Galbi (Korean-Style Short Ribs) Recipe (2024)

By David Tanis

Galbi (Korean-Style Short Ribs) Recipe (1)

Total Time
30 minutes, plus several hours’ marinating
Rating
5(1,406)
Notes
Read community notes

This dish, known as galbi, is a fine thing to eat in a restaurant, but it also makes for a wonderful and easy meal at home. If you buy English-style short ribs, which are cut along the bone, you must butterfly the meat into a thin, long strip. If the ribs you buy are flanken-style, in which a band saw is used to cut across the ribs, creating half-inch slices of beef dotted with three little bones, rinse them under cold water before seasoning to remove any bone fragments. It’s a good idea to let the ribs marinate for at least two hours to allow the seasoning to penetrate; marinating overnight is even better.

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Ingredients

Yield:About 20 slices, 4 to 6 servings

  • 3pounds short ribs, cut in ½-inch slices across the bones (flanken-style)
  • cup soy sauce
  • cup brown sugar
  • cup rice wine
  • 1tablespoon sesame oil
  • 2teaspoons black pepper
  • ¼teaspoon cayenne or gochujang
  • 1medium onion, peeled and quartered
  • 8garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1small Asian pear, peeled, cored and quartered (or use an ordinary pear or tart apple)
  • 11-inch chunk of ginger, peeled
  • 2teaspoons sesame seeds
  • Lettuce leaves
  • Sliced red or green hot pepper, optional
  • Ssamjang (spicy Korean soybean paste), for dipping, optional
  • Steamed rice, optional

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

1002 calories; 85 grams fat; 36 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 38 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 19 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 12 grams sugars; 35 grams protein; 895 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Galbi (Korean-Style Short Ribs) Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    Rinse short ribs in cold water, pat dry and place in a wide shallow bowl. In another bowl, mix together soy sauce, brown sugar, rice wine, sesame oil, black pepper and cayenne.

  2. Put onion, garlic, pear and ginger in the work bowl of a food processor. Grind ingredients to a smooth purée, then add to soy sauce mixture. Add sesame seeds. Thin with ¼ cup water. Pour marinade over short ribs and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Bring to room temperature, drain and discard marinade.

  3. Step

    3

    Cook short ribs on a hot grill or under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until nicely browned but juicy. Pile grilled meat on a platter and serve immediately with lettuce leaves on the side. Accompany with sliced hot peppers, ssamjang and steamed rice, if desired.

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1,406

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Cooking Notes

Baiba

These types of ribs, called kalbi, are very popular here in Hawaii. The exact portions on the marinade are not too important. I use green onions instead of the regular onion, and any type of white wine. You can skip the sugar, and the ribs turn out just fine. You don't even need to purée the marinade if you don't want to. For me, the real trick is equal parts of soy sauce and white wine.

Kelly

I have made this a number of times with the flanken style ribs and it is just super. That cut can be hard to find around here so I recently used the marinade with a couple of New York strip steaks, marinating overnight in fridge. They were wonderful and very tender - which must have been the marinade because they were just supermarket steaks. I only needed half the marinade for the steaks, froze the rest in an airtight container for next time. And there WILL be a next time.

MikeyCooks

This is a wonderfully delicious recipe! I opted to throw these into an Instant Pot pressure cooker since no grill and I didn't want to smoke up the house with the broiler. 20 mins at high pressure and natural release and they literally were falling off the bone and melt in your mouth tender. It's a different way to cook them if you can't broil or grill but have an instant pot --- the rest of the recipe stays essentially the same. Next time, I'll grill them!

Paura

I find that the pear puree is really unique and provides a sweet flavor that sugar cannot replicate. I'd say keep the pear and skip the sugar!

BklynMom

Okay, I've now done this a few times, and have to agree with skipping the apple, using scallions (lots) in place of regular onion and whirring it all in food processor together. Throw in ziploc with boneless beef shortribs from Costco, and you've got a super easy crowd-pleaser. Add coconut or Filipino-style garlic rice and grilled corn (maybe brushed with soy + mirin)...

Jh

To tenderize, try using a bit of kiwi instead. That's what my mom usually does.

sheri

I’ve made this with boneless ribs with the full portion of marinade in a Dutch oven in my oven at 325. 1 hour with lid on 1 hour lid off to thicken the sauce. The meat falls apart and the marinade becomes a thick, fatty, sweet, gorgeous sauce. Eaten lettuce wrap style with white rice inside, which cuts the richness of the meat - wow. Its life changing. I increase the gochujang and add Korean chili flakes for some more heat.

Dave

These were the best short ribs I've ever had. They were absolutely delicious.

Miz Harris

Skip the pear puree - it's mushy, overkill, and unnecessary. Otherwise a great and easy recipe.

