Korean Beef Bulgogi

This Korean Beef Bulgogi features an ingredient you may not think would go, applesauce, but it is sweet, savory, and packed with flavor. The soy sauce, garlic, and ginger balance this recipe nicely, making it a mouthwatering and you’ll love that dinner is ready in 15 minutes!

We love a simple, yet flavorful freezer meal. This one is the perfect combination of easy ingredients and quick cooking times.

We share more recipes like this one inside our Freezer Meals 101 Club. You’ll get our 20+ years of experience making freezer meals to help stack your freezer and never have to think about what’s for dinner tonight again.

Korean Beef Bulgogi Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. beef strips
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
• 5 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Assembly Instructions:

• Place all ingredients in a large resealable freezer bag.
• Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking Instructions:

• Thaw.
• Empty the bag into a large skillet or wok.
• Cook over medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes until the beef is cooked.

Additional Tips

If you can’t find beef strips, you can use cheaper cuts of steak to slice your beef strips. Cut across the grain of the steak, which will ensure more tender strips. You can also speak with the butcher from the meat department at the grocery store, and if they have time, they will cut it for you.

What is Korean Bulgogi?

The Korean word “bulgogi” means fire meat, because traditionally this dish is cooked over an open fire. However, using a stovetop to panfry or using a tabletop grill is a great alternative. The thinly sliced beef is always marinated in a sweet or savory sauce, with the sweetness coming from either apples or pears.

How to Serve this Dish

A typical way to serve this dish is either with rice, as lettuce wraps, or with a side of kimchi. Other ideas could be to serve with Korean-style pickled vegetables, Korean glass noodles (sweet potato noodles), or as a rice bowl. You could also serve the meat on mini slider buns with a simple kimchi slaw on top.

For more recipes like this one, check out our Beef Barbacoa, Sloppy Joes Casserole, or Mongolian Meatballs.