Bulgogi

Allergens at a glance

• UsuallySoySoy sauce in the marinade; soybean paste in the ssamjang dip.
• UsuallyGlutenStandard soy sauce is brewed with wheat; gochujang in pork and spicy versions.
• UsuallySesameSesame oil in the marinade and toasted sesame seeds on top.
• SometimesFishThe kimchi and some side dishes served with it contain fish sauce.
• SometimesCrustaceansThe kimchi served alongside often contains salted shrimp.
• SometimesMolluscsSquid bulgogi (ojingeo bulgogi) uses the same name and often the same grill.

Usually in the standard recipe. Often in many versions. Sometimes in some kitchens, or a cross-contact risk.

Diets

• Not vegetarian: beef as standard, pork or squid in variations; tofu or mushroom versions are rare.
• Not halal as standard: the beef is rarely certified and the marinade may include rice wine.
• Not suitable for coeliacs (celiacs): the soy sauce marinade contains wheat.

Recipes change from kitchen to kitchen. If you have an allergy, confirm every ingredient with the restaurant before you order.

What is bulgogi?

Bulgogi is thin slices of beef soaked in a sweet soy and garlic marinade, then cooked quickly over a grill or in a pan. The name means "fire meat". It's sweeter and milder than most Korean food, so it's often the first Korean dish visitors try, and it's served in restaurants, lunch boxes and even burgers.

What's in it

The standard marinade is:

• Soy sauce and sugar or honey
• Garlic, spring onion, black pepper and onion
• Grated Korean pear (or apple or kiwi) to tenderise the meat
• Sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds
• Sometimes rice wine (cheongju or mirim)

The meat is usually beef rib-eye, sirloin or brisket, sliced very thin. Restaurants cook it in a few ways: on a charcoal grill, on a domed griddle with a moat for the juices (Seoul style, often with glass noodles and mushrooms), or as a hot pot (ttukbaegi bulgogi).

It's eaten with rice, banchan (small side dishes) and lettuce or perilla leaves for wrapping, with ssamjang, a dip of soybean paste and chilli paste.

Variations: dwaeji bulgogi is pork in a spicy gochujang marinade, and ojingeo bulgogi is spicy squid, more often listed as ojingeo bokkeum (오징어볶음).

Allergens and diets

Soy and sesame are both in the standard marinade, so assume them. Soy sauce also brings gluten, because Korean and Japanese soy sauces are usually brewed with wheat. The spicy pork version adds gochujang, which usually contains wheat too.

The side dishes widen the list. Ssamjang is soybean paste and chilli paste, often with sesame. Kimchi usually contains fish sauce and often salted shrimp. If your allergy is severe, ask about each banchan rather than the main dish alone.

Squid bulgogi can carry the same name, so molluscs are worth asking about where both are on the menu and cooked on shared grills.

Kiwi or pineapple in some marinades can matter if you have a fruit allergy: ask.

On the menu

Bulgogi is written 불고기. Prefixes change the meat:

• 소불고기 so bulgogi: beef
• 돼지불고기 dwaeji bulgogi: pork, spicy
• 오징어불고기 ojingeo bulgogi: squid
• 뚝배기불고기 ttukbaegi bulgogi: hot pot
• 1인분 il-inbun: one serving

At Korean barbecue restaurants, many dishes are sold per serving and some require at least two servings per order.

Last checked 1 November 2026. Spotted something wrong? Email support@inventum.com.au.