Figaro

This recipe is in the book, THE KREMLIN'S CANDIDATE by Jason Matthews. Each of his books in his 'Sparrow Trilogy' have recipes at the end of each chapter. I just pulled up the recipe on my Kindle and it is exactly the same (minus proportions). What a hoot!I have prepared this recipe and it is delicious. I did use half a Granny Smith in lieu of the pear. Just bough a package of flanken ribs and will soon be making it again. I will serve it with rice, cucumber salad, etc.

Cathy

Excellent. Made exactly as described.

Suzanne

A delicious meal! I was sorry to have it come to end, but grateful to have enough for leftovers. Easy and flavorful, a really good recipe. I thought about skipping the pear but I'm so glad I didn't. It added a sweet and textural element to the marinade (overnight is best). The ribs grilled up perfectly, with a little smoke and bits of char. Served with rice and sugar snap peas for some color and crunch. Leftovers were great. Good for casual company, not too scary for timid eaters.

Sarah

These were fantastic!! Accidentally forgot the ginger and had to do them under the broiler (guessing they would have been best on the grill) and they were still amazing. Will definitely make again.

Jbeauregardus

Enjoy!

Jay

I made an entire cow's worth of this over the years.. Regular sugar is fine.. You don't need brown and won't taste the difference. Don't mess with fresh ginger. Takes forever to peel and grate all that. Asian stores sell pureed ginger. Asian pear can be deleted unless you have very thick ribs. It adds a sweet taste but mostly tenderizes it.. I have it cut 1/4 thick and you don't need it at that thickness. And Asian pear is hard to find and expensive.

Chris

I was wondering how the fat was rendered with such a quick cook. It wasn’t. Mine were chewy with marbled fat. The cooking method and protein seem mismatched.

Jay

The rib is tough meat. Just because it is marbled like wagu it won't be tender like wagu. You need to let the rendered fat fry the meat. You need thinner ribs like 1/4 inch, not 1/2 inch. This can actually be tricky to cook because the rendered fat will drip and cause flair-ups. This is not an easy one to grill because of the flare-up. But the last thing you want to do is cook in low heat or worse yet cook on aluminum foil You will basically get steamed meat not grilled.

Ann

Can anyone explain how you are supposed to eat this, specifically what to do with the bones? Do you cut the meat off the bones with knife and fork before wrapping in lettuce? Pull the meat off the bones with your hands? put the whole thing in your mouth and pull the bones out?

Kathy

I was wondering the same thing!

Jay

You don't usually eat this with lettuce. You basically grab it with your finger and rip into it. I don't think I have seen other Koreans serve ribs with lettuce.

MRSPROJO

Excellent! Easy for cooking for a crowd. I did not have asian pear so I used a pink lady apple and added about 1tsp of rice vinegar to the recipe for extra tenderizing. Otherwise followed as written! Boiled the leftover marinade for 10 minutes and used as a sauce for veggies and rice on the side.

xx

Do <1/2 of the sugar Try Green onion instead of onion

Sandra

I made this for dinner last night and everyone liked it. It had a great flavor. The only thing I had a minor problem with is in the ingredient list where it called for rice wine I didn't know if it called for Chinese or Japanese rice wine. I think they meant the Japanese (Mirin) but not being sure I used the Chinese (Shaoxing) rice wine. It still came out very tasty but I would love to know which one was meant to be used.

ChelleB

Another great recipe NYT Cooking! My husband and I live near LA's Korea Town- and indulge in the many nearby restos often. This recipe had us puffing up our chests with excitement that we could make something so good at home.

Christine

I made this today after a 24 hour marinade. I substituted a diabetic friendly brown sugar (Truvia) and was worried about it caramelizing properly. I also used Apple instead of pear annd doubled he garlic and ginger. I also blended it all together at once (combining first two steps). I then grilled on a 600° grill. The caramelizarían was beautiful and the taste is OUTSTANDING. Thanks for the recipe! My diabetic father REALLY enjoyed this flavor packed meal.

Karin

About the "rice wine"... is that sake? Or Mirin? Anyone subbed pinot grigio?

RPR

Grilled short ribs for 2 minutes per side

Michelle

Does anyone cook down the marinade and turn it into a sauce? Seems wasteful to toss it?

Ken Wong

Followed the recipe to a tee. Decided to broil in the oven and it turned out great. Was able to easily determine how much "char" I wanted. Next time, I will try to use an outdoor grill to see if it makes a difference.

Jasmine

You can use the marinade and cooking instructions with pork chops add another delicious protein to the mix.

Excellent marinade

The marinade on this was fantastic. I’m not very experienced at short ribs and the packaging wasn’t very clear so I think the ones I got were not the Korean style. They were small pieces about 2-3” thick and 4-5” long. Grilling definitely did not work. They were too tough. The next day, I pressure cooked the left overs for 20 min and they were awesome. I’ll just do that process next time- grill first to get the smokiness, then pressure cook to get the the softness.

