Go Back

Korean BBQ at Home

Let's make Korean BBQ at home! For Koreans, Korean BBQ can be a quick 15-minute meal for days when you don't feel like cooking. It's a dish enjoyed at gatherings with friends and family as well as at home alone. The home version is much simpler.
Servings 2 people
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes

Equipment

  • 1 thick frying pan (no grill needed)
  • 1 kitchen scissors
  • 1 Tongs
  • 1 Knife and cutting board

Ingredients
  

  • 400 g pork belly (with fat)
  • 2 pinches salt (marinade the meat)
  • 6 twists black pepper (marinade the meat)
  • 2 tbsp cooking oil
  • 200 g kimchi
  • 100 g lettuce
  • 1 bulb whole garlic
  • 1/2 onion
  • 2 bowls rice
  • 1 tbsp ssamjang (Korean BBQ dipping sauce)

Sesame Oil Sauce

  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 0.5 tbsp salt
  • 1 pinch black pepper

Salt & Pepper Dip

  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 pinch black pepper

Instructions
 

Prep the Meat

  • Pat the pork belly dry with a paper towel.
  • Season with salt and black pepper, then let it sit for 10-15minutes.

Prepare the Sauces

  • Salt & Pepper Dip: 1 tsp salt, a pinch of black pepper.
  • Ssamjang: 1 tbsp ssamjang (Korean dipping sauce).
  • Sesame Oil Sauce: 2 tbsp sesame oil, 0.5 tbsp salt, a pinch of black pepper.

Vegetable Prep

  • Wash the lettuce thoroughly.
  • Peel a whole bulb of garlic and remove the stem.
  • Slice half an onion into 0.5 cm strips.

Heat the Pan

  • Preheat a thick frying pan on high heat for 1–2 minutes.

Add Oil

  • Pour 2 tablespoons of cooking oil into the pan. (Adding oil ensures the meat cooks evenly and gets a crispy exterior.)

Cook the Pork Belly

  • Set the heat to high and place the pork belly on the pan.
  • Once the pork belly starts releasing fat, gently move the meat around. This helps cook it evenly.
  • When the pink color on the meat is almost gone, flip it over.
  • Reduce the heat to medium.

Cook the Garlic

  • When the pork releases its fat, add the garlic.
  • Fry the garlic in the pork fat until golden.

Add the Onions

  •  Cook the onion slices until they become soft and slightly caramelized.

Flip and Cut the Pork

  • When the pork is about 70% cooked, cut it into bite-sized pieces with kitchen scissors and finish cooking.
  • Keep turning the meat often to avoid burning and ensure even cooking.

Cook the Kimchi

  • Remove the meat from the pan.
  • Add the kimchi to the remaining pork fat in the pan and sauté on medium heat. (This step enhances the kimchi's flavor—be careful not to burn it!)

Let’s make Ssam!

  • Pick a lettuce leaf.
  • Dip the pork belly in the sesame oil sauce, then add it to the wrap.
  • Top with kimchi, garlic, onions, a dollop of ssamjang and rice.

Wrap(Ssam) and Eat

  • Fold the lettuce into a neat wrap and eat it in one bite.
  • For the full Korean BBQ experience, it's important to eat it in one bite to enjoy the perfect harmony of flavors!

Korean BBQ at Home

  • Jal meokgetseumnida! 잘 먹겠습니다!
Author: Blonde Kimchi
Calories: 1050kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian, Korean
Keyword: barbecue, bbq, easy, home food, korean bbq, meat, pork belly, quick, traditional food

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @lemon&limes on Instagram and hashtag it #lemon&limes.