ABSOLUTE BEST Bulgogi Fried Rice Dish for a QUICK Meal!
We had this dish at Chi Asian Kitchen in the Stratosphere in Las Vegas and absolutely loved it. Here is my attempt to recreate it at home!
Things to know:
What is bulgogi fried rice?
This dinner brings restaurant-worthy flavors straight to your kitchen! Tender marinated bulgogi beef is cooked to perfection and served over long grain fried rice.
Do you cook the egg before putting it in fried rice?
Yes, you cook the egg before or during adding the rice, but it’s usually scrambled first (partially cooked), then the rice is added to mix and coat, creating fluffy, yellow grains rather than large chunks. Common methods include cooking the egg separately and adding it back at the end, scrambling it in the wok first, or coating the rice in raw egg yolk before frying for a golden finish, but all involve cooking the egg.
What is bulgogi made of?
Bulgogi ingredients center on thinly sliced beef (like ribeye or sirloin) marinated in a sweet, savory sauce of soy sauce, sugar/honey, garlic, and sesame oil, often enhanced with pureed Asian pear (or apple/kiwi) for tenderizing and sweetness, plus additions like black pepper, green onions, and sesame seeds. Vegetables such as onions, carrots, and mushrooms are typically stir-fried with the marinated meat.
What is bulgogi flavor?
Bulgogi tastes savory, sweet, and garlicky, with deep umami from soy sauce and a hint of nuttiness from sesame oil, creating a balanced, tender, and juicy beef with caramelized edges from quick searing. It’s a complex mix of sweet and salty, with aromatic notes of garlic and ginger, but usually not spicy unless gochujang (Korean chili paste) is added, offering a rich, satisfying flavor profile.
Is bulgogi just teriyaki?
They’re similar, but no, they are not the same. Japanese teriyaki and Korean bulgogi both contain soy sauce and sugar so they have a similar flavor. Both may contain garlic, ginger, and/or sesame oil. However, teriyaki contains a bit more mirin than bulgogi.
What are some common bulgogi mistakes?
Using beef that’s too thick or too lean.
Forgetting to slice against the grain.
Overcrowding the pan, which causes streaming instead of browning.
Marinating the beef for too long.
Cooking the beef in its wet marinade prevents caramelization.
Ingredients
For the Bulgogi:
Ingredients for 1 lb of beef (sirloin, tenderloin, ribeye sliced thin)
Marinade:
3 T soy sauce
2 T brown sugar [white sugar ok]
1 T honey [ 2 t sugar is also ok ]
2 T mirin
1 T sesame oil
2 T minced garlic
1 t ground black pepper
1 T chopped green onion
2 T Asian pear, puree [ or 1 Tbs kiwi or 3 Tbs onion puree]
The rest of the fixin’s:
4 cups cook rice
4 T butter
4 T soy sauce
4 T minced garlic
2 T minced ginger
Optional:
diced bamboo shoots
diced green onions
mushrooms (we used straw mushrooms)
diced carrot
2 boneless skinless extremely young chickens (eggs)
Bulgogi Fried Rice Eve:
1. Mix all marinade ingredients together, then add to the beef. Allow the beef to marinade overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Make 4 cups of rice. Spread the cooked rice out on a baking sheet and allow to dry in the refrigerator overnight.
The day of the cook:
1. Cook the beef in on your griddle on medium high heat until all pink is gone, then move to a cooler portion of the griddle.
2. Put the butter on the griddle, then top with the rice.
3. Crack the eggs onto the griddle surface and scramble, then add to rice.
4. Add the remaining ingredients except the green onions to the rice and mix well until warmed throughout.
5. Mix in the bulgogi and green onions and serve immediately.
6. Garnish with sesame seeds and a few more green onions. ENJOY!
Equipment used:
Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker & Air Fryer
Cabela’s Commercial-Grade Food Slicer – 12″
Blackstone Griddle
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