This smoky, sweet, and savory Vegan Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Beef) is easy to make, flexible, and uses pantry-staple ingredients. Just throw everything in a skillet, serve over rice, and you’re done!

white rice and cooked ground vegan beef on a white plate.

Inspired by the popular Korean dish (but certainly not authentic!), this vegan bulgogi recipe is incredibly easy to make, exploding with flavor, and completely addictive! All you need are 11 ingredients you probably already have in your cupboard.

Want to know the best part? It’s a one-skillet recipe! Simply throw all of the vegan Korean beef ingredients together in one pan, let it cook for a few minutes, and enjoy!

It’s perfect when you’re looking for a quick and easy dinner or when you need the perfect vegan protein to pair with vegan fried rice, roasted brussels sprouts, Korean-inspired tacos, or basmati rice and kimchi.

close up on cooked vegan ground beef on a pile of white rice.

What is bulgogi?

Bulgogi beef, AKA Korean BBQ beef or “fire meat”, is a classic Korean dish made from strips of savory, spicy, and sweet marinated beef (like tenderloin or ribeye). The meat is traditionally grilled before it’s served over rice, in tacos, with kimchi, and more.

You have a few options when making a vegan bulgogi recipe. Swap the real meat for vegan ground beef, soy curls, jackfruit, mushrooms, or anything else you can think of! The real star is the bulgogi sauce, which is where this traditional dish gets its signature savory, salty, warm, and sweet flavors.

Ingredients needed (with substitutions)

Vegan ground beef – Though real beef bulgogi uses strips of meat, I prefer the flavor and texture of ground Impossible or Beyond beef. If you don’t want to use either of these, you can use half of a package of soy curls rehydrated in water or sliced mushrooms instead.
Onion and garlic
Soy sauce – Or tamari for gluten free bulgogi.
Brown sugar – Feel free to cut the amount in half for less-sweet bulgogi.
Sesame oil – This really helps with the dish’s overall savoriness.
Agave syrup – Or use maple syrup.
Ground ginger – To infuse plenty of warmth and balance.
Red chili flakes – For spice! For an authentic flavor (and more heat), swap this for Gochujang.
Sesame seeds

raw vegan beef on a white plate next to small bowls of sauces, seasonings, onion, and brown sugar.

How to make vegan bulgogi

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the vegan beef crumbles. Use a wooden spoon to break them up into small pieces and cook until browned.

raw vegan ground beef cooking in a black skillet.

Add the onion, soy sauce, brown sugar, agave, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, red chili flakes, and black pepper to the skillet. Stir to combine.

raw onions on top of cooked vegan ground beef in a black skillet.

To finish, lower the heat and continue cooking until everything is heated through. Serve over rice and enjoy!

Pro tip: Add some more flavor and substance to the meal by adding chopped carrots, green beans, edamame, broccoli, bok choy, or mushrooms to the vegan bulgogi beef in the skillet. Just don’t crowd the pan too much or you’ll lose out on the signature smokiness!

cooked vegan ground beef and onions in a black skillet.

Serving suggestions

The traditional way to serve Korean bulgogi beef is over short or long grain rice on the sticky side (sushi rice) with green onions, kimchi, sliced radishes, and seared vegetables (like bok choy, carrots, or broccolini).

There are plenty of ways to creatively enjoy your BBQ beef if rice isn’t your thing! Pile some into lettuce wraps with barbecue sauce and pickled red onions, in tacos with avocado and slaw, wrapped in spring rolls, or on top of a Korean-inspired BBQ vegan pizza.

cooked vegan ground beef and onions covered in sesame seeds in a black skillet.

Storing leftovers

Keep the leftover bulgogi stored in an airtight container in the fridge for about 4 days. It’s delicious for lunch or a quick dinner the next day!

cooked vegan ground beef and onions covered in green onions in a black skillet.

More easy Asian-inspired vegan recipes

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Read my full disclosure here.

About Nora