Here is my Korean BBQ Short Ribs Marinade recipe, a flavorful masterpiece that brings the authentic taste of Galbi marinade to your grill! This recipe turns tender beef short ribs into grilled perfection, using real, high-quality ingredients. Whether you’re planning a BBQ gathering or just looking to elevate your meal, this Korean BBQ delight is the perfect choice!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
If you’re a fan of authentic Korean cuisine made with high-quality ingredients, you’re in for a treat with my Korean BBQ Short Ribs Marinade! My recipe showcases bone-in beef short ribs marinated in traditional Galbi marniade, delivering the classic taste of Korean BBQ right to your grill, just like my Korean BBQ Bulgogi and Korean BBQ Marinated Chicken recipe. It’s a simple yet flavorful dish that captures the sweet, savory, and garlicy essence, all enhanced by the rich notes of toasted sesame oil that you could even level up more by pairing it with my Sweet Galbi Style Dipping Sauce!
It’s a classic Korean BBQ dish, similar to Korean BBQ Grilled Pork Belly or samgyeopsal-gui, that so easy to make and nearly fail proof! Whether you’re a seasoned cook or just starting out, my recipe is for anyone eager to create restaurant-quality Korean BBQ in the comfort of their own home, using high-quality natural ingredients without additives or fillers. Get ready to savor the true flavors of Korea, and fire up your grill today for an unforgettable meal!
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Beef Short Ribs Bone-In – pre-sliced short ribs. Can be purchased at most Asian grocery stores and selective grocery stores.
- Onions – fresh yellow or brown onions.
- Green Onion – fresh green onion scallions.
- Toasted Sesame Seeds – optional garnish.
- Neutral Oil – no taste or flavor with high cooking temperature. Some choices are sunflower oil, peanut oil, sallower oil, vegetable oil, and canola oil.
- Garlic Cloves – fresh garlic.
- Jalapeno – fresh and sliced. Best to leave the seeds in for the full flavors.
- Soy Sauce – low-sodium Soy Sauce preferred. Can also use tamari for gluten-free.
- Sweetener – use your preferred sweetener.
- Toasted Sesame Oil – 100% Toasted Sesame Oil that should have a dark brown color.
- Black Pepper – ground.
🍖 Short Rib Note
Choose Bone-In Pre-Sliced Short Ribs from your local grocery store. If you prefer boneless short ribs, use half the specified weight.
🔑 Marinade Secret Ingredient
You can enhance the marinade by including 2-3 tbsp of grated Korean Pear or 1-2 tbsp of pressed Kiwi to naturally sweeten and tenderize the meat, or you can opt for 1/2 cup of Cola instead of water to add extra sweetness to your Korean BBQ Bulgogi.
Essential Kitchen Equipment
- Food Processor
- Zip Lock Bags
Directions
Step 1 Combine Soy Sauce, Water, sweetener, Toasted Sesame Oil, chopped onions, jalapeno, garlic, and black pepper in a food processor until well blended.
Step 2 Transfer the marinade to a ziplock bag and add the sliced short ribs, ensuring that each piece is fully coated. Allow the ribs to marinate in the fridge for 24 to 36 hours, flipping them over once.
💡 Marinating Pro Tip
For the best results, add each beef slice individually to ensure full marinade coverage. If you need more marinade, adjust as needed with a touch of Water or Cola for Added Sweetness.
Step 3 Cook the marinated ribs on a skillet or BBQ grill over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side, flipping them halfway through. For optimal tenderness, it is recommended to cook the short ribs to medium doneness.
🔥 Grilling Pro Tip
You can grill the marinated beef directly Without Washing Off the Marinade.
Pairing Recommendations
Elevate your Korean BBQ feast by pairing it with classic banchan such as Korean Spinach Salad, kimchi, Korean seaweed Korean Pickled Garlic or Korean Pickled Vegetables. Or you can opt to serve this with a green salad tossed in my Korean BBQ Salad Dressing. These traditional side dishes complement the flavors of the BBQ short ribs perfectly!
