Korean spicy pork recipe. This classic Korean dish features gochujang marinated tender pork cooked with onions and spring onions (scallions). This satisfying pork bulgogi is richer and bolder than its beef counterpart, and is a satisfying lunch or dinner when served wrapped in lettuce, and topped with kimchi and ssamjang (Korean dipping sauce). Try this for your next Korean food night!
Why I Love This Rustic And Bold Dish
When you hear Korean barbecue, the first thing that comes to your mind is, of course, bulgogi. Meat thinly sliced, sweetly marinated, and grilled until caramelized, it has become one of the most popular Korean dishes around the world. Often overshadowed by its much loved counterpart, beef bulgogi, this recipe swaps expensive cuts for pork, creating a dish that’s richer, bolder, and unapologetically robust.
The signature marinade is built around gochujang giving the dish its vibrant color and depth. The layers of savory complexity developed over months of fermentation offers heat that’s also flavorful. Garlic, soy sauce, mirin, and optional gochugaru add another level of flavors. A touch of sweetness, often from sugar, or fruits like Asian pear or apple, softens the spice and helps the pork caramelize beautifully.
The pork slices offer generous marbling, allowing the meat to remain succulent even under intense heat. As it cooks, the fat renders slowly, making it tender with crisp edges. The flavors will become even more compelling if you can cook over charcoal. This dish built for sharing pairs well with steamed rice and an assortment of banchan or sides like kimchi or spinach. A few slices of pork is wrapped in lettuce, and topped with rice, kimchi, and a little ssamjang making every bite so delicious. Korean cucumber salad is another delicious side dish option.
Key Ingredients In Korean Spicy Pork
- Pork - The key protein.
- Veggies - Onions and spring onions (scallions).
- Fruits - Apple or Asian pear is used in the marinade to tenderize the meat.
- Soy sauce - Add to the marinade for bold umami flavor.
Pork Bulgogi or Korean Spicy Pork Recipe
The marinade - Simply mix together gochujang, soy sauce, mirin, minced garlic, sugar, and grated apple. Gochugaru is an optional ingredient in this recipe for extra heat.
Cook pork bulgogi - Slice the pork thinly, and coat with the marinade alongside onions and spring onions (scallions). Add pork to hot oil, and let it sizzle. You can also grill the pork. As it cooks, the edges caramelize while staying juicy inside. Plate pork bulgogi with rice, lettuce, kimchi, and ssamjang.
Korean Spicy Pork Recipe | Pork Bulgogi
Ingredients
- 500 g pork scotch fillet, thinly sliced
- 4 spring onions (scallions), cut into 2-inch sticks
- 1 brown onion, sliced
- ¼ cup grated apple
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 3 tablespoons gochujang
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon oil
- Cooked rice, to serve
- Lettuce, to serve
- Kimchi, to serve
- Ssamjang, to serve
Instructions
- Place pork, spring onions (scallions), onions, apple, garlic, soy sauce, mirin, gochujang, and sugar in a large bowl. Toss to coat pork in the marinade. Marinate for at least an hour in the refrigerator.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a wok over high heat.
- Add marinated pork. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until pork is tender.
- Serve with steamed rice and kimchi in a bowl, or as lettuce wraps with pork and ssamjang.
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