Beef bulgogi is a Korean-style beef that's thinly sliced and marinated with soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and pear. It's super tender and packed with sweet and savory flavor. When you take that melt in your mouth beef and turn a Philly cheesesteak into a bulgogi cheesesteak, you get the best fusion of Korean and comfort food topped with caramelized onions and melty cheese.
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This Bulgogi Philly Cheesesteak was inspired by my Korean BBQ Short Ribs on this site, and pairs well with this Cucumber Salad. If you love this quick bulgogi cheesesteak recipe, try my Beef Banh Mi (Vietnamese Sandwich), or make my Bulgogi Rice bowl with leftovers!
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😍 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Big flavor in every bite
- Easy enough for weeknights but fun enough to serve friends
- High protein and filling
- The perfect fusion of Korean and American comfort food
🥪 Bulgogi Cheesesteak Recipe Ingredients
- Ribeye - tender and flavorful, perfect for bulgogi
- Soy sauce - gives salty, savory depth. Low-sodium soy sauce is a great sub
- Brown sugar - balances with a touch of sweetness
- Mirin - adds mild sweetness and umami
- Sesame oil - nutty aroma that rounds out the marinade
- Sesame seeds (optional) - add texture and extra nuttiness
- Korean pear - naturally tenderizes the beef and adds subtle sweetness
A full list of ingredients with exact amounts can be found on the recipe card below.
🌶️ Substitutions & Variations
- Korean Pear - instead of Korean pear, use Asian pear or a sweet apple
- Ribeye - flank steak or sirloin can be used instead of ribeye
- Provolone cheese - swap with mozzarella or white American for a similar melt
- Spicy - add extra gochujang or sliced jalapeños for more heat
- Low-Carb - serve the bulgogi beef in lettuce wraps instead of hoagie rolls
🔪 How to make Bulgogi Beef Cheesesteaks
- Step 1: Use pre-sliced beef to save time. If slicing at home, freeze ribeye until firm, then cut thin against the grain.
- Step 2: Add the fresh ingredients to a food processor or blender to make the marinade puree.
- Step 3: Once fully blended, add the puree to your sliced beef.
- Step 4: Add the remaining marinade ingredients.
- Step 5: Cover and refrigerate 10 minutes or up to 24 hours for best flavor and tenderization.
- Step 6: Heat your skillet to medium high and add unsalted butter. Toast hoagie on both sides.
- Step 7: Remove hoagie, add oil and cook onions.
- Step 8: Remove onions and cook beef until charred on the edges.
- Step 9: Turn off the heat add onions back in and form into 4 even portions.
- Step 10: Top with 2 pieces of sliced cheese and cover with a lid until cheese is melted.
- Step 11: Transfer Bulgogi Philly cheesesteak into hoagie roll.
- Step 12: Serve with gochujang aioli and kim chi and enjoy!
Hint: Cover the skillet for a minute after adding cheese so it gets perfectly melty.
💡 Recipe Pro tips
- Freeze the ribeye for 15 minutes before slicing. It makes cutting way easier when the meat is firm.
- Don't overcrowd the pan. The beef tastes best when it sears in small batches.
- Pick hoagie rolls that are soft but sturdy enough to hold all the fillings.
💭 Beef Bulgogi Philly Cheesesteak Recipe FAQ
Bulgogi is tender and flavorful with a balance of savory, sweet, and garlicky notes, plus a hint of smokiness from the char.
It's a fun fusion twist on the Philly classic, swapping in marinated bulgogi beef with melted cheese on a hoagie roll.
Ribeye is the most popular choice, but sirloin or brisket also work well as long as the beef is thinly sliced.
Mild, melty cheeses like provolone, mozzarella, or American pair perfectly with the rich flavors of bulgogi.
🫙 Storage
- Cooked beef will last up to 3 days in the fridge.
- Gochujang aioli keeps for about a week.
📖 Recipe Card
Easy Bulgogi Cheesesteaks
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lbs Ribeye (thinly sliced) see note 1
- ¼ cup Soy Sauce low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoon Brown Sugar
- 2 tablespoon Mirin
- 1.5 tablespoon Sesame Oil
- ⅛ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ½ tablespoon Sesame Seeds (optional)
- 1 tablespoon Neutral oil
Marinade Puree
- ½ Korean Pear (Peeled and Core Removed) See note 2
- ½ Yellow Onion Medium Sized (Quartered)
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1-2 slices Ginger (peeled)
For the sandwich
- 4 tablespoon Butter Salted or Unsalted
- 1 Onion sliced
- 8 slices Provolone or mozzarella
- 4 Hoagie rolls
- 1 cup Kim Chi
Gochujang Aioli
- 1 teaspoon Gochujang
- ½ teaspoon Sesame oil
- 2 tablespoon Mayo
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Instructions
- Use pre-sliced beef for convenience. If slicing at home, freeze ribeye until firm to make thin, even cuts against the grain.
- Add the ingredients to a food processor or blender to make the marinade puree:½ Korean Pear (Peeled and Core Removed), ½ Yellow Onion Medium Sized (Quartered), 3 cloves Garlic, 1-2 slices Ginger (peeled)
- Once fully blended, add the puree to your sliced beef along with the remaining marinade ingredients:¼ cup Soy Sauce, 3 tablespoon Brown Sugar, 2 tablespoon Mirin, 1.5 tablespoon Sesame Oil, ⅛ teaspoon Black Pepper, ½ tablespoon Sesame Seeds (optional)
- Cover and refrigerate atleast 10 minutes or up to 24 hours for best flavor and tenderization.
- Heat your pan to medium and add 1 tablespoon of butter per hoagie roll. Toast the bread on both sides and remove.
- Add oil to the pan and cook onions until softened and remove.
- To the pan, add marinated beef and avoid over crowding the pan. Sear on each side for about 1-3 minutes until cooked.
- Turn off the heat and combine onions with cooked beef and form into 4 even portions the size of the rolls.
- Add 2 slices of cheese to each portion and cover until the cheese is melted.
- Transfer the bulgogi cheesesteak meat and cheese, onions portions onto each roll. Serve with gochujan aioli, kimchi and enjoy!
Gochujang Aioli
- In a small bowl, combine gochujang, sesame oil, and mayo.1 teaspoon Gochujang, ½ teaspoon Sesame oil, 2 tablespoon Mayo
- Mix until smooth and creamy.
- Taste and adjust. Add more gochujang for heat or more mayo for a milder flavor.
Notes
Nutrition
🇰🇷 More Korean Recipes
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Sharon Nguyen says
My family loved this easy cheesesteak recipe and I hope you do too!