Authentic Korean BBQ Beef Short Ribs

Here is my go-to recipe for Korean BBQ beef short ribs, with a sweet and savory marinade made from soy sauce, grated pear and onion, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil, served with kimchi fried rice and fresh cucumbers.

These short ribs have become a weeknight favorite in our house. The thin-cut meat cooks up super fast, and my kids actually fight over the last piece. I love making extra marinade to keep in the fridge for quick dinners throughout the week.

What Kind of Beef Short Ribs Should I Use?

For authentic Korean BBQ, you’ll want to look for beef short ribs that are cut Korean style, which means they’re butterflied or thinly sliced across the bone rather than between the bones. This cut is sometimes labeled as “flanken style” or “LA galbi” at the butcher counter, and it creates those distinctive thin strips with small cross-sections of bone running through them. If you can’t find pre-cut Korean style ribs, ask your butcher to slice them for you about 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick across the bones. In a pinch, you can also use boneless short ribs sliced thin or even thinly sliced ribeye, though you’ll miss out on the extra flavor that cooking with the bone provides.

Options for Substitutions

While some ingredients are key to getting that authentic Korean BBQ flavor, here are a few swaps you can make:

• Beef short ribs: Korean-style butterflied short ribs are ideal for this recipe, but if you can’t find them, ask your butcher to slice regular short ribs thinly across the bone (about 1/4 inch thick). In a pinch, you can use boneless short ribs or even ribeye steak sliced thin, though the cooking time will be shorter.
• Mirin: If you don’t have mirin, mix 2 tablespoons of rice wine (or dry sherry) with 1 teaspoon of sugar. You can also use sake with a bit of extra sugar, though the flavor will be slightly different.
• Nashi pear: Regular pears work great, or you can use any red apple like Fuji or Gala. The fruit adds natural sweetness and helps tenderize the meat, so don’t skip it entirely.
• Soy sauce: Stick with regular soy sauce (light or all-purpose) for this recipe – dark soy sauce will make the marinade too salty and thick, while sweet soy sauce will throw off the balance of flavors.
• Toasted sesame oil: Regular sesame oil won’t give you that nutty, toasted flavor that’s important here. If you don’t have it, you can leave it out, but I’d recommend picking some up since it really makes a difference in Korean cooking.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Grilling

The biggest mistake with Korean BBQ short ribs is not marinating them long enough – while you can get away with 4-6 hours in a pinch, the full 24 hours really allows the pear enzymes to tenderize the meat and the flavors to penetrate deeply.

Another common error is cooking over medium heat instead of high, which prevents you from getting that caramelized, slightly charred exterior while keeping the inside tender and juicy.

Since these ribs are cut so thin, they cook incredibly fast, so don’t walk away from the grill – overcooking by even a minute can turn them tough and chewy instead of tender.

Finally, make sure your grill or pan is screaming hot before adding the meat, and resist the urge to move the ribs around too much, as letting them sit undisturbed creates that perfect crust everyone loves.

What to Serve With Korean BBQ Beef Short Ribs?

These short ribs are packed with sweet and savory flavors, so they pair perfectly with steamed white rice or fried rice to soak up all that delicious marinade. I love serving them with quick pickled cucumbers or a simple cucumber salad to cut through the richness of the meat. For a complete Korean-style meal, add some kimchi on the side, a bowl of miso soup, and maybe some sautéed bok choy or spinach. You can also wrap the meat in lettuce leaves with a bit of rice and gochujang sauce for a fun, hands-on dinner that everyone will enjoy.

Storage Instructions

Marinate Ahead: These short ribs are actually better when you marinate them ahead of time. Mix up the marinade and let the beef soak it all in for anywhere from 2 hours to overnight in the fridge. The longer it sits, the more flavor gets into the meat, so I usually do mine the night before.

Store: Cooked short ribs will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days. The meat stays tender and flavorful, making it great for quick weeknight dinners. Just save any extra marinade separately if you want to drizzle it over rice later.

Freeze: You can freeze the raw marinated ribs in a freezer bag for up to 3 months, which is super handy for meal planning. Just thaw them overnight in the fridge before cooking. I don’t recommend freezing the cooked ribs since they can get a bit tough when reheated.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 3200-3500
• Protein: 185-210 g
• Fat: 220-250 g
• Carbohydrates: 70-85 g

Ingredients

For the marinade:

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup onion (grated into a fine pulp)
• 1/3 cup pear (grated into 1/8-inch shreds)
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)

For the beef and cooking:

• 2 lb short ribs (flanken-style cut, 1/4-inch thick)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

For serving and garnish:

• 2 scallions (thinly sliced on a bias)
• 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1 sprig coriander
• 1 cup kimchi fried rice
• 1 cup cucumbers (sliced into 1/4-inch rounds)

Step 1: Prepare the Marinade Base

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup onion
• 1/3 cup pear
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp gochugaru

In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and rice vinegar until the sugar is fully dissolved.

This creates the flavor foundation for your marinade.

