This easy Beef Bulgogi (a distant relative to Korean BBQ Beef) recipe is made with ground beef that is simmered in a bulgogi sauce and served topped with scallion, sesame seeds, and a soft-boiled egg. Try my Korean BBQ Pork for a marinated pork recipe.
Easy Ground Beef Bulgogi
Bulgogi (‘Fire Meat’) is a popular Korean dish that is usually made with the most tender meat you can find (ribeye or top sirloin). Thinly shaved meat is marinated overnight in the sweet and savory bulgogi sauce and grilled on a hot grill.
My recipe takes the thousand-year-old recipe (and one worth trying when you have the time and resources!) and makes it into an easy and quick version of it that you can cook right on the stovetop with ground beef in about 20 minutes. It is NOT authentic, just a simple and fast way to satisfy a craving. 🙂
How to Soft-Boil an Egg
The flavors of the meat pair well with a soft-boiled egg. To soft-boil an egg, choose eggs that are not your freshest. The older the eggs, the easier they are to peel. And, the peeling can be the trickiest part with the custard-like egg whites and a silky yolk. If you can make hard-boiled eggs, you can make soft-boiled eggs.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. You will need just enough water to cover the eggs (about an inch).
- Place the eggs in the boiling water.
- Let the eggs boil, covered, for six minutes. (I would recommend setting the timer for this since it is time-sensitive.)
- While the eggs are boiling, create an ice water bath for the boiled eggs (ice water in a bowl).
- After six minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove the eggs from the boiling water and place them in the ice water until they are cool enough to peel.
- CAREFULLY peel the soft-boiled eggs to use in this, and other, recipes.
How to Store Ground Beef Bulgogi
If you are going to be eating the ground beef bulgogi within 2-3 days, store the beef in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave. For longer storage, freeze the completely cooled beef bulgogi for up to 3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
More Ground Beef Recipes
Easy Ground Beef Bulgogi
Ingredients
BULGOGI SAUCE
- ½ cup (127.5) soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar, plus 2 teaspoons
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
GROUND BEEF
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ small yellow onion, diced
TOPPING
- 1 tablespoon scallion, diced
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 4 large soft boiled eggs*
Instructions
BULGOGI SAUCE
- In a medium bowl combine soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic. Mix well to combine and set aside.
GROUND BEEF
- In a skillet over medium heat, add ground beef and onion and cook until browned (about 5 minutes). The meat will still be a little pink.
- Add the Bulgogi sauce and mix well. Simmer for 6-10 more minutes, and remove from heat.
- Evenly distribute the mixture between 4 bowls. Top with scallion, sesame seeds, and a soft boiled egg.
- Serve over rice.
Video
Notes
- Bring a pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. You will need just enough water to cover the eggs (about an inch).
- Place the eggs in the boiling water.
- Let the eggs boil, covered, for six minutes. (I would recommend setting the timer for this since it is time-sensitive.)
- While the eggs are boiling, create an ice water bath for the boiled eggs (ice water in a bowl).
- After six minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove the eggs from the boiling water and place them in the ice water until they are cool enough to peel.
- CAREFULLY peel the soft-boiled eggs.
Did you make this recipe?
You can tag me at @iamhomesteader.
This Easy Beef Bulgogi recipe was inspired by @franziee09 and her Ground Beef Bulgogi on TikTok.
Tasty in theory, but definitely way too much soy sauce for my liking. It’s a salt bomb! We didn’t use onion, so maybe that’s the reason, not enough to balance it.
I’m a beginner cook and this is my boyfriend’s favourite so far from the things I’ve made! I always have rice and ground beef on hand so I make this often.
I use 1/4 cup of soy sauce instead of 1/2. I drain the meat after browning it. I like to have runny sunny side-up eggs, and add sriracha on top too! It tastes great and is quick and easy to make 🙂
This did not work for me, sorry. I reduced the amount of soy sauce and used low sodium and it was still too salty. Normally I like a lot of salt but this didn’t work.
Ends a bit salty. Recommend low sodium soy sauce or a substitute. Good overall!
I’ve made this twice now. My picky husband loves it. I add stir fried veggies to the bowl. It’s a win!
I made this and mixed it with 2 containers of japchae from trader joes. sooooo good! i would do a bit less soysauce and i forgot to drain the beef before I added the sauce so it was a bit oily. otherwise it was awesome!
I used Swerve brown sugar (low carb/zero net) and used Cauliflower rice. This switch makes this keto/Atkins friendly. The dish is fantastic – Five stars!
first class easy and excellent
Great and easy
I added fresh cooked veggies and some spinach at the very end. It was amazing and even my picky eater liked the meat flavors. Will definitely make again.
Easy recipe!
Definitely use low-sodium soy sauce. I made it, as written, and it’s REALLY salty. I followed the recipe exactly, but added some dried Chile de Árbol. We like things spicy.
Our family loved this. Definitely a keeper and will be a regular meal at our house. Our only change was we did not do the eggs.
Thanks for sharing your version friend. I stumbled on recipe doing a search for ground beef, eggs and rice and yours popped up. I made dinner at breakfast time to get it out of the way as I also have desserts to make..I tasted it and it is perfect flavor. I also happened to have the pantry items too.
This was so excellent! Also, thanks for making the printable version easy to find and use. Definitely a keeper!