If you’re craving additional meat options, try adding Pan Seared Korean BBQ Brisket paired with my Korean BBQ Dipping Sauce or Korean BBQ Garlic Pork Belly to your spread for a delightful variety of textures and flavors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you freeze short rib marinade?
Yes! This marinade also works well for meal planning. Just make a whole batch, and throw it in the freezer once the marination portion is completed. If you flatten the zip-lock bags after massaging the meat, it can be a real space saver in your freezer.
How long to marinate beef bulgogi?
For best results, we recommend marinating overnight, or for 24 hours, to ensure all that juicy goodness is soaked all the way through. You can marinate for up to 48 hours.
What's the best way to cook galbi if I don't have access to a grill?
You can pan fry the marinated galbi. Heat a skillet with a bit of oil over medium-high heat, and cook the short ribs until they're caramelized and done to your liking.
Storage Tips
To store leftovers, place them in an airtight container and refrigerate. They will remain fresh for 5-7 days when stored this way.
Other Recipes You Might Like
Watch How To Make It
Korean BBQ Short Ribs Marinade
Ingredients
Galbi
- 1 1/2 lb Sliced Beef Short Ribs Bone-In
- 1/4 Cup Sliced Onions
- 2 Stalks Green Onion
- 1 tbsp Toasted Sesame Seed
Marinade
- 1/4 Cup Onions chopped
- 4 Cloves Garlic
- 1/4 Whole Jalapeno optional
- 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp Water
- 2 tbsp Sweetener your preferred sweetener
- 2 tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil
- 1/8 tsp Black Pepper
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Use a blender or food processor to combine Soy Sauce, Water, sweetener, Toasted Sesame Oil, chopped onions, jalapeno, garlic and black pepper together to form marinade. Transfer marinade to a zip-lock bag.
- Finley slice onions and add into zip-lock, along with sliced beef. Massage in the marinade ensuring equal distribution.
- Place zip-lock bag flat in the fridge for 24 hours (up to 36 hour flipping over at least once half way through the marinate.
- After marination is complete, cut green onions into 1 inch sticks and set aside.
- Preheat the grill to 350°F, then lower the heat to medium-low. Next, place the beef on the grill and position the chopped green onions on the top rack or in an area with indirect heat. Close the grill's lid and cook for approximately2-3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate and add toasted sesame seeds.
Hello-I, too am a foodie and have adopted low to no carb for the work week and ‘normal’ food intake while still loosely watching carbs which still allows me to enjoy eating good food!
I’ve used coco aminos in lieu of soy sauce in alot of Asian marinades but have not yet used with
Korean BBQ marinade. I understand it will be less salty but wondering if it will be good. Have you tried and what are your thoughts, suggestions.
Hi Kim! We never have used coconut aminos so can’t tell you one way or the other. But in our humble opinion, the amount of carbs you save from soy sauce vs coconut aminos isn’t worth the sacrifice on flavor since soy sauce is such a staple ingredient in Asian cooking, but of course, to each their own!
This recipe was so easy and delicious. Everyone loved the flavor! Thank you for a great recipe!
Hey Julian! So happy to hear you liked the recipe!
Sesame oil has a very low smoking point…you probably don’t want to be frying with it. It will burn. Better to use a high smoke point oil like avocado or peanut and add a little sesame oil at the end for flavour.
The marinade smells amazing though! Can’t wait to grill those badboys up tomorrow!
Hi Cliff! You can use whatever oil you’re comfortable with, but we’ve had no issues with pan frying sesame oil (not deep frying). Also, toasted sesame oil’s smoking point is around from 410F, so not that low IMO.
I have a rack of baby back ribs that I would like to cook tonight (no time to marinate). Do you think the marinade can be cooked into a sauce? I marinated some short ribs in this a few weeks ago and it was a huge hit, so I would love the same flavor from my back ribs tonight.
Hey Lola! You can reduce the marinade into a sauce, but it’ll taste very light compared to it being marinated. Hope that helps!