Korean Recipes

Kimchi stew with pork, tofu, green chile and green onion in a black earthenware pot

Korean cooking fits right in on a steak and seafood site. Grilled beef is at the heart of it, from sweet, garlicky bulgogi to LA galbi, the thin-cut short ribs that char in minutes, and the coastline brings clams, shrimp, squid and anchovies to the table.

These recipes start with a quick weeknight ground beef bowl and work up to weekend projects like homemade mandu. Most of them use the same short list of pantry staples, so once you have a tub of gochujang, a bag of gochugaru and a bottle of toasted sesame oil, the whole section is open to you.

14 Korean recipes

  • Korean Ground Beef Bowls25 min total | 4 servings

    Lean ground beef browned with garlic and green onion and simmered in a sweet soy, sesame and ginger sauce with a little heat, spooned over hot rice. Dinner in 25 minutes; serves 4.

  • Beef Bulgogi (Marinated Ribeye)2 hr total | 4 servings

    Paper-thin slices of ribeye marinated in soy sauce, brown sugar, grated pear, garlic, ginger and sesame oil, then seared fast in a very hot skillet with onion and green onions. Serves 4.

  • LA Galbi (Grilled Korean Short Ribs)4 hr 35 min total | 6 servings

    Thin flanken-cut beef short ribs soaked in a soy, pear, garlic and sesame marinade for at least 4 hours, then grilled over high heat for just a few minutes per side. Serves 6.

  • Haemul Pajeon (Seafood Scallion Pancake)40 min total | 2 (10-inch) pancakes, 4 servings

    A crisp, savory Korean pancake loaded with whole green onions, shrimp, squid and scallops in a light, ice-cold batter, pan-fried golden and served with a tangy soy dipping sauce. Makes 2.

  • Gochujang Garlic Shrimp23 min total | 4 servings

    Large shrimp seared in a hot skillet, then tossed in a sticky glaze of gochujang, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar and plenty of butter-sauteed garlic. Ready in about 25 minutes; serves 4.

  • Kimchi Fried Rice25 min total | 2 to 3 servings

    Day-old rice stir-fried with chopped ripe kimchi, bacon, onion and a spoonful of gochujang, finished with sesame oil and topped with a runny fried egg. Ready in 25 minutes; serves 2 to 3.

  • Japchae (Glass Noodles with Beef and Vegetables)55 min total | 4 to 6 servings

    Chewy sweet potato glass noodles tossed with marinated beef, spinach, carrot, onion, bell pepper and shiitake mushrooms in a sweet soy and sesame sauce. Serves 4 to 6, warm or at room temperature.

  • Dakgangjeong (Sweet and Spicy Crispy Chicken)50 min total | 4 servings

    Bite-size pieces of chicken thigh fried twice until shatteringly crisp, then tossed in a sticky gochujang, honey and garlic glaze and topped with chopped peanuts. Serves 4.

  • Oi Muchim (Spicy Korean Cucumber Salad)25 min total | 4 servings

    Thin-sliced cucumbers salted to draw out water, then tossed with onion, green onion, garlic, gochugaru, rice vinegar and sesame. A crunchy, tangy side ready in 25 minutes; serves 4.

  • Myeolchi Bokkeum (Stir-Fried Anchovies with Shishito Peppers)22 min total | 4 to 6 servings as a side

    Tiny dried anchovies toasted until crisp, then stir-fried with garlic and blistered shishito peppers in a sweet soy and honey glaze with a pinch of gochugaru. A classic banchan; serves 4 to 6.

  • Steamed Mandu (Korean Pork and Beef Dumplings)1 hr 25 min total | About 30 dumplings, 6 servings

    Homemade Korean dumplings filled with ground pork and beef, tofu, napa cabbage, green onion, garlic and ginger, folded into rounds and steamed until tender. Makes about 30.

  • Kimchi Jjigae (Kimchi Stew with Pork and Tofu)45 min total | 4 servings

    A bubbling, spicy Korean stew of well-fermented kimchi and sliced pork belly simmered with onion, garlic and gochugaru, finished with soft tofu, green onion and green chile. Serves 4.

  • Spicy Clam Bibimbap (Kkomak Bibimbap)1 hr 5 min total | 4 servings

    Briefly boiled clams chopped and tossed with soy sauce, red and green chiles, garlic, gochugaru and sesame, served over rice with garlic chives, onion and crumbled seaweed. Serves 4.

  • Smoked Salmon Salad with Creamy Sesame Dressing20 min total | 4 servings

    Mixed greens, radicchio, pea shoots and cherry tomatoes topped with rosettes of smoked salmon and thin lemon slices, served with a creamy roasted sesame dressing. Serves 4.

Common questions

What is gochujang?
A thick, savory-sweet Korean red chili paste made from chili powder, rice and fermented soybeans. It is sold in red tubs at Asian markets and most large supermarkets, and it keeps for months in the refrigerator.
What is gochugaru?
Korean red pepper flakes. They are coarser, sweeter and milder than crushed red pepper. Crushed red pepper can stand in, but use about half as much.
What should I serve with Korean food?
Steamed short-grain rice and a few banchan, the small side dishes such as cucumber salad, kimchi or stir-fried anchovies, round out almost any Korean meal.

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