Ground Beef Bulgogi
Looking for a quick, flavorful meal that satisfies every craving? Let me introduce you to Ground Beef Bulgogi. This easy Korean dish delivers all the sweet, savory, and garlicky goodness of traditional bulgogi, but it’s made with ground beef, making it faster and more accessible for weeknight dinners.
Traditional Bulgogi
It is one of my go-to recipes when I want something comforting yet simple. Whether served over hot rice, tucked into lettuce wraps, or paired with kimchi and an egg, this dish never fails. Best of all, you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry already!
📺 Watch How to Make This Ground Beef Bulgogi
🛒 Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Ground Beef Bulgogi
- 1 lb ground beef (grass-fed preferred)
- 10 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 4 tbsp Soy Sauce (Kikoman Organic)
- 2 tbsp Mirin
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp Plum extract (or apricot jam)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 3–5 green onions, chopped
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tsp sesame oil
These ingredients come together to create the signature sweet and savory taste of Ground Beef Bulgogi. Many are pantry staples, and a few are easy to find online or at your local Asian market.
📍 Tips for the Best Ground Beef Bulgogi
- Use lean ground beef to avoid excess grease.
- Don’t skip the plum extract—it adds a unique fruity sweetness. You can substitute to apricot preserve or plum sauce.
- Cook on high heat to ensure a nice sear and caramelized texture.
- Taste as you go and adjust the sugar or soy sauce depending on your preference.
Little details like these can take your Bulgogi from good to great. It’s a flexible recipe, so feel free to tweak to your liking.
❓ FAQ
Can I use another protein?
Yes! Try ground chicken, turkey, or even tofu as a substitute.
What can I use if I don’t have plum extract?
Apricot jam works great as an alternative.
Is it spicy?
Not by default. Add gochugaru if you want a kick.
Can I make it ahead?
Definitely. It keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days and tastes even better after resting.
🍳 How to Make Ground Beef Bulgogi
Combine beef, garlic, onion, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, plum extract, and black pepper in a large mixing bowl. You could marinate for 30 minutes but it’s not necessary because we are using ground beef.
Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat, add cooking oil and swirl to coat. Add the ground beef mixture, stir fry and break down the meat into little pieces.
Keep cooking until there’s no moisture and everything is fully cooked about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
When you hear the sizzling and all the moisture from the beef is gone, stir in chopped green onions. Turn off the heat.
Add sesame seeds and oil, toss one last time.
Serve on top of warm cooked rice, cauliflower rice, quinoa, or any starch of your choice. Garnish with some sesame seeds and green onion if you’d like to.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions Ground Beef Bulgogi
This recipe is super versatile. Here are a few ways to enjoy it:
- Over steamed rice with kimchi and a fried egg
- In lettuce wraps with sliced chili and garlic
- As a topping for noodles or even fries
- Inside a rice bowl or bento box
Whatever you pair it with, the flavor shines through.
📌 There You Have It!
This recipe is the ultimate weeknight dinner. It’s fast, flavorful, and endlessly adaptable. Whether you’re serving it in a bowl, wrap, or with noodles, this dish brings bold Korean flavor to the table without the extra effort.
Ground Beef Bulgogi
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Easy and quick weeknight menu, perfect with any vegetable side dish you choose to make but no side needed! All you need is a hint of chili sauce for a kick!
Ingredients
- 1 lb grass-fed or lean ground beef
- 10 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 medium size onion, small diced
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp plum extract(you can substitute to apricot jam)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 3 to 5 green onions, chopped
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Instructions
- Combine beef, garlic, onion, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, plum extract and black pepper in a large mixing bowl. You could marinate for 30 minutes but it’s not necessary because we are using ground beef.
- Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat, add cooking oil and swirl to coat. Add the ground beef mixture, stir fry and break down the meat into little pieces. Keep cooking until there’s no moisture and everything is fulled cooked, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- When you hear the sizzling and all the moisture from the beef is gone, toss in chopped green onions. Turn off the heat. Add sesame seeds and oil, toss one last time.
- Serve on top of warm cooked rice, cauliflower rice, quinoa or any starch of your choice. Garnish with some sesame seeds and green onion if you’d like to. Enjoy!
- Cook Time: 10 mins
107 comments
Hi Seonkyoung! I want to say I love watching your channel. I’ve tried a lot of your recipes and my husband and I have enjoyed all of them!
I want to know if plum extract can be replaced with honey instead?
Thank you!!
In this recipe apricot jam would work better for nice fruity sweet flavor! 🙂
This is quick easy and oh so delicious!! Thank you. I could eat this 5 days a week!!
Great recipe, I have been making this with ground elk bacon burger for the past year. My family loves it and it’s a quick easy recipe during the week. I have loved Korean food ever since I was introduced to it in the Air Force by friend I worked with.
