Name: Spicy Korean Pork Bulgogi (Jeyuk Bokkeum)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 lb pork shoulder or pork butt (very thinly sliced); 2 tbsp canola oil; 2 tsp sugar; 1 Asian leek or 4 green onion (chopped); 1/2 large onion (sliced); 6 tbsp Korean chili paste (gochujang); 1-2 tbsp Korean chili flakes (gochugaru); 2 tbsp soy sauce; 2 tbsp sweet rice wine (mirim); 2 tbsp sugar; 3 cloves garlic (finely minced); 1 1/2 tsp ginger puree; 1 tbsp sesame oil; 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds; 1/2 tsp black pepper

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If you like gochujang, you must try this spicy Korean pork (Jeyuk Bokkeum) recipe. It belongs to the pork bulgogi family and so is easy to make. Check out my recipe tips on how to achieve the open flame taste of professional kitchen at home.

Gochujang sauce Korean pork bulgogi is best to serve with rice and lettuce.

Pork is a beloved animal protein in Korean cuisine. And this spicy Korean pork stir-fry called Jeyuk Bokkeum is perhaps the most popular pork dish. Some call it Pork Bulgogi (dweiji bulgogi). Every household cooks this amazingly delicious spicy pork bulgogi from time to time in their own kitchen in Korea because it is so easy and quick to put together, and it always tastes good even if you mess it up.

The main ingredient to season the pork is “Gochujang (Korean chili paste).” This gochujang pork delivers a spicy yet gently sweet taste to the pork. You can adjust the level of spiciness with the amount of chili flakes. You can even skip the chili flakes if you prefer. We, as Koreans, like spicy things to be spicy, though.

Why You Should Try This Recipe

The beauty of this Korean pork recipe is that it mimics the taste of that sizzling smoky flavor that is cooked on an extremely hot flaming fire in a professional kitchen, which is not easy to achieve in most home kitchens. I will share my tips on how you can imitate that taste at home.

Unless you decide to marinate the pork ahead of time, this dish takes only a few minutes from start to finish. You’ll have a nice, spicy Korean pork stir-fry ready for dinner in no time! This is one of the easy Korean recipes that can’t go wrong. Serve with rice and lettuce, and you are good to go.

Stir-fried spicy Korean pork goes well with rice and lettuce.

Ingredients for Korean Pork Bulgogi (Jeyuk Bokkeum)

Pork Shoulder (or Pork Butt): You need a certain level of fat in the pork to make it moist and tender. Pork shoulder would be ideal for this recipe. Make sure your pork is thinly sliced. You can find pre-sliced pork shoulder in Korean stores. Some use pork belly, but I found it to be too fatty for stir-fry cooking.
Onion: Onion is the best companion for many savory dishes. It adds a natural sweetness to the dish.
Asian Leek or Green Onion: Fry with the oil for 30 seconds at the beginning and you will taste the difference.
Korean Chili Paste (Gochujang): Luckily it is widely available in many stores. If you have not tried yet, you are missing out on one of the greatest ingredients for your cooking.
Korean chili flakes (Gochugaru): This adds extra heat to the dish which makes it “spicy” and delicious. Adjust the amount depending on your heat tolerance.
Sugar or Honey It adds a sweetness and balances the spiciness of the dish.
Other ingredients: soy sauce, rice wine, garlic, ginger puree, sesame oil, sesame seeds.

Recipe Tips

Quick Caramelized Sugar: Let 2 teaspoon of sugar caramelize in hot oil to get the burnt sugar taste. The smoky flavor adds depth and mimics the flavor that is only acquirable from stir-fry done in flaming hot wok in a professional kitchen.
Infused Leek (or Green Onion): Fry chopped Asian leek or green onion with burnt, sugared oil for 30 seconds at the beginning to infuse the flavor. The aroma will penetrate into the pork slices, adding a deeper flavor.
Large skillet (wok) Over High Heat: You will need a large skillet that has enough room to stir around without being crammed. A high heat also helps the steam to evaporate quickly, otherwise the steam will be trapped inside and results in runny sauce. If your skillet (wok) is not big enough to stir-fry the entire batch of pork, divide the pork in half or in portions you desire. If so, you will need to reduce the amount of oil, sugar, and leek to caramelize per batch accordingly.

How to Make Spicy Korean Pork Bulgogi

Make the seasoning paste first: Combine gochujang, Korean chili flakes, soy sauce, sugar, rice wine, garlic, ginger puree, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and pepper; mix well.

Pork shoulder (Pork Butt): Separate each slice and put them in a bowl. Add the seasoning paste and mix well. You can make this step ahead of time and let it marinate in the refrigerator up to 24 hrs. Or you can go straight to stir-fry without marinating at all.

Hint: Wearing a disposable food-prep plastic glove will be handy to mix the pork with the seasoning paste. It will protect your delicate hand.

Step 1. Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in a deep skillet or wok over high heat. Add 2 teaspoon of sugar and swirl the pan around. Let the sugar turn brown and caramelized.

Step 2. Quickly add the chopped Asian leek (or green onion) and stir-fry for 30 seconds to infuse the oil. Add pork and onion.

Step 3. Stir-fry pork and onion until they are fully cooked and tender. Serve immediately with rice.

Serving Suggestion

Just like other stir-fried dishes, Jeyuk Bokkeum tastes best when it is hot. Try with lettuce and Kkennip (Korean perilla leaves), and some rice. Most Korean households serve this pork bulgogi with Doenjnag Jjigae (Korean soybean paste stew) as an accompaniment, but that is totally optional.

Korean pork bulgogi as a lettuce wrap is served with rice.

Check out other Korean Main Dishes. Some of my favorite dishes include: