These Korean Bulgogi meatballs turned out so flavorful. This is a great weeknight dinner recipe or even better as a meal prep recipe. We made it with 2 pounds of ground beef, this was enough for lunch all week (5 days) for one person. They also freeze super well, so you can batch make them and freeze for an easy dinner on a busy weeknight. So many options!

Ingredients:

We don’t make Korean food often, but really do enjoy the flavors. It’s more subtle than Thai flavors but more bold than Japanese flavors. There are a few key ingredients that make these meatballs stand out.

Gochujang

This is a fermented Korean spicy red pepper paste. You can find it in more supermarkets these days but if you have a local Asian supermarket, even better. It makes a ton of flavor and spice into a concentrated paste.

If you can’t find it or prefer it to be less spicy, you can use miso paste as an alternative. I would suggest using half/three-quarters of the recommended quantity though, as miso paste is slightly saltier.

Gochugaru

This is a spice blend of Korean red chiles. We found it at our local grocer, but know this one can be a bit harder to track down. Red chili flakes would be a good alternative, or if you prefer it to be less spicy, you can omit it.

Grass Fed Ground Beef

We’ve been focusing on improving our food choices this year and have tried to limit our red meat consumption overall. When we do eat red meat, we opt for grass fed beef. We used 90/10 ground beef for these delicious Korean bulgogi meatballs and they turned out moist with the other ingredients added.

You could make these with ground pork, venison, or lamb as well.

Pairing/Serving Ideas:

There are so many ways you utilize these Korean bulgogi meatballs. We opted for a simple rice bowl. Steamed white rice, sliced carrots, green onions, and we added some fermented Kimchi pickles for some added probiotics and more Korean flavor. Regular Kimchi is a great addition too!

Other options could include

• Korean inspired noodle soups
• Toss in a Korean BBQ sauce and serve as an appetizer
• A Korean BBQ meatball sub with pickled carrots and kimchi

Other Recipe Ideas:

Want more meatball inspiration? Check out our Italian Style Meatballs

Have extra ground beef? Make some Halal Guys Copycat Bowls

Korean Bulgogi Meatballs

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Servings: 6 People

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: korean

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 2 Pounds Ground Beef 90/10
• 2 Tablespoons Ginger Grated
• 6 Cloves Garlic Grated
• 3 Tablespoons Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Honey
• 1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons Gochujang Korean Spicy Red Pepper Paste
• 2 Tablespoons Gochugaru or Red Chili Flakes Korean Red Chili Flakes
• ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1 Egg
• ½ Cup Green Onion Diced

Method

 

1. Pre-heat oven to 400F
2. Combine all of the ingredients together, including the cracked egg, in a large mixing bowl and mix together to combine well.
3. I recommend to pan fry a small piece and sample it to make sure the seasonings are to your taste before baking them.
4. Bake the meatballs on a baking sheet for 20 minutes
5. Serve with rice and vegetables of your choice