Bulgogi is a Korean barbecue favorite consisting of slices of beef marinated in a savory sauce and grilled to perfection. It's the most popular food in Korean cuisine and is a super easy recipe to put together for your daily meal prep.
While bulgogi is undeniably delicious, is bulgogi healthy?
Bulgogi is a very healthy dish given that it has high protein content and is marinated in a soy-based sauce, which is relatively low in calories. A serving of the dish is 476 calories, with 27 grams of protein, 21 grams of fat, and 44 grams of carbs, with a serving of rice. This makes it a great dish for weight loss purposes.
The key to making this dish low-calorie is to portion the ingredients mindfully.
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💭 What is Bulgogi?
Bulgogi is a traditional Korean dish consisting of thin slices of beef marinated in a sweet soy sauce. It’s a popular choice in Korean restaurants.
Bulgogi's direct translation means "fire meat" which refers to the fact that it consists of grilled meat. Bulgogi can also be made with chicken and pork belly.
It's delicious whether it's wrapped in a lettuce wrap or eaten as is. It's often served with other cuts of meat, such as Hawaiian kalbi. It's a great healthy Korean BBQ dish to make at home.
🍎 Calories and Nutrition - How To Make It Healthy
Since bulgogi is usually eaten in a group setting, this can make it harder to keep tabs on portion size.
It can also easily add up in fat content since it is predominantly made of beef. The positive thing about consuming beef is that it has all the amino acids needed for the body to build muscle. Learn more about complete amino acids.
To make a healthier version, I used portion control and modified the sauce to use fewer calorie-dense ingredients. Here are the key changes I made:
- Used 4 oz of beef
- Only used 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
- Only used 1 teaspoon of sugar
- Portioned out 1 serving of brown rice at 160 calories
- Used cooking spray, which is 0 calories compared to traditional cooking oils. Olive oil has 120 calories per tablespoon.
For a detailed breakdown of each ingredient, their portioning, and how they make up the nutrition profile of the chicken rice recipe, you may refer to the table below:
⚡ Risks
High cholesterol and saturated fats – As with any red meat, beef, which has saturated fats, can raise levels of LDL cholesterol, which can put one at risk for heart disease. It's best to eat beef sparingly if you have any cardiovascular diseases or high blood pressure.
Check out this post from Harvard to learn more information about what foods to avoid if you have high cholesterol.
High salt content – Bulgogi's delicious flavor is attributed to its salt content. High sodium intake can cause dehydration, so it's best to consume enough water when you eat bulgogi.
If you want are concerned with these factors, you can always opt to use leaner proteins, such as chicken or lean ground beef, to make this dish.
📋 Ingredient Notes
Beef slices – Beef chuck or ribeye would work here. You can typically buy pre-sliced beef at your local Asian supermarket, or you can make your own beef slices. Check out this guide on cutting your own beef slices to learn how.
Marinade – A combination of soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, and sugar makes a classic bulgogi marinade. With careful portioning, this is not too bad in calories. You can use granulated sugar or brown sugar.
Apple (Optional) – Apple is a great way to add an additional depth of flavor into the marinade.
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
📖 Substitutions & Variations
Mix in more vegetables – You can mix in bean sprouts, spinach, cucumbers, mushrooms (shiitake mushrooms or bella or any), carrot, zucchini, or anything you prefer.
Make it spicy – Add some gochujang (Korean red pepper paste) and gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) to give it a kick
Add apple or pear to the marinade – Many traditional Korean recipes add grated apple or pear to the marinade for an additional touch of tangy sweetness.
Make Chicken Bulgogi – This marinade would also go well with chicken. Check out my traditional chicken bulgogi recipe and spicy chicken bulgogi recipe.
Brown rice, white rice, mixed grain rice, or cauliflower rice – Health-wise, they are all similar in calories and macros, with mixed grain rice slightly higher in calories (190 calories vs 160 calories for one serving)
Use Ground Beef – While ground beef is not the traditional way to cook it, using lean ground beef is another way to cut down on the fat content.
🔪 Step by Step Instructions
Prepare the rice – Start by preparing the rice according to the package directions so that the rice can cook while you're putting together the rest of the recipe.
Make the marinade – Mince the garlic into small pieces. Mix the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl.
Marinade the beef – Add in the beef slices and mix thoroughly, making sure the beef slices are thoroughly coated with the marinade. Marinade for at least 30 minutes.
Prepare the vegetables – Slice the onion into long lengthwise slices.
Cook the bulgogi and onions – Put a cast iron pan or large skillet on the stove and turn to medium-high heat. Once heated, add the bulgogi slices along with the onions, ideally in a single layer. Cook the bulgogi slices for about 30 seconds on each side, or until thoroughly cooked. Leave the onions caramelizing in the sauce until they begin to wilt.
Put it together – Serve the bulgogi over a bed of rice and garnish with scallions and sesame seeds before enjoying.
🍽 What To Eat With
Bulgogi is a great protein base to make a variety of healthy meals. Here are some ideas.
Lettuce Wraps – In Korean bbq restaurants, bulgogi is often eaten wrapped in lettuce wraps.
Bulgogi Bowls – Top with some rice and veggies. I used 1 portion of rice, which is only 150 calories.
Bibimbap – Similar to the above but usually with an egg and can be served in a stone pot. Use my chicken bibimbap recipe as a starting point and just swap out the chicken for bulgogi.
Mix with some udon noodles or potato noodles – The noodles will soak up the juices for a delicious umami flavor.
Make a jeongol – Jeongol is a type of Korean hot pot and bulgogi jeongol is a popular dish. Make this into a broth and add in additional vegetables.
💡Expert Tips
Cook the beef in a single layer and remove it as soon as it is done cooking –Overcooking the beef will result in an unappetizing and tough texture.
Cook on a cast iron – this will give the chicken a smoky barbecue flavor reminiscent of Korean barbecue
💭 Frequently Asked Questions
You can use beef chuck, rib-eye, ground beef, or flank steak.
You can buy pre-cut beef slices at your local Asian market. Alternatively, you can buy a piece of meat and slice it yourself. Refer to Just One Cookbook’s guide to slicing meat for more details.
Yes you can make this recipe in advance and store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Bulgogi makes for a great meal prep option.
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & if you REALLY like this recipe, consider a review further down the page. Thank you!
🍳 Recipe
Healthy Korean Beef Bulgogi Recipe
Ingredients
Marinade Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
- 1 teaspoon Mirin
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- 2 cloves Garlic
- ⅛ Yellow Onion (Minced)
- 1 teaspoon Grated Apple (Optional)
Beef and Rice
- 4 Oz Beef Slices
- ¼ cup Brown Rice
Instructions
- Prepare the rice – Start by preparing the rice according to the package directions so that the rice can cook while you're putting together the rest of the recipe.
- Make the marinade – Mince the garlic into small pieces. Mix the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Marinade the beef – Add in the beef slices and mix thoroughly, making sure the beef slices are thoroughly coated with the marinade. Marinade for at least 30 minutes.
- Prepare the vegetables – Slice the onion into long lengthwise slices.
- Cook the bulgogi and onions – Put a cast iron pan or large skillet on the stove and turn to medium-high heat. Once heated, add the bulgogi slices along with the onions, ideally in a single layer. Cook the bulgogi slices for about 30 seconds on each side, or until thoroughly cooked. Leave the onions caramelizing in the sauce until they begin to wilt.
- Put it together – Serve the bulgogi over a bed of rice and garnish with scallions and sesame seeds before enjoying.
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