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Galbi (Korean-Style Short Ribs) Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Are Korean short ribs the same as short ribs? ›

Unlike American and European-style short ribs, which include a thick slice of bone-in beef, Korean-style short ribs are cut lengthwise across the rib bones. The result is a thin strip of meat, about 8 to10 inches in length, lined on 1 side with 1/2-inch thick rib bones.

What is Galbi sauce made of? ›

The marinade for so-galbi-gui (소갈비구이; "grilled beef ribs") typically includes soy sauce, sugar, minced garlic and scallions, ginger juice, ground black pepper, toasted and ground sesame, and sesame oil.

What is the difference between kalbi and Galbi? ›

What Is Kalbi? Kalbi (sometimes written as “galbi”) is a flavorful Korean beef dish of short ribs. Flank steak and skirt steak are sometimes alternatives to beef short ribs. Cooks marinate kalbi before they cook it, and they serve it close to boneless—they leave one bone on the edge.

What is the difference between short rib and LA Galbi? ›

Each piece that goes on the grill is one section of the rib, with one piece of bone in it. It's a lot thicker. LA galbi is only cut across the bone, not along, so each piece on the grill is a longer, thinner strip, and includes 3 pieces of bone.

How do you make Korean short ribs not chewy? ›

By nature, short ribs are a tough cut of beef. One of the secrets I learned from my Korean pals is to add some fresh kiwi to the marinade because kiwi fruit (similar to pineapple, papaya, Asian pear, and ginger) contains an enzyme that breaks down protein and naturally tenderizes the meat.

Should you marinate short ribs? ›

Marinating also allows the meat to hold more liquid so the ribs won't dry out, whether you are grilling or smoking them. Plan on marinating the ribs for at least 12 hours or overnight for the best flavor. Offering a combination of sweet and spicy, this recipe includes honey as well as cayenne pepper.

Why is galbi so expensive? ›

LA Galbi is one of the most famous and expensive meats in Korean BBQ. The main feat why it is so expensive is because of the excellent marbling it has. As a result, despite it being a bit thicker than most Korean BBQ meat, it remains tender and juicy to eat.

Is bulgogi or galbi better? ›

If you find both on the menu in a Korean restaurant, Galbi is likely to be considerably more expensive. But the differences between the two cuts of beef used are actually not that great, apart from those rib bones.

What does Korean Galbi sauce taste like? ›

The traditional flavor profile of the Korean galbi marinade is mildly sweet and savory – not too sweet and too salty. If you're concerned about the sugar, use more fruits or 100% fruit juice (or your choice of sweetener) and reduce or omit the sugar.

What is a substitute for short ribs in Galbi? ›

You can also substitute chicken breast or sliced rib-eye for the short ribs. If you use chicken or rib-eye, you must add thinly sliced green onion tops. This can also be broiled in the oven for the same amount of time.

Can I use bulgogi marinade for kalbi? ›

BULGOGI AND KALBI ARE NOT THE SAME

Kalbi are short-ribs. Korean BBQ recipes for both types of beef dishes are nearly the same. You could easily use the bulgogi marinade on the short-ribs, but they will taste slightly different due to the cut of beef.

What cut of meat is closest to short ribs? ›

Flavorful, easy-to-prep boneless short ribs aren't actually cut from the rib section of the cow, as their name implies. They are cut from the chuck, or shoulder, of the animal. For that reason, chuck roast is the best substitute when boneless short ribs are unavailable.

How do you clean Korean short ribs? ›

Boil ribs for five minutes, skimming off any residue, then drain and rinse in cold water. If you want to feel smart, wash the pot you just used to boil the ribs; you'll braise the meat in it soon.

What is the best cut of meat for short ribs? ›

The best beef short ribs come from the chuck primal where the marbled serratus ventralis muscle is thickest. Originating near the second rib, serratus ventralis covers most of the cattle's rib cage but thins as it stretches to the rump. Short ribs can also come from the brisket, plate, and rib sections.

What are the two types of short ribs? ›

Butchers cut beef short ribs in two dominant fillets: flanken and English. We also know flanken short ribs as crosscut ribs, kosher ribs, and Korean-style ribs. Chefs may refer to English cut short ribs as braising ribs, barbeque ribs, or fancy cut ribs because of the dense slab of meat perched atop their bones.

What are Korean short ribs called? ›

Korean Marinated Short Ribs, also known as LA Galbi, are a specific type of Galbi (Korean Grilled Ribs), and they are one of my favorite meats to grill! They are tender and flavorful in the sweet Galbi marinade, and perfect for grilling over hot coals, broiling in the oven, or searing over the cast iron skillet.

What is a substitute for Korean BBQ short ribs? ›

This is an easy way to make Korean short ribs. You can also substitute chicken breast or sliced rib-eye for the short ribs.

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