Flavorful marinated strips of fork-tender beef are served with crisp hot onions and peppers in this recipe for Korean Beef Bulgogi.

Bulgogi is one of the most well-known Korean foods and I’ve been making it at home for years now.

I’ve tried some ridiculously complicated recipes over the years with tons of special ingredients and nothing tasted right.

I finally asked my friend, Shinae, if she had a bulgogi recipe for me to try and sure enough, her recipe was perfect!

Korean Beef Bulgogi

Similar to the way that Jap Chae makes my heart go pitterpat, Bulgogi is Sean’s favorite Korean food.

When I first tasted this beef, as it was coming out of the hot skillet, I almost squealed with happiness. I grabbed a fork and ran a bite to Sean’s office for him to try.

We both loved it. Sean followed me back to the kitchen and kept sneaking bites from the waiting bowl as I finished cooking the rest of the meat. I’ve made this a couple of times now and our kids love it every bit as much as we do.

And if you happen to love Korean food as much as my family does, Cheater Korean Beef is the kind of dish that both beginning and experienced cooks need in their life.

Korean Barbecue Sauce is a sweet, tangy, garlicky, slightly spicy sauce. It is a game-changer.

It can go just about anywhere regular barbecue sauce can go but is also wonderful with stir-fries, lettuce wraps, fried rice; this sauce is an instant flavor boost to almost any food.

Bulgogi Sauce Recipe

In typical fashion, I’ve added a little heat to our version. Read more

Asian Cucumber Salad

This light and fresh Asian cucumber salad is our new favorite healthy side dish, complete with a sweet and tangy vinegar dressing.

Earlier this year I was working on an Asian steak marinade and I was playing around with the idea of using black vinegar in it. The final recipe was tested when Cade’s mom came into town and it was a total hit. Without even realizing it though, I’d added black vinegar to the cucumbers instead of the steak marinade that morning. It turned out both dishes needed something a little different than what I was doing and it was awesome!

You can read below for a substitute as we still love cucumber salad with just straight up rice or apple cider vinegar. In fact, we often use both. 

Ingredients for Asian Cucumber Salad

It only takes 7 ingredients to make this simple but refreshing salad recipe. Here is what you will need:

• English Cucumber – I just to just slice them thin by hand, but feel free to remove the seeds if you want
• Red Onion – totally optional but I love the zip it adds, do a fine slice on a mandolin
• Rice Vinegar – mild, sweet and sour flavor
• Chinese Black Vinegar – a dark mild vinegar with a slightly fruity flavor
• Honey – adds sweetness and balances the saltiness and tang
• Sesame Seeds – give them a little toast to enhance the nutty flavor
• Fine Sea Salt – dissolves easily into the dressing and adds flavor

Read more

Asian Steak Marinade

We love our steak fajitas marinade recipe but I couldn’t stop thinking about putting an Asian twist on it, and thus, our Asian steak marinade was born!

We have a little secret with the steak too, so keep reading to get all the dets.

The Secret is in the Steak

I couldn’t find plain skirt or flank steak at the store, so I bought carne asada instead. Just the store brand raw meat but it was already flavored. Worked amazing!!! So if you’re short on time, definitely go with this option. If you want to go totally homemade, I’ll include our own spice rub recipe in the recipe card below. You’ll apply the rub before putting the steak in the marinade.

Ingredients for Asian Steak Marinade

This dry rub and marinade is so easy! All you do is combine everything together and rub it on the steak and then pour the marinade on the steak in a plastic bag.

• Skirt or Flank Steak – either one will work, and look for a pre-seasoned one for extra easy cooking

For the Rub

For the Marinade

• Rice Vinegar – adds acidity
• Pineapple Juice – adds a little sweetness and tang
• Soy Sauce – low sodium, great for tenderizing the meat because it breaks down the tough proteins
• Garlic – freshly minced
• Ginger – adds that signature Asian flavor
• Light Brown Sugar – adds sweetness and richness
• Red Chili Flakes – adds a little heat, feel free to add more if you like it spicy
• Scallions – for garnish

The full recipe with the measurements and complete instructions can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.