Korean Bulgogi Beef Fried Rice with Fresh Veggies
This recipe combines two of my favorite things. Fried rice and bulgogi. If you’ve never had bulgogi in fried rice, this is the perfect opportunity.
Korean bulgogi is thinly sliced strips of beef, marinated in a sweet and savory sauce. The marinated beef is tender, juicy and flavorful. It can be served with rice, lettuce wraps, on its own or with noodles like my, Bulgogi Noodles.
This recipe comes with a homemade bulgogi sauce that comes together in about 30 seconds with a blender. This sauce has the perfect sweet and salty balance, the kind that creates magic in your mouth. Basically, it’s heaven in sauce form.
The beef marinates for 30 minutes, then tossed with crispy veggies and day-old rice. The result is a flavorful and easy bulgogi that tastes like it came from one of your favorite Korean bbq restaurants, but you can wear sweatpants and watch tv while eating it.
❤️ Why You’ll Love Bulgogi Fried Rice:
- Great way to get rid of leftover rice.
- Even better the next day.
- Easy meal to serve a lot of people.
- Add any veggies that need to be eaten.
- No added sugar and high protein.
- The entire family, including toddlers and kids, will love it.
🍲 Ingredients
Garlic
Ginger
Coconut Aminos
Apple Cider Vinegar
Applesauce or Pear Puree
Black Pepper
Olive Oil
Sesame Oil
Beef (sirloin recommended)
Cooked Rice – day-old is best
Carrot
Zucchini
Sesame Seeds
Green Onion
👩🍳 How to Make Bulgogi Fried Rice
- In a food processor or blender, add all of the ingredients listed under “for the marinade” and blend until the marinade is smooth.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the thinly sliced beef and marinade, then mix. Make sure the meat is well coated. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes, or longer if possible.
- In a large non-stick pan or large wok, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the marinated beef to the hot pan and cook until it’s fully cooked and slightly caramelized, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add another tablespoon of olive oil, carrot and zucchini.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes until the vegetables are slightly softened.
- Add the cooked rice, sesame oil and bulgogi to the skillet with the sautéed vegetables. Stir to combine.
- Garnish the bulgogi fried rice with sesame seeds and chopped green onions. Serve immediately.
🪄 Tips and Tricks
- For best results, use leftover or day-old rice. This will ensure your rice is “fried” and not a soggy or mushy.
- Use long-grain jasmine rice. It makes the best fried rice.
- You want very thin slices of meat. Use a sharp knife to ensure a smooth and even cut, against the grain of the meat.
🗒 Substitutions
- Add any of your favorite veggies like green beans, bell peppers or napa cabbage.
🗒 Serving Suggestions
- By no means mandatory, but add a fried egg, you won’t regret it.
- Mix in kimchi juice. Spicy kimchi gives the rice a kick of heat and is incredibly delicious.
- Although this is a meal on it’s own, I love to serve this with a side dish of veggies, like Broccoli Parmesan or Green Bean Fries.
👝 How to Store Leftovers
Store leftover rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up the three days.
🤔 Common Questions
Yes! Both gluten and dairy-free.
I prefer top sirloin because it’s incredibly tender. You can also use short ribs, ribeye steak or tenderloin. You can also make this with chicken breasts if you don’t eat red meat.
Bulgogi Fried Rice
Ingredients
Marinade
- 2 Tablespoons garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger minced
- 6 Tablespoons coconut aminos
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup applesauce or pear puree
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Fried Rice
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 lb. thinly sliced beef *
- 2 cups cooked rice **
- 1/2 cup carrots diced
- 1/2 cup zucchini diced
- sesame seeds gor garnish
- green onions chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- In a food processor or blender, add all of the ingredients listed under "for the marinade" and blend until marinade is smooth.
- In a large bowl, add the thinly sliced beef and marinade, then mix. Make sure the meat is well coated. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes, or longer if possible.
- In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the marinated beef and cook until it's fully cooked and slightly caramelized, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add another tablespoon of olive oil, carrot and zucchini.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes until the vegetables are slightly softened.
- Stir in the onion, red bell pepper and carrot. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the vegetables are slightly softened.
- Add the cooked rice, sesame oil and bulgogi to the skillet with the sautéed vegetables. Stir to combine.
- Pour the cooked bulgogi over the noodles and vegetables. Stir to combine.
- Garnish the bulgogi fried rice with sesame seeds and chopped green onions. Serve immediately.
