean Ground Beef Bowl
Here’s a great pantry dinner that’s ready in about 30 minutes. Browned ground beef is combined with crushed garlic, grated ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes. “Korean beef bowls are quick and easy to make,” says bd.weld. “The ingredients can easily be adjusted to suit your taste. Serve over warm rice or spiralized vegetables.”
Korean BBQ Galbi
“Traditionally, galbi is cooked over wood charcoal but can be cooked by grill, oven, or using a non-stick frying pan,” says Pete Chang. “Instead of Asian pears, you can use rice wine or kiwis. You can also add green onions, sesame seeds or fresh ginger.”
Simple Slow-Cooked Korean Beef Soft Tacos
Beef tacos get a Korean spin here with ginger, soy sauce, garlic, and seasoned rice vinegar. “This recipe was handed down to me by a Korean friend,” says jasminsheree. “So full of flavor! I wanted to share it with you all. I did tweak it a little to add more spice. Feel free to tweak it yourself!”
Korean Mandu (Egg Roll)
These fried egg rolls feature wonton or eggroll wrappers stuffed with a mixture of ground beef, pork. and cabbage. “I made this recipe for my Korean-American professor and she loved it!” says Azeema, who rates it 5 stars.
Korean Bulgogi Bowl
“Bulgogi is usually made with thinly shaved slices of beef, marinated and flame licked. This dish, on the other hand, has the delicious taste you know and love, but is made with ground beef and served as a rice bowl,” says Diana71. “The whole recipe is anxiety-free and takes just a few minutes. Your kids and friends will love this healthier dinner, and you will feel like you’re on the streets of Seoul.”
Easy Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Beef)
Marinate thinly sliced strips of beef sirloin in a subtle, salty, sweet-heat marinade. “This recipe uses very thin-sliced meat so tenderization isn’t necessary,” says KDC860.
Easy Sheet Pan Beef Bulgogi
Thin slices of marinated flat-iron steak combine with snap peas and onions. “A super hot oven delivers a delicious way to cook up a weeknight meal,” says FrackFamily5. “For best results, you’ll want some meat with marbling. Serve over rice.”
