How to Make Korean BBQ at Home + Banchan Recipes

How to Make Korean BBQ at Home + Banchan Recipes

How to Make Korean BBQ at Home + Banchan Recipes

Korean barbecue is more than just a meal — it’s an experience. Everyone gathers around the table, grills meats together, shares small plates of flavorful side dishes, and enjoys food at a relaxed, social pace. The good news? You can recreate that same restaurant-style Korean BBQ experience right at home with a little planning and a few key components.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through:

  • How to set up your Korean BBQ table

  • The best meats and marinades to use

  • And the essential banchan (Korean side dishes) that make the meal complete

This post brings together all the recipes from my Korean BBQ at Home series, so you can build a full spread from start to finish.

 

 

Korean BBQ Table Setup

To recreate the restaurant experience, you’ll want to cook right at the table.

Watch my video guide on how to setup Korean BBQ at home and select the cuts of meat for the grill.

 

What You’ll Need

Place the grill in the center of the table and arrange everything around it so guests can cook and serve themselves easily. A smokeless grill works especially well indoors to prevent smoke buildup. Arrange all the side dishes and meats around the grill. For each person, set a large plate, with chopsicks on the side, and some small dishes for dipping sauces. 

 

Choosing the Best Meats for Korean BBQ

Popular Korean BBQ Meat Options

Bulgogi
 Thin-sliced ribeye or sirloin marinated in a sweet and savory soy-based sauce. You can often find it pre-marinated at Korean grocery stores, or ask your butcher to slice beef paper-thin. Use a bulgogi marinade to marinade your own meats or buy it preppred and already marinated at a grocery store. 

Galbi (Short Ribs)
 Thin-sliced beef short ribs marinated similarly to bulgogi, often with pear or apple added for tenderness. Many marinades are labeled specifically for galbi. Use a galbi style marinade to marinade your own thin sliced short ribs or buy it preppred and already marinated at the grocery store. 

Other Great Options

  • Marinated pork belly

  • Skinless boneless chicken thighs

  • Thin-sliced chicken breast (marinated in bulgogi sauce)

  • Seafood like shrimp or squid

For special cuts like wagyu beef, keep it simple — just a sprinkle of salt before grilling lets the flavor shine.

Cooking Tip

Marinate meats for a few hours or overnight when possible. When ready to cook, preheat the grill, lightly coat it with sesame oil, or a low smoke point oil like avocado oil, and let everyone grill their own meat at the table.

 

 

How to Eat Korean BBQ

As the meat cooks, enjoy it:

  • Wrapped in lettuce leaves

  • With a spoonful of rice

  • A dab of ssamjang (soybean paste sauce)

  • And your favorite banchan on the side (see my banchan recipes below)

It’s hands-on, interactive, and one of the most fun ways to enjoy a meal at home.

 

Korean BBQ Side Dishes (Banchan Recipes)

1. Korean Cheesy Corn (Corn Cheese)

Creamy, sweet, savory, and irresistibly cheesy — this classic Korean BBQ side dish is pure comfort food.

Watch my video tutorial on how to make this recipe: coming soon. Videos will appear here once they are live on my YouTube channel. 

Ingredients

2 ears of fresh sweet corn with the kernels removed
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4oz shredded mozzarella cheese
1.5 TSP white sugar
2 green onions, with the green tops diced

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F and lightly oil a small baking dish. I used small casserole dishes.

  2. Cut the corn kernels off the cob using a serrated knife.

  3. In a bowl, mix corn, mayonnaise, mozzarella, sugar, and diced green onions.

  4. Transfer mixture to a baking or casserole dish.

  5. Bake for 20 minutes until hot and bubbly.

  6. Switch oven to broil and broil for about 2 minutes until the top is golden.

  7. Serve hot.

 

 

2. Korean Marinated Cucumber Salad

Light, refreshing, and slightly spicy — the perfect crunchy contrast to grilled meats.

Watch my video tutorial on how to make this recipe: coming soon. Videos will appear here once they are live on my YouTube channel. 

Ingredients

1 cucumber, sliced
2 TBSP soy sauce
2 TBS rice vinegar
1 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp coarse Korean red chili pepper flakes
1/4 TSP sesame seeds
2 green onions, with the greens diced 
Pinch of salt
Splash of dark soy sauce
Splash sesame oil

Directions

  1. Slice cucumbers into thin rounds. I use a box grater. 

  2. In a bowl, whisk soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, salt, sesame seeds, Korean chili pepper flakes, and sesame oil.

  3. Stir in green onions.

  4. Add cucumbers and toss or shake in a sealed container. I like to use glass containers with lids. 

  5. Serve immediately or chill briefly before serving.

 

 

3. Rosé Korean Rice Cakes (Creamy Tteokbokki)

A modern, creamy twist on classic Korean street food.

Watch my video tutorial on how to make this recipe: coming soon. Videos will appear here once they are live on my YouTube channel. 

Ingredients

2.2lb bag of refrigerated fresh 3 inch long Korean rice cakes (tteokbokki)
2 green onions with the greens diced
1.5 tsp minced garlic

Rose Sauce
1/3 cup gochujang (Korean fermented red pepper paste)
1 TBS sesame oil
2 cup heavy cream
3 TBS tomato paste

Directions

  1. Soak rice cakes in water for 20–60 minutes until softened.

  2. Heat sesame oil in a pan and sauté garlic and green onions until fragrant.

  3. Stir in heavy cream, gochujang, and tomato paste until smooth.

  4. Add rice cakes and reduce heat to low.

  5. Simmer 8–10 minutes, stirring frequently.

  6. Add a splash of water or broth if sauce thickens too much.

  7. Serve warm once rice cakes are soft and chewy.

 

 

4. Korean Steamed Eggs (Gyeran-jjim)

Light, fluffy, and custardy — a cozy classic served piping hot.

Watch my video tutorial on how to make this recipe: coming soon. Videos will appear here once they are live on my YouTube channel. 

Ingredients

5 large eggs
1 green onion, with the greens diced
1 cup of chicken broth
2 teaspoons sesame oil

Directions

  1. Bring water to a boil in a pot and add a steam rack.

  2. Whisk eggs in a bowl, slowly adding chicken broth.

  3. Stir in green onions.

  4. Lightly oil small baking or casserole dishes and pour in egg mixture.

  5. Place dishes on the steam rack.

  6. Cover pot, leaving lid slightly ajar.

  7. Steam for 12–13 minutes.

  8. Drizzle with sesame oil and serve hot.

 

 

5. Korean Steamed Eggplant

Soft, savory, and packed with umami — an excellent way to use fresh eggplant.

Watch my video tutorial on how to make this recipe: coming soon. Videos will appear here once they are live on my YouTube channel. 

Ingredients

2 medium size Korean/Asian slender eggplants
1 green onion with the greens diced
1 tsp minced garlic
3 TBS soy sauce
2 TSP sesame oil
1/4 TSP sugar
1/2 TSP fine ground Korean red chili pepper flakes
1 TSP roasted sesame seeds

Directions

  1. Wash eggplants, trim ends, and cut into bite-sized strips.

  2. Steam over boiling water for 5–7 minutes until tender.

  3. Let eggplant cool slightly.

  4. Whisk garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, sesame seeds, chili powder, and green onions.

  5. Gently toss eggplant with sauce.

Serve warm, room temperature, or chilled.

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