There’s no wonder why Korean Marinated Short Ribs (LA Galbi) are so loved at Korean BBQ restaurants. The beef is tender and so flavorful with sweet & savory notes. You won’t be disappointed, this recipe is perfect to make for outdoor grilling, dinner, or even a holiday potluck for your family and friends.
Why This Recipe Works
- So much flavor!! The beef is marinated in a soy marinade blended with pear and aromatics like garlic, ginger and onion.
- The texture is soft and tender from the marinade. There is some acidity in the pear that helps tenderize the meat.
- Quick and easy – the steps to make LA Galbi is straightforward. All you have to do is blend all the ingredients in the marinade and then marinate the short ribs for a few hours. Grill or pan-fry and you have a delicious meal! Serve with kimchi jjigae (kimchi tofu stew) for a delicious Korean meal!
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Ingredients
- Beef short ribs (thin sliced version!) – For authentic LA galbi, you need to use Flanken Style Ribs that are cut thin across the rib bones. You can buy high quality beef at H-Mart (korean grocery store). I also found these beef ribs at my nearest Costco.
- Ginger – is a must to take away the gamey taste of the beef.
- Soy sauce – is the base of the marinade that provides savoriness.
- Mirin – this is a must add ingredient to the marinade as it adds sweetness and flavor to the ribs.
- Korean pear or regular pear– when blended in the marinade, the pear provides a slight sweetness to the beef. The acidity also helps tenderize the meat.
- White onion – also gives a nice sweetness to the marinade
- Sake or cooking wine – helps take away the gamey taste and when the alcohol cooks down, it brings sweetness to the beef.
- Honey – gives the marinade that sweet flavor!
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Variations and Substitutions
- Substitute the beef with chicken or pork: Traditionally, this recipe is made with LA galbi, however if you don’t want to use beef, this marinade is delicious with different types of protein. You can also check out this yummy korean bbq pork belly that doesn’t need a marinade.
- substitute for korean pear – If you can’t find the pear in store, feel free to use a peeled apple. Use a sweet apple like Fiji or Gala.
- Can’t have sake or any types of alcohol, feel free to omit this ingredient! A substitution for sake is a mild white wine.
How to Make LA Galbi
Step 1: Soak your beef short ribs in water to remove bone shards and any impurities.
Step 2: Blend all your marinade ingredients together and add to your beef short ribs. Marinate for 2 hours to overnight.
Step 3: Heat pan to medium-high heat with some oil. Gently add the beef short ribs to the pan and cook 2 minutes on each side.
Step 4: Cut the beef short ribs in smaller pieces and continue grilling until your desired doneness and char,
Recipe FAQs
You might consider using other cuts of beef that are suitable for slow cooking or grilling. I recommend using these following cuts: English-Cut Short Ribs, Bone-in Chuck Roast. Just make sure it’s sliced thinner so the beef can soak up the marinade!
I recommend to serve with white rice, lettuce wraps, banchan (korean side dishes), and a hearty stew like fermented soybean paste stew or spicy soft tofu soup.
If you’re planning to have Korean BBQ, I recommend checking out this Korean BBQ guide.
Store the leftover LA galbi in a close container in the fridge. To reheat, place them in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute. You can also pan-fry them until they get warm. Try not to overcook them too much or the leftover galbi can get dry.
Yes, you can pan-fry them on a stainless steel or cast iron pan! Make sure the pan gets really hot (you see smoke) and lay them on there gently. The beef can splatter because the marinade has water content. You can also broil the short ribs in the oven ◡̈ I haven’t tried the oven method, so try at your own risk.
Expert Tips
- Take off the top membrane of the sliced beef short ribs
- Soaking your ribs in water for an hour prior to marinating helps remove bone shards and will give your beef a ‘cleaner’ taste.
- Blend all the marinade ingredients in a food processor or blender.
- Take the beef ribs out of the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to grilling. This ensures that the beef cooks evenly and quickly.
- Before grilling, slowly drip off excess marinade from the beef short ribs in the bowl. If you get too much marinade in the pan, it will be harder to get a nice sear.
For an ultimate korean bbq feast, check out these recipes:
- kimchi fried rice with cheese – fragrant rice with sour and savory kimchi.
- budae jjigae – savory and spicy ramen cooked with rice cakes and sausages.
Did you try this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ rating below and share it on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
LA Galbi (Korean Marinated Short Ribs)
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds beef short ribs make sure to get the thin cut
- 1 inch ginger peeled
- 4 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ tablespoon sugar
- ¼ cup mirin
- ½ korean pear can sub with apple
- ¼ white onion
- 2 tablespoon sake or cooking wine
- ¼ cup water
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or avocado oil for grilling
garnish
- green onions optional
- sesame seeds optional
Instructions
- Take off the top membrane of the sliced beef short ribs. Then, wash your beef in cold water to get rid of any bone shards. Pat dry with a paper towel.
- To make the marinade, add ginger, garlic, soy sauce, salt , sugar, mirin, ½ korean pear, white onion, sake, water, black pepper, and honey. Blend all the ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth.
- Pour marinade into the beef short ribs and marinate for at least 2 hours to overnight in the refrigerator.
- Take the beef ribs out of the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to grilling. Heat cast iron pan or grill to medium high heat. Once you see smoke coming from the pan, add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan. Gently add the beef short ribs to the pan and cook 2 minutes on each side.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions (optional). Eat the LA galbi with some hot rice. Or make a lettuce wrap with kimchi and spicy cucumber salad
Video
@cookwithdana here’s how to make super delicious LA galbi~ #koreanbbq #asianrecipes
♬ Chill Day – LAKEY INSPIRED
Notes
- Take off the top membrane of the sliced beef short ribs will make your beef more tender and less chewy.
- Soaking your ribs in water for an hour prior to marinating helps remove bone shards and will give your beef a ‘cleaner’ taste.
- Take the beef ribs out of the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to grilling. This ensures that the beef cooks evenly and quickly.
- Before grilling, slowly drip off excess marinade from the beef short ribs in the bowl. If you get too much marinade in the pan, it will be harder to get a nice sear. This also prevents the oil from splashing too much in the pan.
Gabby says
This is definitely a favorite of mine 😊
Vicky says
This was so easy to make and I leave out any ingredients I don’t have, plus I don’t have a blender. Marinade was so easy to make and turns out delicious every time!
Christine says
This was a super easy and delicious recipe to make! I was too intimidated to try making Galbi before, but this was so straightforward that I decided to try it and I’m so glad I did. The sauce is what makes this dish so good (it’s much better than some restaurant-made Galbi I’ve tried in the past). Will definitely be making this again on repeat.
Cook With Dana says
Thank you so much Christine ◡̈