Add the grated onion and pear shreds—the enzymes in the pear will help tenderize the meat while adding subtle sweetness.

Stir in the minced garlic, grated ginger, water, sesame oil, black pepper, and gochugaru, mixing until completely combined.

Taste the marinade and adjust seasoning if needed; it should be balanced between savory, sweet, and a hint of heat.

Step 2: Marinate the Short Ribs

• 2 lb short ribs
• marinade from Step 1

Pat the flanken-style short ribs dry with paper towels—this helps the marinade adhere better.

Place the ribs in a container or resealable bag and pour the marinade from Step 1 over them, ensuring each piece is well coated.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, turning the meat halfway through if possible.

I find that overnight marinating is the sweet spot; it’s long enough for flavor to develop but short enough that the meat doesn’t become mushy from the pear enzymes.

Step 3: Prepare Garnishes and Sides

• 2 scallions
• 1 cup cucumbers
• 1 cup kimchi fried rice
• 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1 sprig coriander

While the ribs are marinating or shortly before cooking, slice the scallions on a bias and set aside.

Arrange the cucumber slices on a serving plate or platter.

Prepare the kimchi fried rice according to package directions or your preferred method, keeping it warm.

Have the toasted sesame seeds, coriander sprig, and all garnishes ready near your cooking station so you can work quickly once the ribs start cooking.

Step 4: Sear the Short Ribs

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• marinated short ribs from Step 2

Remove the ribs from the refrigerator about 15 minutes before cooking to bring them closer to room temperature.

Heat a cast-iron skillet or grill pan over high heat until it’s smoking hot, then add the vegetable oil.

Working in batches if needed to avoid crowding, place the ribs on the hot surface and sear for 2 minutes on each side without moving them—this creates a caramelized crust while keeping the interior tender.

I always make sure my pan is properly preheated; if the surface isn’t hot enough, the meat won’t brown properly and will steam instead.

Step 5: Finish and Plate

• seared short ribs from Step 4
• 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• 2 scallions
• 1 cup kimchi fried rice
• 1 cup cucumbers
• 1 sprig coriander

Transfer the seared short ribs to a serving platter immediately.

While the meat is still hot, sprinkle generously with the toasted sesame seeds and scattered sliced scallions from Step 3.

Arrange the kimchi fried rice and cucumber slices on the plate as sides.

Garnish with the coriander sprig for a fresh herbal note.

Serve immediately while the ribs are still hot and the crust is crispy.

Authentic Korean BBQ Beef Short Ribs

Delicious Authentic Korean BBQ Beef Short Ribs recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 8 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 16 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 day d 25 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 3350

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the marinade

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup onion (grated into a fine pulp)
• 1/3 cup pear (grated into 1/8-inch shreds)
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)

For the beef and cooking

• 2 lb short ribs (flanken-style cut, 1/4-inch thick)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

For serving and garnish

• 2 scallions (thinly sliced on a bias)
• 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1 sprig coriander
• 1 cup kimchi fried rice
• 1 cup cucumbers (sliced into 1/4-inch rounds)

Method

 

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and rice vinegar until the sugar is fully dissolved. This creates the flavor foundation for your marinade. Add the grated onion and pear shreds—the enzymes in the pear will help tenderize the meat while adding subtle sweetness. Stir in the minced garlic, grated ginger, water, sesame oil, black pepper, and gochugaru, mixing until completely combined. Taste the marinade and adjust seasoning if needed; it should be balanced between savory, sweet, and a hint of heat.
2. Pat the flanken-style short ribs dry with paper towels—this helps the marinade adhere better. Place the ribs in a container or resealable bag and pour the marinade from Step 1 over them, ensuring each piece is well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, turning the meat halfway through if possible. I find that overnight marinating is the sweet spot; it's long enough for flavor to develop but short enough that the meat doesn't become mushy from the pear enzymes.
3. While the ribs are marinating or shortly before cooking, slice the scallions on a bias and set aside. Arrange the cucumber slices on a serving plate or platter. Prepare the kimchi fried rice according to package directions or your preferred method, keeping it warm. Have the toasted sesame seeds, coriander sprig, and all garnishes ready near your cooking station so you can work quickly once the ribs start cooking.
4. Remove the ribs from the refrigerator about 15 minutes before cooking to bring them closer to room temperature. Heat a cast-iron skillet or grill pan over high heat until it's smoking hot, then add the vegetable oil. Working in batches if needed to avoid crowding, place the ribs on the hot surface and sear for 2 minutes on each side without moving them—this creates a caramelized crust while keeping the interior tender. I always make sure my pan is properly preheated; if the surface isn't hot enough, the meat won't brown properly and will steam instead.
5. Transfer the seared short ribs to a serving platter immediately. While the meat is still hot, sprinkle generously with the toasted sesame seeds and scattered sliced scallions from Step 3. Arrange the kimchi fried rice and cucumber slices on the plate as sides. Garnish with the coriander sprig for a fresh herbal note. Serve immediately while the ribs are still hot and the crust is crispy.