Healthy Korean Bulgogi Beef

Asian flavors are at the top of my list of favorites, anything with ginger, sesame, soy sauce or coconut aminos, and it is pretty much guaranteed a winner for me. So naturally, this recipe from Our Salty Kitchen caught my eye. The beef was so good, thank you to Our Salty Kitchen, it was already adjusted to be Whole 30 and made with real ingredients, so here is to a another healthy and delicious meal that must be shared!

Bulgogi is a traditional Korean recipe made by marinating thin slices of beef, then it is stir fried with carrots and onions over high heat until crispy and caramelized. The meat should marinate for at least 30 minutes but can be longer. If you like starting your dinner prep early in the day and lightening up the load at meal time, the meat marinade can be prepared in the morning and you have a head start on dinner.

The cut of beef you select for this recipe can vary, a sirloin would work just fine as the meat is thinly sliced and will be tender after the marinating and being given a hot, fast stir fry. Flank or tri-tip would also work.

INGREDIENTS -

1 lb. beef sirloin (or other cut), sliced thin
6 Tbsp coconut aminos (soy sauce replacement)
1/2 medium pear, preferable Korean pear, diced into chunks
1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
1” knob fresh ginger, roughly minced
3 cloves garlic, roughly minced
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 medium onion, sliced
2 green onions, sliced into 1” pieces
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp avocado oil
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Slice the beef thinly against the grain and set aside. (If you place the beef in the freezer for 30 minutes prior to slicing, it makes this job a little easier!)

Into a small food processor add the coconut aminos, pear, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper. Pulse, then blend until liquified and smooth.

Combine the sliced beef and the marinade mix in a large bowl or storage bag. Stir together until the beef slices are well covered and blended thoroughly with the marinade. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least a half hour or up to overnight.

When you are ready to cook, remove the beef from the marinade and place into a colander over a dish. Allow it to drip while you cut up the carrot and onion. If you are in a hurry, placing the beef on a paper towel or two works also. It is important to remove most of the liquid which will help keep too much out of the fry pan. If there is an excess of liquid in the pan it causes the beef to “steam” rather than to crisp up while frying.

After removing the liquid, stir together the beef, onions, carrots, and green onions in a large bowl allowing the flavors of the marinade to also coat the vegetables.

Heat the avocado oil to medium high heat in a large skillet (cast iron works best). Don’t overcrowd the pan, so consider doing this in two batches depending on the size of your skillet. Add the beef and vegetables to the skillet and stir fry for about 5-7 minutes, until the meat is browned and cooked through.

Transfer the beef to a serving bowl and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Serve this over cauliflower rice with a side dish of roasted asparagus and Cucumber Salad. Your meal is complete, healthy, and everyone will love this! Enjoy!