Samgyeopsal 8 Flavors Pork Belly

Samgyeopsal 8 Flavors Pork Belly

The BEST Korean BBQ Samgyeopsal recipe—8 flavors of pork belly that will totally change your Korean BBQ game!

📺 Watch How to Make This Samgyeopsal

🔪 How to Scoring Samgeyopsal (Pork Belly)

Score both sides of the pork belly in a crosshatch pattern, about 1/8-inch deep.
Make sure your knife is sharp, and be careful not to cut all the way through the meat.

Before you start making the marinades, prepare 8 small containers or zip-top snack bags—one for each flavor.

🐷 8 Flavors of Samgyeopsal

1. Original – Let the pork belly shine ✨

2. Curry – Bold, warm, and fragrant

3. Herb – Infused with herb de province

4. Wine – Marinated in red wine for deep, rich flavor

5. Soy Sauce – Classic Korean-style sweet & savory soy-based marinade

6. Garlic – Packed with bold, punchy garlic flavor 🧄

7. Gochujang – Spicy and slightly sweet with Korean chili paste 🌶️

8. Doenjang – Earthy and savory, with fermented soybean paste

❓ FAQ

Can’t Find Pork Belly? Here’s What to Use Instead!

You can enjoy samgyeopsal however you like, but once you try these 8 bold and delicious marinades, there’s no going back. 😉

First things first—you’ll need pork belly, a.k.a. samgyeopsal. But no worries if you can’t find it! You can use pork shoulder as an alternative, or even chicken if you prefer not to eat pork.

🥓 How to Make 8 Flavor Samgyeopsal

1. Original

The original doesn’t need anything! Just enjoy the pure natural pork belly!

2. Curry

Combine curry powder, salt, and mayonnaise in a snack bag and give a gentle massage to mix it all together. Add 1 piece of prepared pork belly (approximately 6 oz) and give a good massage to coat the pork belly evenly with the curry marinade. Set aside.

3. Herb

Combien herb de province or Italian herb mixture, salt, cooking oil, and water in a snack bag and give a gentle massage to mix it all together. Add 1 piece of prepared pork belly (approximately 6 oz) and give a good massage to coat the pork belly evenly with the herb marinade. Set aside.

4. Wine

In a snack bag, add 1 piece of prepared pork belly (approximately 6 oz) and red or white wine. Give a gentle massage to coat the pork belly. Set aside.

5. Soy Sauce

Combine soy sauce, wine, sugar, chopped green onion, garlic, and black pepper in a snack bag and give a gentle massage to mix it all together. Add 1 piece of prepared pork belly (approximately 6 oz) and give a good massage to coat the pork belly evenly with the soy sauce marinade. Set aside.

6. Garlic

Combine garlic and salt in a snack bag and give a gentle massage to mix it all together. You could chop the garlic with salt on a cutting board for the best result if you want to go extra level! Add 1 piece of prepared pork belly (approximately 6 oz) and give a good massage to coat the pork belly evenly with the garlic marinade.

Yes, you could use garlic salt if you prefer! Set aside.

7. Gochujang (Spicy)

Combine gochujang, sugar, and vinegar in a snack bag and give a gentle massage to mix it all together. You can substitute gochujang with sriracha, in case, add more sugar in the marinate! Add 1 piece of prepared pork belly (approximately 6 oz) and give a good massage to coat the pork belly evenly with the gochujang marinade. Set aside.

8. Doenjang, Korean Fermented Soy Bean Paste

Combine doenjang (you can use miso too),  mayonnaise, and garlic in a snack bag and give a gentle massage to mix it all together. Add 1 piece of prepared pork belly (approximately 6 oz) and give a good massage to coat the pork belly evenly with the doenjang marinade. Set aside.

😋 Choose Your Samgyeopsal Flavors

It’s so much fun to cook all 8 different flavors of pork belly—because with every bite, you get excited and go, “Ooh, what flavor is this one?” or “Mmm, how does this one taste?”
That’s the joy of Korean BBQ—every bite is a little surprise!

But of course, if you’d prefer to keep it simple, you can totally pick just 2 or 3 of your favorite flavors and double or triple the marinade recipes. It’s still just as delicious!

Marinate the pork belly overnight. 

When you’re ready to serve the pork belly, simply cook it on the stovetop and enjoy it with some warm rice and a few Korean side dishes.

I recommend fresh kimchi, kimchi, spinach, radish, soybean sprouts, lettuces for warp, ssamjang, warm cooked rice, and more! TAP HERE to check out more side dish options!

🍵 Green Tea Salt

I highly recommend serving it with green tea salt—it pairs perfectly with every single flavor!

• 5 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp matcha (green tea powder)

If you decide to serve the pork belly the authentic Korean way—grilled right at the table— be sure to check out my post, “How to Samgyeopsal Dinner Table”

Print