Korean bulgogi sandwich with spicy cucumbers and thick sliced cheddar on a toasty brioche roll. Perfect combination of sweet and spicy. And if you want it REALLY spicy, just add more gochugaru and sambal (chili sauce)

If you're looking for a sweet and spicy delight, you should definitely give my Korean bulgogi sandwich with spicy cucumbers a try. Throw in a thick slice of cheddar and a toasty brioche roll and you've got an easy weeknight treasure.

Korean Beef Bulgogi: What Is It, Exactly?

*Thinly sliced ribeye is the key to fantastic*
*Korean BBQ*

Bulgogi is a Korean word that means "fire meat." It's marinated meat cooked on a grill or flat surface. I first learned of Korean BBQ when I lived in South Korea many years ago. I was teaching ESL and when the school would take us out for dinner, we would go to a Korean BBQ place. It was absolutely incredible.

Korean food is the spiciest I have ever eaten. It took a long time to get used to it, but I eventually became addicted to spice. Not so much now. As I've mentioned in other posts, I am mostly a whimp when it comes to spice now. But my memory of that insanely spicy Korean food is still alive in my mind. It was some of the best food I've ever eaten. With bulgogi you're marinating thin-sliced beef (likely ribeye or sirloin) with some ginger, garlic, Korean chili flakes (gochugaru), brown sugar, soy sauce, and sesame oil to name a few.

For This Bulgogi Sandwich with Spicy Cucumbers The Meat is the Key

If you live near a Korean market this is a great option for purchasing the thin-sliced meat. I am very lucky I live near a phenomenal Korean market called H-Mart. This place is food nirvana for me. It's huge, they have everything you could ever want, and their prices are totally reasonable. Naturally, they sell amazing thinly sliced ribeye specifically for making Korean BBQ. This is where I always get it.

Next option: your local grocery store most likely sells ribeye or sirloin steaks. I have asked the butcher to open a couple of steak packages and slice it thin for me out back. This is what your butcher is there for. We don't call upon them enough at our local markets. Of course, you want an experienced butcher who understands what you need. This can sometimes be challenging. But asking your butcher to thinly slice some ribeye OR sirloin is a great option.

Lastly, you can slice it thin yourself! You will get the best results if you freeze the steak for an hour or so. It won't be frozen all the way through, but it will help you get nearly paper-thin slices using your sharpest knife, of course. You want the pieces to be no more than a ¼" thick. Thinner if possible.

Watch my video to see the beautiful, thin slices I got at H-Mart. Ideally, you want your slices as thin as this - razor thin. In my opinion, ribeye is the best choice, but you can certainly use sirloin as well. Either way, if you're cutting it yourself: the key is the thinnest slices possible.

*Set aside some extra scallions and sesame seeds and eat the extra meat on its own!*

Spicy Korean Cucumbers: A Restaurant Side Dish Staple

When I Iived in South Korea, I ate out almost every meal. Restaurants were affordable and it was often more expensive to buy all the ingredients and cook at home. One of my favorite parts about eating out in South Korea were all the little side dishes that came with every meal. And when I say side dishes, I mean cute, little bowls with a heaping spoonful of... something. It could range from kimchi, some kind of noodle, pickled onions, sprouts, greens, dipping sauce and many more. My absolute favorite were the spicy Korean cucumbers. If those arrived at the table, I was immediately grabbing at them. When I decided to make a bulgogi sandwich, I knew I wanted those spicy cucumbers on top of it. So here we are. They're super easy to make too:

add the spicy korean cucumber ingredients to a bowl before tossing and eating — *Slice your cucumbers and add to bowl with spices*

give your cucumbers a toss to get everything well combined then serve on your beef bulgogi sandwiches. Serve any extras on the side - they are very tasty! — *Slice your cucumbers and add to bowl with spices*

Love Trying New International Recipes? I Thought So:

I hope you can take the time to get to know your kitchen better. Explore different foods. Cook amazing meals for yourself and your loved ones - you're all worth it. If you're still learning to cook, don't worry! You can follow along with my easy, instructional videos and we'll make it together.

Korean Bulgogi Sandwich with Spicy Cucumbers & Cheddar

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Author: Stacey
Prep Time: 40
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 4 sandwiches 1x

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Description

Love Korean BBQ? Then you'll go crazy for this Korean bulgogi sandwich with spicy cucumbers and a thick slice of cheddar.

Instructions

If you are toasting the sesame seeds you should do that now. I toast more than I need because you can sprinkle them on the cooked beef as well. I heat them in a pan on low heat and toss them a few times. It takes about five minutes or so. They burn easily so be careful. If you opt NOT to toast them, simply proceed with making the beef marinade.
The beef marinade: Start with the marinade for the beef. Finely dice the garlic and put in bowl.
Peel an inch or so of ginger and grate it into the bowl with the garlic.
Add soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, Sambal Indonesian chili sauce, sesame oil, and gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) to the same bowl.
Chop your scallions and add to the marinade bowl. Chop a little extra for the cucumber recipe too.
Peel and grate ½ of a pear and add the shavings to the bowl.
Whisk all ingredients together until well combined. Taste it here. If you want it spicier add more Sambal and/or gochugaru.
The thinly sliced ribeye. I bought mine at a Korean market and it was sliced specifically for making bulgogi. If you do not have access to this you can buy ribeye or sirloin steaks, put them in the freezer for an hour or so before you start this recipe. This way it will be easier to slice the meat. Cut the meat as thin as possible before marinating – no more than a ¼” thick. If you’re using the already sliced ribeye, pull apart the thin slices and put them in a bowl. My video shows this well.
Pour the marinade over the meat. Gently mix the meat around and massage the marinade into the slices of ribeye until all the meat is coated. Wrap the bowl in plastic and let it marinate for 30 minutes.
The spicy Korean cucumbers: While the meat is marinating, you can make the spicy Korean cucumbers.
Slice one long English cucumber into ¼” slices. I cut them diagonally because I like that presentation. You can use a knife or if you have a mandolin that works too. Put the setting at ¼” slices.
For the sauce: first put the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar and sesame oil in a bowl and give it a mix. Let it sit so the sugar can dissolve.
While that sits you can finely mince your garlic, then add it to the bowl and stir.
Pour the sauce over the cucumbers.
Add the toasted sesame seeds, gochugaru and scallions on top of the cucumbers. Mix well so everything is well combined. Taste it here. If you want it spicier add more gochugaru.
I used two pans to cook the marinated ribeye. Put heat on high. Add a little olive oil in the pans - maybe a teaspoon or so in each pan.
Add the pieces of ribeye to the pan and cook for a couple minutes on each side – until it’s cooked all the way through. The brown sugar and pear will help caramelize the meat and get a sear/char on the outside. As the meat is finished cooking, transfer to a sheet pan or plate.
Portion out the meat into four small stacks in a pan on medium heat. Place a slice of cheddar cheese on each stack. Put the lid on pan for a minute or two while the cheese melts. There’s enough for 4 sandwiches. I only made two in the video and saved the other two portions for later. 😉
Assemble the sandwiches! Put the beef and cheese on toasted brioche rolls. Add as many spicy cucumbers as you like. Serve immediately.