Korean BBQ Sauce (2024)

FAQs

What is Korean BBQ sauce made of? ›

Korean BBQ Sauce Ingredients

To make this Korean barbecue sauce recipe, you'll need: soy sauce, dark brown sugar, minced garlic, rice wine vinegar, chile-garlic sauce, ground black pepper, fresh ginger, Asian sesame oil, cornstarch, and water.

The main difference between Korean BBQ sauce and a more traditional American BBQ sauce is going to be the base. That's because this sauce uses soy sauce as a base rather than your American tomato-style base. Because of this, it's going to be a thinner sauce with a bold savory flavor and a punch of heat.

Bulgogi sauce is considered being the BBQ sauce of Asian and Korean cuisine. It's sweet, smoky, and slightly tangy, and has a subtle spice hit thanks to the chili sauce. In many Korean restaurants, they actually serve this as a dipping sauce too!

Korean BBQ adds flavor by soaking meat in marinade to make it well seasoned and more flavorful, while Japanese BBQ focuses on the taste of the meat and incorporates various dipping sauces such as garlic, mirin (a type of rice wine that is a common ingredient in Japanese cooking) and soy sauce to add flavor to non- ...

Think pork belly, short rib, brisket or beef tongue. By cooking these cuts over a gas grill or fried on a pan, you're able to get an even more robust flavor! Korean BBQ is also known for its distinctly sweet taste, calling for ingredients like soy sauce, sugar, garlic, sesame and oil.

At a typical Korean restaurant, sauce #1 (Ssamjang) is served in a small bowl for sharing, while sauces #2 (Sesame oil, salt, and pepper sauce) and #3 (Wasabi and soy sauce) are provided individually to each person. These sauces are usually refilled for free as needed.

Yakiniku-style Japanese BBQ is a popular style of grilling that originated in Japan in the early 20th century. It is derived from the Korean BBQ tradition of bulgogi, which was introduced to Japan by Korean immigrants in the 1920s. The term "yakiniku" literally means "grilled meat" in Japanese.

As opposed to American-style BBQ sauce, which is tomato-based, the primary ingredients in Korean-style BBQ sauce are soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and rice vinegar. Right off the bat, though, you'll notice flavor similarities between the two sauces - there's tang and acidity, umami, saltiness, and a hint of sweetness.

Bulgogi (불고기) is the most popular variety of Korean barbecue. Before cooking, the meat is marinated with a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, ginger, scallions, sesame oil, garlic and pepper.

Is Korean BBQ the same as American BBQ? ›

Korean BBQ and American BBQ offer distinct dining experiences that reflect their cultural backgrounds. While Korean BBQ emphasizes fresh ingredients, interactive cooking, and a wide range of side dishes, American BBQ is celebrated for its slow-cooked meats and regional flavors.

Korean barbecue, aka KBBQ, traces its origins back to the Koguryŏ Era (37 B.C.–668 B.C.E.) of Korean history, to the nomadic Yemaek tribal group, whose range encompassed the whole of Korea and stretched as far as Manchuria.

While American BBQ mostly has a smoky flavor focusing on vinegar-based sauces, Koreans prefer more savory-sweet marinades. The most commonly used ingredients are sesame oil, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, and honey. Like sesame and soy sauce, some of them are unique to Asian cuisine due to their geographical location.

A combination of smokey, tangy, thick and sweet flavors that will have your mouth smiling with every bite. The serving options for Homemade BBQ Sauce are endless but include; Pulled pork sandwiches, Chicken Drummies, BBQ Chicken Pizza, and BBQ Chicken Tacos.

Bulgogi is made from thin slices of sirloin or other prime cuts of beef. Ribeye is also commonly used due to its tenderness and easily cuttable texture. In addition to beef, chicken and pork bulgogi are also common ingredients used to prepare the dish.