23 Korean BBQ Recipes for Grilling Season
You don’t need a built-in tabletop grill to make restaurant-caliber Korean BBQ recipes at home (that would be pretty cool, though). Tender bulgogi, crispy-edged kalbi, and perfectly charred squid are all within the realm of possibility on a run-of-the-mill backyard grill. In minutes you can turn out restaurant-caliber fare to tuck into perilla or lettuce leaves or put on white rice with all the ssamjang your heart desires.
Meaty mains aren’t the only star in the Korean BBQ galaxy, either. Those rich, savory proteins shine when served with crisp, tart, and spicy pickled and fresh veggies and banchan (assorted toppings and side dishes). And no one in the history of barbecue or life has ever been sad to see a sizzling dish of Korean corn cheese hit the table.
Make your Korean barbecue spread as elaborate or simple as you like. Swap the steak for kalbi-style mushrooms to make a vegetarian feast and prepare as many or few banchan as seems reasonable. When K-BBQ is on the table, you’re in for a great meal—no matter how you sear and slice it.
Photo by Isa Zapata, food styling by Kat Boystova1/23LA Kalbi
Crosscut beef short ribs cook up quickly and with meltingly tender results in this recipe for LA kalbi, a Korean American riff on Korea’s kalbi (sometimes anglicized as “galbi”). If your grocery store doesn’t have Asian pears, swap in grated apple or kiwi. Turn leftovers into Margaret Cho’s favorite tacos.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Christina Allen2/23Korean Potato Salad
Photo by Linda Xiao3/23Basic Bulgogi
One of the most iconic Korean BBQ recipes is also endlessly adaptable. Use this hot-sweet-salty bulgogi marinade on pork loin, chicken thighs, beef short ribs, sirloin, hanger steak, and beyond.
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Ayesha Patel4/23Crunchy Gochujang Fennel
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman5/23Clean-Out-the-Fridge Kimchi
Photograph by Peden + Munk, Food Styling by Diana Yen, Prop Styling by Hannah Ferrara7/23Spicy Korean-Style Grilled Corn
This twist on elote fits right in with a Korean BBQ spread. The charred cobs are slathered in gochujang mayo, dusted with smoky chili powder, and spritzed with fresh lime.
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Ayesha Patel9/23Soy-Marinated Eggs
Gentl & Hyers10/23Sesame-Salt Dipping Sauce
This three-ingredient condiment from Mott St. chef Edward Kim is the perfect final hit of seasoning on your charred protein. Look for Korean solar salt in Asian markets or online or swap in coarse kosher salt.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Amy Wilson11/23Grilled Short Ribs With Pickled Daikon
Photograph by Victoria Jane, Food Styling by Rosanna Anil12/23Korean Corn Cheese
Cheesy, gooey corn cheese is a mic-drop Korean recipe that will have everyone reaching for seconds. Serve it piping hot straight out of its cast-iron skillet or baking dish.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Micah Morton, Prop Styling by Sean Dooley13/23Bulgogi Tofu Burgers
Gentl & Hyers14/23Mott St Ssam Sauce
Tweak the balance of miso and gochujang to make this classic ssamjang as mild or spicy as you like. Dab it onto your Korean barbecue-filled lettuce or perilla leaves, and use any leftover sauce on roasted eggplant, rice bowls, omelets, and anything that could use a tangy kick.
Photograph by Peden + Munk, food styling by Shilpa Uskokovic16/23Gochujang Steak Wraps
Seasoning these strip steaks with a pinch of sugar encourages browning and acts as a tenderizer, ensuring the meat easily gives way when you bite into your lettuce wrap.
Gentl & Hyers18/23Grilled Sliced Brisket
The easiest way to get paper-thin cuts is to freeze the brisket for 15 minutes before slicing. This minimalistic Korean BBQ recipe (no seasoning!) cooks up fast and lets the beef shine.
Photographs by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk20/23Korean-Style Hasselback Short Ribs
From New York’s wildly popular Korean restaurant Cote comes this beef bulgogi recipe accompanied by a crunchy scallion salad. Cutting the meat before you marinate and cook it creates tons of surface area so everyone at the table gets their fill of crunchy, caramelized bites.
Gentl & Hyers21/23Perilla Chimichurri
In this Korean barbecue–adjacent riff on Argentine chimichurri, Atlanta chef Jiyeon Lee uses minty sweet perilla instead of cilantro and parsley. It keeps for up to a week in the fridge.
Photograph by Peden + Munk, Food Styling by Diana Yen, Prop Styling by Hannah Ferrara22/23Kalbi-Style Steak and Mushroom Lettuce Wraps
For a vegetarian take on this kalbi-style main dish, skip the beef and swap in another 1½ pounds of mushrooms. Either way, the soy sauce, brown sugar, and toasted sesame oil marinade builds layers of umami.
