9 Easy Korean BBQ Marinades for Every Palate

Easy Korean BBQ Marinades for beef, chicken, pork and shrimp. With these Korean BBQ marinades you can have a wonderful BBQ party any time of the year!

Six easy Korean BBQ marinades to bring Korean flavors to your grill indoors or out. Bulgogi, or “fire meat”, is probably the best-known Korean dish other than kimchi. Although it is often associated with beef, bulgogi is actually applicable to other meats like pork and chicken! These easy Korean BBQ marinades really make all the difference and these recipes show you how to achieve Korean flavors with easy ingredients like soy sauce, gochujang (red chili paste), garlic and even ginger. Have a fun Korean BBQ time!

Korean BBQ Marinade Recipes

Beef BBQ (불고기)

Bulgogi (Korean Beef BBQ)

Bulgogi – Korean BBQ Beef (불고기) is probably one of the best known Korean dish and this authentic marinade recipe has been used in my family for over 25 years.

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Here’s a classic bulgogi marinade every Korean food lover should know! It doesn’t call for complicated ingredients but I’ve included substitutions and variations for your convenience. There’s one ingredient that may not be easy to get which is pear puree – a traditional Korean meat tenderizer. If that’s the case, you can use my favorite tenderizer – kiwi. But if you are in a pinch, Diet Coke can also do the trick!

Short Ribs BBQ (Kalbi)

Korean BBQ Short Ribs (LA Kalbi)

KALBI OR GALBI (KOREAN SHORT RIBS), HOWEVER YOU WANT TO SPELL IT, IS SIMPLY THE BEST WAY TO EAT SHORT RIBS ON THE BBQ.

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This is simply the best Korean BBQ Marinade for short ribs on the grill. You can make the marinade entirely in a blender, which means there’s no chopping to do! It may not be the most traditional method but, trust me, it’s still absolutely authentic and delicious. Now you have more time to show off your BBQ skills!

Grilled Gochujang Shrimp

Grilled Gochujang Shrimp

Just slightly spicy, this Gochujang shrimp is great party food. Just marinate shrimp overnight and grill when guests arrive. Really truly yummy!! Great as appetizer.

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Chicken Bulgogi (Dak Bulgogi)

Chicken Bulgogi Marinade

Chicken Bulgogi that is fabulous on the grill or on a pan. Marinade with just pantry ingredients. Delicious and easy to make. Serve with rice, kimchi and lettuce salad (geotjeori).

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Traditionally, Chicken bulgogi  is often spicy and made with a marinade that has gochujang. I created a non-spicy bulgogi marinade so that everyone in the family, including little children, can enjoy it. This easy Korean BBQ marinade with chicken thighs can be conveniently whipped up with pantry ingredients like soy sauce, garlic powder, ginger powder, ground black pepper. Perfect for when you need a quick crowd-pleasing marinade!

Pork bulgogi (Dweji bulgogi)

Pork Bulgogi (Dweji Bulgogi)

Spicy, savory, sweet, gingery pork bulgogi made with Korean gochujang sauce.

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There’s a good reason why ginger is often used when Koreans cook pork. Not only does fresh ginger add an aromatic flavor to this sweet and spicy marinade, it also gets rid of the gamey taste in pork. And according to traditional Korean medicine, ginger neutralizes the “coldness” of pork, making it more balanced for digestion since ginger is a “hot” food. So this classic Korean BBQ marinade for pork takes care of your body while satisfying your taste buds.

Samgyeopsal (Grilled Korean Pork Belly) Recipe

Pork Belly (Samgyeopsal)

Very simple marinade for Korean Samgyeopsal (pork belly) with wine and herbs. It's bit of a fusion recipe but is a popular version in modern Korean cuisine.

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oven baked spicy pork

Oven Baked Spicy Pork

Simplest Oven Baked Korean Spicy Pork is a great freezer friendly, make ahead recipe to make. Need only 4 seasoning ingredients.

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MISO pork belly

Miso Pork Belly

Miso marinated pork belly for BBQ grill or pan fry. Served with cabbage slaw and green onions. Absolutely delicious make ahead recipe.

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This umami-strong marinade for my miso pork belly is made with a unique combination of miso paste, sake, apple juice, and fresh ginger that really complements the richness of pork belly. This is not a classic or an authentic Korean recipe but was developed from scratch by yours truly for a restaurant. If you love pork, you have to try this because it’s seriously lip-smackingly good! White miso works best and if you use red miso, be mindful that it’s a saltier than white miso, so use less.

gochujang chicken

Korean Spicy Chicken with Gochujang (Oven Baked/BBQ)

Korean Spicy Chicken that’s marinated in a super yummy sweet gochujang sauce then baked to perfection. Recipe can be used for both chicken breasts and thighs. Easy, simple and healthy.

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