Thank you! 정말 고마워요. Both my husband and my 15 month old enjoyed it very much. He says this recipe reminded him of Gushi at UCLA. =) 참으로 고마운분. 감사 또 감사!
Would Plum sauce be a good substitute for Plum extract?
I only had plum sauce and it still came out great. My family loved this for our dinner last night. Btw for those who have younger kids i think it was a great idea to only use the green onions as a garnish on top of the adults plates only. My kids didnt have to sit there taking out the green onions one by one and just enjoyed their meal. Thanks for this recipe Seonkyoung , this is going to be added in our weekly dinner menu. Super easy and fast to make.
Thank you Rene for the tip about green onions for younger kidos!!
I didn’t even notice it called for plum extract and used plum sauce. Tastes great. You may want to up the amount to your tastes.
I made this recipe the other night and found another cooking site that used 1 apple and 1/2 onion to replace the plum extract. It was pureed in a blender with the rest of the sauce ingredients. So I went with that. The meat tasted soooo good and it was quite saucy while cooking it down to a dry state. I served it on Rice noodles. My only wish was that there was more sauce to the meat so it would coat my noodles or rice when I want to use rice. Maybe I’ll dress my noodles with with garlic and sesame oil. But overall, a real nice flavor. Thank you!
Yomseo, Seonkyoung! Love watching you and Jacob on YouTube. Came to your site to print off recipe for Beef Bulgogi. I have all ingredients except for plum extract. I’m sure it will be fine without it. Serving it over jasmine rice. I will also be adding some kale into the dish (need to eat my veggies!). Thank you for your recipes, your smiles, and teaching me about Korean cooking.
Do you think this recipe would work well with ground pork as well? I love fatty meats! Or maybe even vegan ground “beef” alternatives for our vegan friends?
Yes, it definitely will!
Made this recipe tonight. It was a big hit with the family. Tastes just like the bulgogi I get at the local Korean restaurant!
Love bulgogi and this recipe did not disappoint. Great flavor and easy to make.
This was a big hit with my family. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
YAY! love to hear that!
This is awesome! Thank you for your recipies….gonna try it this week! Would it make a difference if I added Asian pear to this? Or should I just save that for another dish?
Just curious.
That wouldn’t be so bad on this recipe!
This was a big hit with my family. I also sprinkled cilantro on top with the green onion.
Can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
SO glad to hear that! and loved how you added your own twist to the recipe.
We loved this dish. Do you think it would be OK using ground turkey?
Yes! Any Ground protein would work just fine.
I just made it and it’s DELICIOUS! I didn’t have mirin so I used Shaoxing wine, apricot jam for plum sauce. I wanted it to be spicy so I added 6 Thai chilis. Thank you!
Never a bad time for adding a little tai chilies for a good kick!
Can I make this in a pressure cooker
I do not recommend that, this recipe only takes a few minutes so plsss use the stovetop!
Wow This recipe is awesome. I have been making this every week with apricot jam and miuchiu cooking wine instead of mirin. It’s so easy and sooo good. I even omit the sugar for my husband and he still loves it! I’d give it 5 stars but the “rate the recipe” feature doesnt work on here 🙁
I will look into that issue right now!
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great video I am trying it for dinner tonight
I hope it went well!
I made it with the apricot jam and it was amazing! I have also used this recipe for ground beef AND pork. Both times, came out amazing! I highly recommend this to anyone.
Dear Soenkyoung,
I made this recipe the other day., and my family loved it! It is quick, simple and loaded with flavor! My husband and youngest daughter were fighting for leftovers! ? This is going to be one of my go to recipes. My motto now is: “When in doubt – turn to Seonkyoung!”
Thank you!
Yes! This recipe is worth fighting for the leftovers! Thank you so much for your support and believing in me!
Easy to make recipe.
It is ready to eat so fast.
So far I Made it twice, the first time it was your original recipe.
Just great.
I used a Low Carb apricot Jam, it consits only of apricots. I substituted sugar with xylit.
As the First time I used fewer sweetening, but it is still sweet.
I don’t know of this must be, but I like it.
Next time I am using much fewer sweetening.
Leftovers??
You have Leftovers??
I’m lucky if I don’t lose fingers once I set it down on the table. If I plate for each separately I’m accused of playing favorites.
This is too funny. Might be time to make a double batch 🙂
Made this for lunch today, and my husband loved it! I added some ginger to the marinade, and a bit of honey. This one is a keeper.
So glad you guys enjoyed it!
I love all your recipes. This is so delicious
Hi,
This recipe looks great ! I am looking forward to making this dish for dinner tonight. However, I do not have any Mirin at hand. Can I substitute this with rice wine vinegar? and if so, what should be the proportion?
Without substituting with rice wine, you can make it without mirin but it won’t have the same flavor. You can buy mirin at regular grocery stores or Amazon(http://amzn.to/1PJITNr) very easy and inexpensive.
This was so delicious and my first time cooking Korean food! Everyone loved it! My bf and I ate it with napa cabbage and my grown sons ate it with rice. I didn’t have plum extract so I used my homemade singapore chili sauce instead and it was fabulous!
Sounds AMAZING! Im so happy to hear that your first time cooking Korean food was one of MY recipes! Thank you!
I really wanted to make a simple and quick meal the other day, but I didn’t have beef, so I used ground pork instead and it turned out amazing!! I didn’t have plum extract nor apricot jam so I just left it out completely but it was sooo delicious anyway! Tomorrow night I’m going to try it with minced chicken yay!
FYI I’m a follower from Singapore, just want to say I really admire you for your simple-to-follow recipes, adorable family and happy personality! Love you and thank you!
You go Tanya! That sounds exiting!! Thank you for the support as well(:
Do you think ground turkey will work instead of beef?
yes! that should be fine
Made today for lunch. A quick easy recipe. Used apricot jam and was delicious. Thank you for sharing recipe.
This bulgogi recipe looks amazing! I don’t have plum extract or apricot jam. Is there something else I can use? I have tamarind paste, but I’m not sure if it would be too sour. Thank you for this amazing recipe!
I made this without either one tonight and it was delicious. Savory and sweet! Added chili flakes too.
I came back to say that I’ve made this recipe and it was delicious. I’ve purchased apricot jam and will remake this recipe, with a twist! I’m going to use the same ingredients and make Bulgogi burgers for dinner. I’ll come back again to let you know how it turned out.
Bulgogi Burgers were amazing! Topped with Kimchi. Thank you for this versatile recipe
We loved this recipe! So easy to make and the flavor was perfect! My kids wanted it again and again!
The whole family loved it! My son said it tasted exactly like from Koja kitchen! This one’s going to be made often! Thanks so much!
This was an amazing recipe! Me and my friend are eating like 4 portions. Hahaha I didn’t add sugar instead substituted honey because I feel better about it and added some Jalapeño and water chestnut for the crunch!
This was delicious A+ thanks and QUICK
So glad you enjoyed it!
Tried this today and it turned out so good! I substituted Mirin with Apple Cider Vinegar and Plum Extract with Apricot jam. No need to go to my Korean resto. :D. I would get Rice Wine and Plum Extract and try the original recipe next time. Thank you!
hello, can I use Mirin rice vinegar instead of Mirin rice wine, I can’t fine Mirin rice wine at store only Mirin rice vinegar Thanks
Can you just come live with us!!! We have made several of your dishes and they are all amazing!
Thank you for sharing with us.
This was absolutely delicious. I followed the recipe exactly and both myself & my husband loved it!! The next day my husband had the leftovers with a poached egg on top for breakfast. Thank you for this super easy super delicious meal. I highly recommend this recipe to everyone!
So glad you guys enjoyed!
I found all the ingredients except plum extract so I used the recommended apricot jam. I really enjoyed the sweetness against the garlicky onion flavor. I may have cooked the beef a few minutes too lon, but it was still very good. My husband liked too, and he can be pretty picky. So easy. I’ll be making this again.
So glad you found this recipe helpful! (:
Had this for lunch today and it was a total hit amongst my coworkers! Omitted the apricot jam since I didn’t have any hand but, it was still delicious. Served it in lettuce wraps with seasoned bean sprouts and kimchi, I will definitely be making this again! Your recipes never disappoint!!!
So glad you found my recipe helpful! Hope all my other ones are just as useful for you! (:
My husband found your video and tried this! It was absolutely amazing. You are fun to watch and make this dish look as easy as it truly is! I am excited to try some other dishes you make. Thank you so very much
Hope you enjoy my other recipes just as much as you did on this one!
Hi! I don’t have Plum extract/Apricot jam. What can I sub it with?
Absolutely loved this dish. I had to sub black cherry jam, for the plum extract/apricot jam, and regular rice wine vinegar instead of mirin and it still came out so delicious. Also made basmati rice to serve it with and it was just the perfect comforting delicious meal. Will definitely be making this again!
What is the brand of the wok you are using to cook in this video?
The wok I used in the video unfortunately does not have a brand on it, however I know it is a carbon steel wok that was made in Korea but bought at a Chinese market. Hope this helped (:
I am so glad I discovered this recipe and you! I was getting ready to retire my korean beef bowl recipe as I just found it a little too bland and lacking in flavor until I found your recipe! The beef is so thoroughly infused with flavor with the perfect balance of sweet and salty. I appreciate your instructions to cook until no moisture is left. I think that really was the key! I am looking forward to trying your other recipes!!
Your recipes sound so wonderful, can’t wait to try some of them out on my family. My youngest son lived in South Korea for a year and fell in love with the culture and food. He will be excited.
Thank you! I guarantee I won’t let you down!
Hi I am excited to try this! I was just wondering is it brown or white sugar to use? And is apricot preserves okay?
Tried this recipe this evening and it was so delicious!! I am following weight watchers and was able to lower the points on some of the ingredients and it still came out wonderfully. Definitely will be browsing more of your blog for more delicious recipes. Thank u!!
So glad I could help!
Hi! I loved this recipe. Is plum extract the same as plum syrup? I looked it up, but can’t see to figure it out.
Those two are usually very similar or sometimes even the same things. Just gotta be careful with the ingredients. If it uses corn syrup or plum flavor not actually plums I don’t recommend. However, if they use real plums to make it I would suggest that. Hope this helped!
How many Ttsp minced garlic could I use instead of chopping up 10 cloves of garlic per lb. of meat? Do you have a substitute for the sesame seeds and sesame oil for those with a sesame allergy? Thank you
My partner and I have cut way way back on animal protein this last year, so I made this with a pound of Beyond ground. It was delicious! The only other modification I made was to add a dash of liquid smoke. I served it over mixed grain rice with some steamed broccoli rabe and it made a really hearty-but-not-heavy brekky. (On my mobile, for some reason it won’t let me rate but five stars, for sure.)
That sounds amazing! Next time I would suggest trying out impossible meats. Their ground “meat” works so much better with the asian dishes. I only use Impossible when cooking asian and want to opt out on the animal protein!
Greetings to you and yours, will you keep up your # Asian at home also the other social media since you will not be making new video on YouTube. Just started watching you and learning great things to cook from you has been a life saver for me. Having to fight with diabetes my love of Asian foods helped me to lose weight and bring my a1c back to almost normal. Your sharing how to cook Asian at home I want to thank you for doing these YouTube videos. I appreciate who you are and the grace you exhibit through the adversities you had to face. Remain blessed and safe
This was very easy and very tasty! The only thing I added was part of a Serrano pepper for a pop of heat. Thank you!
Thank you for the feedback! Glad you found my recipe helpful!
I can’t wait to try this recipe – my family does not like mirin, what can I use as a substitute for this recipe?
I made this for dinner today and it was really tasty. Thank you! Next time I might add some chillis or a spoonful of gochujang as I like a little spice. Thanks again!
This was so good! Topped it off with Sriracha and chilies. This is one of our staples.
hi. love the recipe! can you give me the information on the music/artist? Thanks!
I throw in some diced mushrooms at the end too. Excellent recipe and super eay!
Bulgogi is my favourite dish, and with the lock down I have missed having it greatly. I was a bit wary about this recipe because I couldn’t understand how ground beef would capture the true bulgogi taste we think of with beef strips. It works. It was delicious. I’m blown away.
You get the sweet and savoury flavours that no other recipe offers the same complexities as here. It may be the mirin that’s really marrying things together.
TIP: if you use reduced sodium soy sauce like I did, use about half the amount of sugar/sweetener called for.
Thank you for this delicious recipe. In the future I will try substituting sugar with apple+onion and hopefully it works :).
Made it tonight for dinner everybody loved it
I made this tonight and hubby & I both LOVED it! This will definitely make the rotation again. Like many others, I didn’t have plum extract, plum sauce or apricot jam. I used apple jelly since that was what was on hand. Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly. If you are a guest trying to decide whether to try it – Go For It!!
It is some of the best ground beef recipes I have ever tasted
Thank you so much for this recipe. So easy and delicious and convenient since I don’t always have bul-go-gi meat.
Wanted to listen to your recipe but your music (noise) gets in the way of even hearing you! Very, distracting and had to stop the video. I’ve checked a few of your other videos and they are the SAME!
Check out my YouTube for more of a step by step instructions from me!
This is my new go to ground meat recipe. I never have apricot anything around so every time I have made this I just substitute whatever fruit jam I have here. I even used lingenberry for Swedish meatballs once and it was delicious.
I rarely remember to review recipes but I was surprised how tasty this was for such a simple recipe. I’ve only ever had regular bulgogi with strips of beef but this scratches the itch and is so easy
This was lovely—thank you! The apricot jam substitution worked like a charm.
Can you marinate it using this recipe and then form it into burgers and cook it as burgers?
Far too sweet for our family. The second time we omitted the sugar and mirin, used two teaspoons of the jam, added a bunch of Tea Tree mushrooms as well. It was much better.
Quick, easy, delicious, and budget friendly! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
You’re welcome! Thank you for enjoying it 🙂
I love it! Would be awesome to have a modified recipe if you want to have a more saucy outcome (because it’s so good!)