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Here’s another Whole30 winning dinner — Whole30 Beef Bulgogi!
Making Whole30 compliant beef bulgogi has been on my to-do list and honestly, it couldn’t have been easier to make. Bulgogi, or Korean BBQ beef, is so flavorful and easy. The secret to this Whole30 Beef Bulgogi is all in the marinade.
Traditional bulgogi is primarily marinated with soy sauce, sugar and Korean pear juice. But I simplified the ingredients to some that can be more easily found and to keep this Whole30 compliant. After serving my husband his dish, he took a bite and said, “Well, I definitely want this on dinner rotation.” He is OBSESSED and quite frankly, so am I.
here’s what you’ll need:
- Boneless Beef Chuck Short Ribs
- Garlic
- Pear
- Ginger
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- Plus, some additional Whole30 pantry staples and fresh produce for serving!
The star of the show is, of course, the marinade!
To prepare the marinade:
In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the marinade ingredients. And as you are reading through the list, you may be thinking, “Grated pear? Why?” Just trust me! Traditionally, this recipe uses pear juice but to keep think simpler and cleaner for Whole30, the freshly grated pear will add just the right amount of sweetness.
After the meat marinates for at least 4 hours, hit the grill or indoor skillet to get a nice sear on the beef. Once all cooked through, serve in lettuce cups as I did here or in a cauliflower rice bowl. Either way, load it up with kimchi, green onion, and red onion! You are just going to LOVE this dish.
Whole30 Beef Bulgogi
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck short ribs korean style short ribs, trimmed hangar steak, or ribeye
For the Marinade:
- 2 tablespoons olive or avocado oil
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 pear grated (I use a microplane)
- 1 teaspoon red boat fish sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic about 4 cloves
- 1 teaspoon freshly peeled and grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or less, to taste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt to taste
For Serving:
- 1 head bibb lettuce
- kimchi (I like Wildbrine Brand)
- thinly sliced green onions, green parts only
- thinly sliced red onion
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, Trim off excess fat from the beef. Slice the short ribs into long, thin strips. Place sliced beef in a bowl.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the beef and toss until coated evenly in the marinade.
- Cover and let marinade for at least 4 hours, but preferably all day.
- You can either grill the meat on an outdoor grill, or in a cast iron skillet indoors. Heat the grill or skillet over high heat and get it nice and hot. Cook beef until it is browned on each side but still pink in the center, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Continue until all of the meat is cooked through.
- Serve meat in lettuce cups with kimchi and onions.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography and Styling by Jess Gaertner Creative.
This was sooo delicious I cannot rave about it enough!! The pear added a nice caramelization to the meat when seared it was fabulous! Comparative if not better to most take out bulgogi. So quick and easy after it has been marinated. It will be on rotation monthly for sure! Thank you Alex for another home run!!
So smart to use a pear!! Can’t wait to try this recipe. I love bulgogi!!
Looks delicious, but can Whole 30 have Rice Wine Vinegar? I thought no vinegars made with wine/alcohol.
Nearly all forms of vinegar, including white, red wine, balsamic, apple cider, and rice, are allowed during your Whole30 program as long as there are no added sulfites. (The only exception is malt vinegar, which generally contains gluten.)
Ok, this might be a weird question, but do the little bone segments fall out once you cook them? Or do you poke them out? My long Korean style short ribs have little bone sections.
You leave them in there. Cut around them and eat 🙂