The marinade and recipe has been updated for 2026 – a Korean bbq beef marinade recipe from Sun Kerl herself!

Bul-gogi (Bulgogi) Marinade

2 lbs round roast (Beef), sliced very thin – great options are shaved steak or sliced bone-in short rib (galbi)
5-10 cloves of garlic (diced ideally)
1 large sweet onion, or 2 small sweet onions [optional]
1 cup Coca-Cola (Sprite also works)
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoon pepper
2 Tablespoons oil (e.g., sesame oil) [optional]
Dash of salt to taste

Directions: Chop up onion and dice garlic or use a food processor. Mix in all other ingredients and stir well in a large bowl or container. Place meat in bowl/container in marinade, and place in fridge overnight (ideally 24 hours), or for several hours (12+ hours minimum). Usable containers include a big ziplock bag, a glass container, or a large mixing bowl covered with plastic wrap.

Grill meat or broil in the oven (grill ideally!) for a short period, it does not take long to grill the thinly sliced beef. Serve with white rice, kimchi, and salted/dried seaweed.

I made some modifications since the last recipe to more accurately match ratios of meat-to-marinade – this may be more marinade than needed (which is OK – and better than not enough!).